Why did Thomas Jacob ‘Jake’ Sanford, highly decorated former Iraq war veteran & ardent Donald Trump ‘MAGA’ supporter attack Michigan LDS church?
Four people have now been confirmed dead and eight more injured after a gunman set fire to a Mormon church in Grand Blanc, Michigan before shooting at congregants inside the packed place of worship, Sunday morning.
Thomas Jacob ‘Jake’ Sanford, 40, of nearby Burton, rammed his pick-up truck — with two U.S flags hoisted in the back — in the front of the Mormon denominated church, before alighting and opening fire on hundreds of people.
Make Liberals Cry Again: Was Michigan Church shooter motivated by political rhetoric?
Michigan LDS church shooter called Mormons ‘the anti-Christ’ days before attack
Congregants had gathered for a service at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc when gunshots suddenly rang out at 10.25 a.m on Sunday.
Thomas ‘Tom’ Sanford, a former military veteran served in Iraq from June 2004 until June 2008 according to a press briefing held after 5 p.m, Sunday.
The suspect was shot dead by officers at the scene as flames engulfed the chapel.
Seven victims remain in stable condition in hospital and at least one person is in critical condition.
Sanford was an organizational automotive mechanic and vehicle recovery operator and achieved the rank of sergeant, a corps spokesman said. Sanford was deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom from August 2007 to March 2008.
He earned several awards and medals, including the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the National Defense Service Medal, the spokesman said according to NBC News.
His last assignment was in the 2nd Maintenance Battalion of Combat Logistics Regiment 25 at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, according to the spokesman.
Michigan LDS church shooting leads to Liberals & MAGA blaming each other
Thomas Jacob Sanford and his family didn’t just post about Trump and MAGA on their Facebook — they went to rallies and demonstrated. pic.twitter.com/vukcT4JywC
— JΛKΣ (@USMCLiberal) September 28, 2025
Decorated military vet and proud patriot
Sanford graduated from Goodrich High School in 2004 and was recognized among other veteran alumni, according to an archived page from the school’s website. A local news profile of Sanford from 2007 said he was deployed with the US Marine Corp to Japan before preparing to head for service in Iraq.
As of Sunday afternoon three improvised devices were discovered, two senior U.S. law enforcement officials said according to NBC News.
Officials feared the death toll rising once it was safe to go inside the burnt structure where parishioners may have been trapped.
The episode left the church ‘completely destroyed’ by the blaze, officials said.
The blaze has been extinguished, and investigators say more victims maybe be found inside.
A 2007 article in the Clarkston News indicated Sanford hailing from a military family. His father, also named Thomas Sanford, described him as 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.’
People are saying the Michigan church shooter, Thomas Jacob Sanford, had a Trump sign on his property. 👀 pic.twitter.com/8YB7IbmTvx
— Alex Cole (@acnewsitics) September 28, 2025
Conservative politics and social media posts pro Trump and MAGA
Online photos and social media indicated Sanford being a former Marine, 2003 graduate of Goodrich High School, a hunter and a married father of a 10-year-old son.
According to a GoFundMe page from 2015, the family was in need of donations to help pay for the medical care of Sanford’s son who was born with a rare genetic disorder.
The newborn baby was diagnosed with a condition called Congenital Hyperinsulinism, which required a lengthy hospital stay and several surgeries to remove portions of the pancreas, according to a family Facebook page documenting the difficult journey.
The child’s medical condition took a financial toll on the family, with CNN reporting that Sanford took leave from his work as a truck driver for Coca Cola to be with his son.
Other posts on Sanford’s Facebook pages showed him to be a hunter, posing with deer and other game. Other social media posts showed the alleged gunman celebrating Republican themes, of ‘freedom of choice,’ ‘no mask initiative’, ‘anti- vaccine,’ ‘pro Guns’, pro-America patriotism, along with a post titled, ‘The American Trinity vs The Leftist Trinity.’
A post even showed the alleged shooter wearing a shirt stating, ‘Re elect Trump 2020, Make Liberals Cry Again’ (see directly below).
What was Michigan LDS church shooter political affiliations?
Sanford’s wife also shared her political beliefs in 2021, writing: ‘Bring back Trump. Who voted for this.’
A regard of Sanford’s mother’s FB posts revealed the parent to also be an ardent conservative and pro-Trump, with Brenda Walters-Sanford sharing a range of pro MAGA themes.
In one post, the parent called for James Comey to ‘rot in hell’ after Trump recently indicted the former FBI director.
The family were all Christians who frequently addressed their faith in God.
Authorities were scheduled to execute a search warrant on the suspect’s home and also comb through cell phone records to ‘find out if there was a motive’, according to officials.
Police did not discuss why they believe Sanford targeted the Mormon church. Several others in the area are closer to his home, according to Google maps.
Sanford has been registered to vote at the Atherton Road address since 2017, records show.
An online image of Sanford’s home shows a 2016 ‘Trump’ political sign on the fence, above a sign. Authorities had yet to release the shooter’s political affiliation and his previous voting.
Authorities had yet to provide a motive for the attack.
