By Martin Shwenk Leade

Copyright indiatimes

Thomas started a nearly seven-month deployment under Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2007 and left the corps a few months later

A person accused in a fatal shooting and fire on Sunday at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan has been identified as Thomas Jacob Sanford. Thomas is a 40-year-ols man with a military background, reports NBC News.Authorities have said Thomas Jacob Sanford drove a vehicle through the front doors of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, before opening fire and setting the building ablaze. Officials said he used an assault rifle.At least five people were killed in the Sunday morning attack- including the gunman – and at least eight others were injured. Police believe more bodies may be found in the remains of the burned-down building.ALSO READ: Michigan Mormon Church shooting leaves multiple wounded hours after 3 killed in North Carolina horrorWho is Thomas Jacob Sanford?Police said the attacker rammed the church with a vehicle, got out and opened fire with an assault rifle. James Deir, special agent in charge of the Detroit Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, told NBC News he also appears to have used an accelerant to start a fire.Live EventsThomas Jacob Sanford joined the Marine Corps in 2004, according to the Marine records, and held the titles of organizational automotive mechanic and vehicle recovery operator. He was an organisational automotive mechanic and vehicle recovery operator, reaching the rank of sergeant, and was deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom from August 2007 to March 2008.Thomas started a nearly seven-month deployment under Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2007 and left the corps a few months later, the records show. Sanford achieved the rank of sergeant and had his last duty assignment at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina before he left the Marines in June 2008, according to the records.ALSO READ: Michigan Church shooting: Dramatic video shows massive smoke engulfs sky, building on fireThomas Jacob was awarded 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 records show. A 2007 article in the Clarkston News—a local publication in the village of Clarkston, roughly 20 miles southeast of Grand Blanc Township—reported that Sanford graduated from Goodrich High School in 2003, about 12 miles east of the shooting scene.Goodrich Area Schools officials have not yet responded to a request to verify Sanford’s enrollment and graduation. According to the article, Sanford was preparing for deployment to Fallujah, Iraq, at the time.“I’m looking forward to seeing the culture and the people of Iraq,” Sanford is quoted as saying. “I’ll return with the real news of the situation.” Thomas Jacob Sanford appeared to have a young child, based on a review of a Facebook page believed to belong to his wife.A voicemail left at a phone number associated with his parents went unanswered, and efforts to contact his wife were also unsuccessful.ALSO READ: Michigan Church shooting: Shooter crashed car and opened fire, podcaster shares disturbing video capturing horrorHow did the tragedy unfold?A routine Sunday service in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, turned into a tragedy when the gunman drove a pickup truck into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, opened fire on congregants, and set the building ablaze. Police confirmed five people people were killed and eight others injured before responding officers shot and killed the suspect. Flames and smoke engulfed the church for hours, leaving first responders to comb through the debris for additional victims.Sanford had endured significant personal hardships as well. According to CNN, he and his wife’s young son was born with Congenital Hyperinsulinism, a rare genetic disorder that required several surgeries.ALSO READ: After Bill Ackman bombshell, Candace Owens drops new explosive claim in Charlie Kirk assassination case Family Facebook posts revealed the emotional and financial toll of the child’s medical care, and Sanford reportedly took time off from his job at Coca-Cola to be by his side. “Never take having healthy kids for granted,” he once wrote.The FBI has launched a full investigation, with Special Agent Ruben Coleman calling the attack an “act of targeted violence”. Police have not yet determined a motive or whether Sanford was a member of the church.Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now!
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