Crime
Third victim of Grand Blanc LDS church shooting identified as Pat Howard
Authorities have identified Pat Howard as the third victim killed in Sunday’s mass shooting at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan.
Howard’s family described him as a devoted husband, uncle, and friend whose life was rooted in kindness, curiosity, and family bonds.
“Uncle Pat was so many things. He was smart, kind, funny, serious, and endlessly curious. He loved his family deeply,” relatives wrote in a tribute. “To spend your life surrounded by the love and laughter of Aunt Kitty and all the Howard kids—that’s a life well spent.”
Loved ones recalled his presence at family gatherings, where his bright eyes, raised brows, and knowing smile often signaled either a witty remark or a perfectly timed piece of knowledge.
“In my mind, I see him mid-conversation,” one family member shared. “Whatever it was, I wanted to be around that table.”
In the wake of his sudden loss, relatives have launched a fundraiser to support Howard’s wife, Kitty, with funeral and burial expenses.
Family members said the community’s support—whether through donations or simple acts of kindness—would honor Howard’s memory. “If you can’t afford to donate, do something nice for your neighbor, tell someone you love them, and be the person you want your neighbor to be,” they wrote.
The tragedy unfolded on Sunday morning, September 28, 2025, when 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford of Burton, Michigan, drove his pickup truck into the front entrance of the church during services before opening fire on congregants with an assault rifle.
He then set the building on fire, causing a massive blaze that ultimately led to the roof’s collapse.
At least four victims were killed and eight others injured. Sanford himself was killed during an exchange of gunfire with police.
The FBI, ATF, and local law enforcement agencies continue to investigate the motive.
Sanford, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served from 2004 to 2008 and deployed during Operation Iraqi Freedom, had previously been arrested for burglary and operating while intoxicated.
Military records and family social media accounts describe him as a mechanic, vehicle recovery operator, husband, father, and outdoorsman.
Authorities have confirmed that the church building is a total loss. Emergency crews and search-and-rescue teams continue to examine the debris for additional victims.
This attack marks the second mass shooting in less than 24 hours involving Iraq War veterans.
Just hours earlier in North Carolina, another Marine veteran opened fire at a Southport bar, killing three and wounding eight.
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.