Residents in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, are still visibly shaken after Sunday’s deadly church attack that claimed the lives of four individuals.
For 26 years, Karen Scott has lived in Grand Blanc Township. Her home is down the street from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the place of worship targeted in the attack.
“It’s just overwhelmingly sad,” said Karen Scott. “To think that something could happen so close and nothing like that has ever happened here before. It’s always in other cities and always far away, and it hit home.”
Scott says that she and her husband, a pastor at Faith Lutheran Church nearby, were holding their church service when the chaos down the street unfolded.
“Our church went into lockdown, and it was just very unsettling. We could hear sirens, and I had forgotten my phone, and loved ones were calling me because they knew the proximity of where we lived and our church,” said Scott.
Investigators say 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford from Burton, Michigan, drove his truck into the church, fired an assault rifle, and set the building on fire.
Sanford was killed by officers during a shootout. As of Tuesday, no motive has been released.
A community is reeling from this tragedy, and for Scott, relying on faith to push through.
“You have the questions like, ‘Why would God allow this to happen?’ Just have a strong relationship with Jesus now and love each other,” Scott said.
Medical officials say the victims in this shooting range from as young as 6 to 78.
If you would like to help, the city is partnering with ELGA Credit Union, which has set up a donation page.
Assistance, including victim counseling and emotional support for anyone impacted by the attack, is located at Genesys Banquet and Conference Center at 805 Health Park Blvd., Grand Blanc, Tuesday to Friday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
As far as the suspect, CBS News Detroit has reached out to the FBI, the lead agency in charge, for any new developments. We do know Sanford had previous run-ins with police, but the motive for Sunday’s attack is still unclear.
