Thomas Jacob Sanford, who authorities say was the gunman in Sunday morning’s deadly shooting and fire at a Michigan church, was an Iraq War veteran and outdoorsman, in accordance with army data and social media posts.
Police say Sanford, 40, of Burton, Michigan, rammed his pickup truck into the entrance of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township earlier than shooting at congregants with an assault rifle and, at some level, setting the constructing on fire. At least 4 folks had been killed and eight injured. Sanford died throughout an trade of gunfire with police, authorities mentioned.
Authorities didn’t instantly present a motive for the assault.
A Marine Corps spokesperson informed NCS that Sanford served as a sergeant and acquired a number of medals for his service, which lasted from 2004 to 2008. He was deployed throughout Operation Iraqi Freedom for a number of months beginning in the summer time of 2007.
Sanford graduated from Goodrich High School in 2004 and was acknowledged amongst different veteran alumni, in accordance with an archived web page from the varsity’s web site. An area information profile of Sanford from 2007 mentioned he was deployed with the US Marine Corps to Japan earlier than getting ready to move for service in Iraq.
Social media accounts linked to Sanford’s household present he was married with at least one youngster, a younger son. According to a GoFundMe web page from 2015, the household was in want of donations to assist pay for the medical care of Sanford’s son, who was born with a uncommon genetic dysfunction.
Read extra about Sanford here.