Watch: Drone footage shows fire at Michigan church
Investigators in Michigan have interviewed more than 100 people as they work to establish why a gunman drove his vehicle into a church, opened fire and then set the building ablaze.
In a Monday news conference, the state’s Governor Gretchen Whitmer called for patience as the FBI works to determine a motive for the attack on Sunday.
Four people were killed and eight others were injured when the suspect, Thomas Jacob Sanford, 40, attacked the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc. He was later shot dead by police in the car park.
Hundreds of people were attending a service at the time, and police said on Monday that everyone had been accounted for.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was “trying to understand more about this, how premeditated it was, how much planning went into it, whether he left a note”.
On Monday, officials said it was an “act of targeted violence” but the motive was still unclear.
Governor Whitmer asked that people lower the “temperature of rhetoric” and noted that while it might feel natural to want to know why this attack happened, speculating is “unhelpful and it can be downright dangerous”.
She and law enforcement asked for people to be patient for answers.
Authorities worked throughout Sunday to clear the building- which was fully engulfed in flames – and ensure all of those who were attending services were accounted for.
“We are still trying to determine exactly when and where the fire ended up coming from and how it got started,” Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye said on Monday.
The suspect had used an accelerant – most likely petrol – to start the blaze, authorities said.
Two victims were initially found dead of gunshot wounds, and two others were later found dead in the building as police searched.
Authorities have still not publicly identified those killed in the attack or given any indication on whether the suspect had any links to the church.
Official: All accounted for in Michigan church attack
Investigators are conducting a search of the suspect’s property and examining his mobile phone records.
Sanford was a Marine Corps veteran and served in Iraq, Leavitt told reporters on Monday.
The FBI is leading the investigation and has deployed crisis response teams, bomb technicians and others to the scene, according to Reuben Coleman, the acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s Detroit field office.
In a statement, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints confirmed that a gunman opened fire during worship services, and “multiple individuals were injured”.
“We pray for peace and healing for all involved.”
Grand Blanc police said that 100 FBI agents have been deployed to assist with the investigation.
President Donald Trump called the attack “yet another targeted attack on Christians in the United States of America”.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a post on X that she had received briefings on “what appears to be a horrific shooting and fire” at the church.
“Such violence at a place of worship is heartbreaking and chilling,” Bondi said.
“Please join me in praying for the victims of this terrible tragedy.”
Mitt Romney, former US senator for Utah and one of the most prominent Mormon politicians, called the shooting a “tragedy”, adding: “My brothers and sisters and their church are targets of violence. Praying for healing and comforting.”
