Eyewitness describes standing 10 feet from Grand Blanc chapel shooter
September 28, 2026 at 6:03 PM MT · via ABC4 Utah · Summarized by Mormon News from original reporting

An eyewitness who was 10 feet from the shooter during the deadly September 2025 attack at a Michigan Latter-day Saint meetinghouse spoke publicly one year after the incident, according to ABC4 Utah. The survivor described the moment Thomas Jacob Sanford drove a truck through the chapel entrance and opened fire during Sunday worship.
Four church members died and eight others were wounded when Sanford fired an assault rifle at the congregation before setting the building on fire. Sanford died in the attack. The congregation has continued meeting in a temporary location while a replacement building is under construction.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the new Grand Blanc Township meetinghouse was held this week on the one-year anniversary of the attack.
More coverage of this story
- The Salt Lake Tribune →September 26, 2026 at 6:05 AM MT
- cedarnews.net →September 26, 2026 at 6:19 AM MT
- The Detroit News →September 25, 2026 at 10:02 PM MT
- Public Square Magazine →September 28, 2026 at 9:56 AM MT
- The Salt Lake Tribune →September 26, 2026 at 6:00 AM MT
- Deseret News →September 28, 2026 at 5:55 PM MT
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