Crime
Gerald Waligorski Dies by Self-Inflicted Gunshot After Shooting Wife and Killing Her Parents in Pike County Shooting Spree
NEW CANTON, Ill. — Authorities in Pike County are investigating a deadly shooting spree that left two people dead, one person critically injured, and the suspect dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The Pike County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that 67-year-old Gerald E. Waligorski, of New Canton, was identified as the suspect. Deputies discovered his body inside his residence following a search warrant executed by a SWAT team.
According to Sheriff’s Deputy Zach Orr, deputies were dispatched around 6 a.m. Thursday to a home in the 300 block of Mississippi Street in New Canton after receiving reports of gunfire.
Upon arrival, officers located Waligorski’s wife suffering from a gunshot wound. She told police that her husband had shot her and threatened her parents. The woman was airlifted to a hospital for emergency treatment.
In response to her statement, officers conducted a welfare check at her parents’ residence in the 200 block of Monroe Street, where they tragically found both victims deceased from gunshot wounds. Their identities have not yet been released pending notification of family members.
As law enforcement searched for Waligorski, local authorities issued warnings to residents to remain indoors, describing the situation as an active shooter threat. Nearby schools, including Griggsville-Perry School District, Western School District, and Pikeland CUSD 10, were placed on soft lockdown as a precaution.
A SWAT team later executed a search warrant at Waligorski’s residence, where he was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The Pike County Sheriff’s Office stated that the motive behind the killings remains under investigation. Officials with the Hull Kinderhook Fire Protection District confirmed the area is now secure, and law enforcement agencies have lifted all lockdown measures.
Grand Blanc Township, MI – Authorities have identified Thelma Armstrong as one of the four victims killed in Sunday’s mass shooting at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan.
Armstrong, originally from Klerksdorp, South Africa, was widely known in her hometown as a respected general manager at Foodzone before immigrating to the United States in 2019.
Friends and family describe her as a devoted mother, grandmother, and friend, remembered for her kindness, generosity, and unwavering dedication to her loved ones.
She had been attending worship services on Sunday morning with her daughter, family, and other congregants when the devastating attack unfolded.
At approximately 10:25 a.m., authorities say 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford of Burton, Michigan, drove his pickup truck into the front entrance of the church before opening fire on congregants with an assault-style rifle.
He later set the building ablaze, triggering a massive fire that caused the roof to collapse.
In total, four people were killed and eight others injured. Emergency crews confirmed that the church building is a total loss.
Search-and-rescue teams continue to work through the debris to ensure no additional victims remain unaccounted for.
Sanford was killed during an exchange of gunfire with responding officers.
The FBI, ATF, and local law enforcement agencies are actively investigating the case, including Sanford’s motives.
Sanford, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, served from 2004 to 2008, including a deployment during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Records describe him as a mechanic and vehicle recovery operator. He was also known as a husband, father, and outdoorsman. Sanford had prior arrests for burglary and operating while intoxicated.
Armstrong’s family in the U.S. and South Africa are devastated by the loss. They described her as a woman of strength, love, and faith. She leaves behind her children and grandchildren, who are now mourning the irreplaceable absence of their beloved matriarch.
Her family has launched an appeal for support to help with funeral and memorial expenses, expressing gratitude for the compassion shown during this tragedy.
This attack comes less than 24 hours after another mass shooting in Southport, North Carolina, where a Marine veteran opened fire at a bar, killing three people and injuring eight others.
Both incidents involved Iraq War veterans, raising further questions as federal authorities review possible connections and wider implications.