On Sunday, millions of Americans were horrified by the news that a church in Michigan was set on fire after several of its parishioners were shot.
Four people were killed and at least eight more wounded when a man named Thomas Jacob Sanford opened fire during Sunday services at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township.
It was the latest in a string of shootings in America in recent weeks and the second such incident in less than 24 hours.
According to a statement from the Grand Blanc Police Department, the suspected shooter was killed by the authorities less than eight minutes after the first emergency call was received.
Now, journalists and social media users are desperately trying to make sense of the tragedy by piecing together the details of the shooter’s life and beliefs.
Thomas Jacob Sanford was a former Marine and Iraq War veteran
According to a report from Fox News, Sanford was a Michigan native who served in the Marines from 2004 to 2008 as an organizational automotive mechanic and vehicle recovery operator.
The outlet noted that he earned several awards during his four years of service, including the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal.
According to a report from local newspaper the Clarkston News, Sanford comes from a military family, with an uncle who was in the Marines and a grandfather who served in the Navy during World War II.
That information comes courtesy of a report about Sanford’s military service that the paper ran in 2007.
“I’m excited to go. I’m looking forward to seeing the culture and the people of Iraq,” Sanford reportedly told the outlet at the time.
“I’ll return with the real news of the situation. There are many changes we are making in the Middle East. We are making progress. The citizens of Iraq are beginning to step up.”
“He’s a homegrown kid who misses his family when he’s gone. Jake’s going voluntarily and plans on returning to this community when his service is over. We are very proud of him,” Sanford’s father remarked.
Shooter’s motives remain a mystery
Police sources say Sanford crashed his pickup truck — which had two American flags raised in the bed — into the church before exiting the vehicle and opening fire.
It is believed that he used gasoline to light the fire just minutes before he was killed by police.
His motives remain a mystery, and it’s unclear if he had any specific issue with the LDS, more commonly known as the Mormon Church.
“The suspect is dead, but there is still a lot to learn,” President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “This appears to be yet another targeted attack on Christians in the United States of America.”
We will have further updates on this developing story as new information becomes available.