Dad of Michigan church shooter calls motive ‘irrelevant’

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“It’s been a nightmare,” Thomas Sanford said, referring to the time since his son allegedly opened fire at a Michigan church during Sunday morning services.

Thomas Sanford apologized to the families of those killed and wounded in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan. His 40-year-old son, Thomas Jacob Sanford, had attacked the church during the service by ramming his pickup truck into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, then climbing out and firing an assault rifle at congregants. The attack also resulted in a fire that destroyed the church.

Four people died in the attack, and eight others were wounded. Thomas Jacob Sanford later died in a gunfight with police.

Sanford mentioned his son was a four-year Marine who served in Iraq but wouldn’t say if the war changed him. His son was described as devoted to family and country, loving both the United States and his family.

In a unique start to his ruling against President Donald Trump’s administration on September 30, U.S. District Court Judge William Young included a scanned handwritten note sent to his office. The note read: “Trump has pardons and tanks – what do you have?” At the top of Young’s opinion in AAUP v. Rubio, which ruled that Trump’s effort to deport foreign-born student protesters was unconstitutional.

October 8, 2025

Sanford refused to speculate on what may have driven his son’s actions. “The only thing I can say is that it was my son that did it,” he said. “As far as why? Irrelevant. It happened. We’re dealing with it. It’s been a nightmare.”

Investigators continue to search for a motive.