A number of individuals had been shot Sunday throughout a packed service on the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Michigan, police said.
No less than 10 parishioners had been shot, together with one who was killed, Grand Blanc Police Chief William Renye mentioned at a information convention. Renye mentioned two different victims had been in crucial situation and that the gunman, a 40-year-old man, was killed in a gunfight with police.
The church was intentionally set on fireplace by the suspect, whose identify was not instantly launched, Renye mentioned.
“We do imagine we are going to discover extra victims as soon as now we have that scene secured,” Renye mentioned.
The assault unfolded at 10:25 a.m. and greater than 100 individuals had been attending the service, in accordance with Renye.
“He ran the automobile by means of the entrance door, exited and began firing photographs,” Renye mentioned of the suspect.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and FBI responded to the incident.
Firefighters work, September 28, 2025, to place out a hearth at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Michigan, after a gunman shot a number of individuals, in accordance with police.
Constance Deming
Hearth set within the aftermath of the taking pictures grew to a five-alarm blaze that prompted a partial collapse of the construction, in accordance with regulation enforcement officers. Simply earlier than 1 p.m., authorities mentioned the hearth had been extinguished.
An ABC Information supply briefed on the investigation mentioned detectives are urgently working to find out the motive behind the taking pictures. Investigators are working to study whether or not the church had been the goal of threats in current months and seeking to see whether or not the timing could possibly be linked to the loss of life on Saturday of Russell M. Nelson, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was 101 years previous.
Nelson died at his house in Salt Lake Metropolis, church spokesperson Candice Madsen mentioned in a press release.
Shortly after the taking pictures, Legal professional Basic Pam Bondi mentioned in a post on X, “I’m receiving briefings about what seems to be a horrific taking pictures and fireplace at an LDS church in Grand Blanc, Michigan. @FBI and @ATFHQ brokers are en path to the scene now. Such violence at a spot of worship is heartbreaking and chilling. Please be a part of me in praying for the victims of this horrible tragedy.”
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer mentioned her “coronary heart is breaking for the Grand Blanc group” in a statement on X.
“Violence anyplace, particularly in a spot of worship, is unacceptable,” she mentioned. “I’m grateful to the primary responders who took motion shortly. We are going to proceed to observe this case and maintain the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints within the Grand Blanc shut.”
For years, regulation enforcement and homeland safety specialists have been warning that spiritual establishments throughout the board are being focused for acts of violence.
“We are able to all agree that our homes of worship ought to be secure locations for individuals to train their freedom of faith however proper now we’re more and more seeing them being targets for violence — and never simply assaults anyone religion,” Michael Masters, who oversees safety operations for the principle U.S. community of Jewish colleges and synagogues, informed ABC Information. “Assaults towards spiritual establishments are assaults towards our democracy as an entire.”
Masters mentioned there was a rise in focused assaults throughout the faith-based group over the previous a number of years.
“That is one thing we’ve been working to organize for within the Jewish group for a few years. Within the present menace atmosphere, the offenders are sometimes not distinguishing. There’s the Jewish group, the Sikh group, the Annunciation church and now the LDS church in Michigan,” he mentioned.
