Mormon Church Shooter was a Trump Supporter?

A Michigan community is reeling after a gunman with ties to right-wing causes stormed a Mormon church on Sunday, killing at least four worshippers and injuring eight more in a horrifying assault that ended in a deadly police shootout.

Authorities identified the shooter as 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford, a Marine veteran whose home was marked with pro-Trump signs and whose online history revealed years of engagement with conservative causes.

Police say Sanford rammed his pickup truck into the front doors of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township before opening fire on hundreds of congregants gathered inside. Witnesses described chaos as families dove under pews to escape the gunfire.

“He came in like he wanted to destroy everything,” said one survivor, who asked not to be named. “We just prayed we’d make it out alive.”

The attack ended within minutes when Sanford exchanged fire with officers and was killed. Authorities later confirmed that he had also set parts of the church ablaze before he was taken down.

Sanford’s politics quickly became the subject of national debate. Images from June 2025 show a large blue Trump sign displayed outside his Burton, Michigan home, just above a red stop sign. Social media users immediately seized on the imagery, with Democrats calling it a chilling reminder of extremist rhetoric, while some Republicans insisted it might have been ironic placement.

But Sanford’s past leaves little doubt about his leanings. Records show he signed onto conservative-backed petitions in Michigan, including the 2020 push to outlaw a medical abortion procedure and the 2021 “Unlock Michigan” campaign to strip Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of her pandemic powers.

In one resurfaced photo from 2019, Sanford wore a “Make Liberals Cry Again” shirt—an emblem of MAGA-era hostility.

“This is not a coincidence,” said Democratic strategist Mark Grebner. “We’ve seen a steady rise in political violence fueled by right-wing radicalization. Michigan has lived through this before, from militias to the plot to kidnap Governor Whitmer.”

President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social Sunday night, calling the massacre “horrendous” but immediately framing it as an attack on Christians.

“This appears to be yet another targeted attack on Christians in the United States of America,” Trump wrote. “The Trump Administration will keep the Public posted, as we always do. In the meantime, PRAY for the victims, and their families. THIS EPIDEMIC OF VIOLENCE IN OUR COUNTRY MUST END, IMMEDIATELY!”

Critics blasted the president’s remarks as a deflection. “Trump wants to erase the fact that the shooter was wearing his message—literally on his chest,” said one Michigan Democrat. “This wasn’t about Christianity. It was about extremism.”

The White House did not respond to questions about Sanford’s ties to right-wing petitions and MAGA merchandise. Vice President JD Vance and senior aide Stephen Miller instead doubled down on blaming “left-wing extremism” for the climate of violence.

Sanford was no stranger to discipline. A U.S. Marine Corps spokesperson confirmed he served as a mechanic and vehicle recovery operator during Operation Iraqi Freedom. In a 2007 local news profile, his family described him as a “homegrown kid” proud to serve his country.

But over the years, he appeared to grow more politically hardline. Neighbors described him as “quiet but intense.” One recalled seeing Sanford in camo gear with hunting rifles and Trump banners during the 2020 election season.

Sanford graduated from Goodrich High School in 2003 and was the father of a 10-year-old child.

The FBI said it is investigating the shooting as “an act of targeted violence.” Officials have not confirmed a motive.

The massacre comes amid an alarming spike in political violence in Trump’s second term. Just weeks ago, conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated, sparking bitter partisan clashes over who is to blame for the violence.

“This is the America we live in under Trump,” said one Michigan lawmaker. “Extremism is being stoked at the highest levels, and now we’re watching it explode in our communities.”