Neighbors say they are still coming to terms with the shooting and fire that killed four people at a Michigan chapel Sunday morning. The shooter, a former Marine who was also killed, targeted a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints location in Grand Blanc Township.
One neighbor who lives across the street from the church approached the cross and the barricade set up in front of the smouldering ruins of the church Monday.
“I think it’s still sinking in. I think it’s just so hard to believe and so hard to fathom,” Diana Rushlow said.
For the people who live right across the street, Sunday’s mass shooting did not initially seem possible.
“At first, we thought it was fireworks. We kept hearing more and more, and then we started hearing very rapid amounts of shots. And at that point, we figured it was gunshots,” Rushlow said.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Monday said “we can not keep living our lives like this,” in response to the latest in a string of shootings targeting houses of worship.
“This place has been shattered by bullets and broken glass, and this might be a familiar pain, but it hurts all the same every time,” Whitmer said. “I know that this community is reeling right now, and I want you to know the state of Michigan has your back.”
Many of the victims were treated at the local hospital, Henry Ford Genesys. Some of the medical professionals there were also church members.
“Not only were they victims, but they were first responders. They were heroes,” Dr. Michael Danic, Henry Ford Genesys’ medical chief of staff, said.
For those of different faiths, their thoughts are with the victims and their families.
“I would just, you know, want to embrace them and tell them, you know, that we’re praying for them,” Rushlow said. “We certainly will support them in any way.”
A counseling and support center has been set up. The family assistance center is located at the Genesys Athletic Club on Health Park Boulevard. It’s open Monday and Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. for those who need help.