Crime
Death toll from Grand Blanc Mormon Church shooting rises to five including suspect Thomas Jacob Sanford
Grand Blanc Township, Michigan – Authorities confirmed late Sunday that five people, including the suspected gunman, are dead following a mass shooting and fire at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township.
At least eight others sustained injuries.
The suspected gunman has been identified as Thomas Jacob Sanford, 40, of Burton, Michigan.
Police say Sanford drove his pickup truck into the front of the church during morning services before opening fire with an assault rifle on congregants and their families.
At some point during the attack, Sanford used gasoline to set the building on fire.
He was later killed in an exchange of gunfire with law enforcement.
Hundreds of worshippers, including children, were inside the church when the violence unfolded.
Authorities believe additional victims may still be located inside the burned-out structure, which has been declared a total loss.
Crews with the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Unit were dispatched to assist with recovery efforts.
According to a Marine Corps spokesperson, Sanford served on active duty from 2004 to 2008, reaching the rank of sergeant. He worked as a mechanic and vehicle recovery operator and was deployed to Iraq in 2007 as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Military records indicate he received several medals for his service.
Sanford graduated from Goodrich High School in 2004 and was recognized among veteran alumni.
Local news archives from 2007 reported that he was deployed to Japan prior to his Iraq service.
Social media accounts linked to Sanford’s family portray him as a husband and father to a young son.
A GoFundMe campaign in 2015 revealed the family had struggled with medical expenses related to their son’s rare genetic condition, Congenital Hyperinsulinism (CHI), which required multiple surgeries and extended hospital stays.
At the time, Sanford spoke publicly about the challenges of balancing military service, family life, and medical hardship.
Posts from family members’ social media also highlight Sanford’s passion for the outdoors, particularly hunting.
Five confirmed dead, including Sanford.
At least eight additional victims, several hospitalized.
Sanford rammed a pickup truck through the front of the church, opened fire with an assault rifle, and set the building ablaze using gasoline.
Officers engaged Sanford in gunfire, fatally wounding him.
Authorities initially discovered potential explosive devices near the church, prompting the involvement of a bomb squad. Scanner traffic also indicated suspicious beeping noises coming from Sanford’s truck.
Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye confirmed Sanford acted alone. “We believe we have the individual responsible in custody—he was neutralized during the incident,” Renye said.
The Grand Blanc tragedy occurred less than 24 hours after another mass shooting allegedly carried out by an Iraq War veteran. In Southport, North Carolina, authorities say 38-year-old Nigel Edge, a decorated Marine and Purple Heart recipient, opened fire at a waterfront bar, killing three people and injuring eight more.
The incidents, both involving Iraq War veterans within a single day, have raised questions for investigators about common threads, though officials caution it is too early to determine whether the two events are connected in any way.
By Sunday evening, nearly 12 hours after the first emergency calls, fire crews were still working to contain flare-ups at the destroyed chapel. The church website has since marked the meetinghouse as “closed.”
The ATF Detroit Field Division confirmed Sanford used accelerants to ignite the fire, while investigators continue to search through the debris for additional victims and evidence.
Authorities say identifying a clear motive remains a priority, but for now, the focus remains on recovery and support for the families of the victims.
Crime
Venezuelan national Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis shot in the leg by an immigration agent in Minneapolis
On January 14, 2025, federal law enforcement personnel were engaged in a targeted enforcement operation involving Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national who has been present in the United States since 2022.
The operation escalated into a high-speed pursuit, a physical confrontation, and an ambush by multiple subjects, necessitating the use of a defensive firearm discharge by a federal agent.
At approximately 6:50 PM, federal officers initiated a targeted traffic stop of a vehicle operated by Sosa-Celis.
The subject refused to comply with law enforcement commands and attempted to flee the scene.
During the pursuit, the subject’s vehicle collided with a stationary, parked car.
Following the collision, the subject abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene on foot.
A federal agent pursued the suspect on foot and successfully intercepted him. As the agent attempted to effect an arrest, the subject became combative, resulting in a violent struggle on the ground.
During this confrontation, two additional male subjects emerged from a nearby residence to intervene.
These individuals reportedly ambushed the agent, utilizing a snow shovel and a broom handle to strike the officer.
The situation escalated when the primary suspect, Sosa-Celis, regained his footing and joined the two additional subjects in the assault.
Reports indicate the suspect struck the agent with a blunt object (identified as either the shovel or broom handle).
Citing an immediate threat to his life while being outnumbered and actively assaulted by three individuals, the agent discharged his service weapon in self-defense.
The discharge struck Sosa-Celis in the lower extremity (leg). Following the shot, all three suspects retreated into a nearby apartment complex and initiated a barricade situation.
Following a brief standoff, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) successfully secured the perimeter and apprehended all three individuals without further injury.
Both the federal agent and Sosa-Celis were transported to a local medical facility for treatment.
Images from the scene showed Sosa-Celis conscious and alert during transport.
All three subjects involved in the assault are currently in the custody of ICE.
Further charges related to the assault on a federal officer and resisting arrest are pending review by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.