GRAND BLANC TOWNSHIP, MI – As the remains of a church continued to smolder after Sunday’s violent attack that killed at least four people and saw a house of worship set ablaze, law enforcement described the grim task of sifting through the rubble to see if the remains of more congregation members would be found.
But they were also describing stories of amazing heroism, including accounts of church members shielding children and getting them to safety as a suspect driving a pickup truck decked out in American flags rammed through the church’s front doors before opening fire with an assault rifle.
In addition to the dead, at least eight others were injured. The suspect was killed in the parking lot by police minutes later.
Here are some of the highlights from the latest news conference following Sunday’s attack at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township.
The death toll from the church shooting and fire has risen to five, including the suspect. Of the four victims, two died from gunshot wounds. The cause of death for the others whose bodies were found in the church has not been released. Law enforcement cautioned that some people were unaccounted for and more bodies could be found as the search of the scene continued.
The church structure was described as a “total loss,” and recovery teams were still working at sifting through the debris, meaning the entire building has not yet been cleared. Authorities had not yet determined how many people remain unaccounted for.
The FBI is now leading the investigation, and is treating the attack as an “act of targeted violence.” More than 100 agents are being sent to the area. An ATF special agent confirmed the fire was deliberately set by the suspect using an accelerant, believed to be gasoline. While officials would not comment on motive or a connection to Charlie Kirk’s recent murder in Utah, they did confirm the presence of “suspected explosive devices” at the scene. An ATF national response team, composed of expert fire investigators from across the country, is being deployed to formally determine the origin and cause of the blaze.
Officials highlighted the rapid law enforcement response, noting an officer was on scene within 30 seconds of the first 911 call, and the suspect was “neutralized” within eight minutes. However, after the suspect was killed, authorities began receiving new 911 calls for bomb threats at multiple other locations, including several other churches. Michigan State Police confirmed they responded to and cleared these locations.
A video of the latest press conference can be seen below:
