GRAND BLANC TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A woman who missed church on the day of the deadly Grand Blanc Township attack is sharing her heartbreak and mourning with her community.
The attack happened Sunday, Sept. 28, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on McCandlish Road. At least four people were killed and 10 others injured.
Read: 24 hours after Grand Blanc Township church attack: Here’s everything we’ve learned
According to authorities, a man drove a truck through the church’s front doors before exiting and opening fire with an assault rifle.
When police arrived at the church, they found it fully engulfed in flames. They said they believe the gunman deliberately set the fire using an accelerant, possibly gasoline.
The church was destroyed in the fire.
Stephanie Giddings, a church member who missed service to work that day, said learning about the attack was gut-wrenching, especially since her daughter was recently baptized there.
Giddings said she left work immediately after she received a call from her mom, who told her about the attack.
“I’m in complete disbelief and my heart just breaks,” Giddings said. “My mom came out. She’s also a member at the Commerce Ward, and she came to pick me up. We went out to look at the church and pray on the grounds, but the street was blocked off. My daughter was just baptized there. It’s hard.”
From there, Giddings rushed to the Trillium theater, where people at the church were reunited with their loved ones, “because they’re family.”
“I just hope that the spirit was with them,” Gidding said. “I hope that everybody is OK.”
She said she never imagined something like this could happen at her church.
“Oh, it’s unbelievable,” Giddings said. “It’s like there’s evil. You just got to stay close to God and have faith and just push through.”
Community resources will be available throughout the week to support victims, families and the community after the deadly shooting.
On Monday and Tuesday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., resources will be available at the Henry Ford Genesys Health Club. From Wednesday through Friday, support will be available at the Grand Blanc Senior Center near Holly Road and Pagels Drive.