Father of Suspected Michigan Mormon Church Shooter Speaks Out: ‘We Are in Complete Shock’ By Madison E. Goldberg

The father of Thomas Jacob Sanford, the suspected shooter in the Michigan church shooting that left four dead and eight wounded on Sunday, Sept. 28, has spoken out.

Thomas Sanford, the shooter’s father, said that the family is “devastated” by his son’s actions.

“We are completely in shock over this; we have no answers,” Thomas Sanford said in a statement provided to NBC News. “We are asking for privacy as we grieve our loss and those of the others.”

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Thomas Sanford went on to describe his son as a loving father and husband, before extending his prayers to the Grand Blanc community and everyone affected by the shooting.

Thomas Jacob Sanford, 40, is believed to have entered the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Mich. on the morning of Sept. 28, where he is accused of opening fire on more than 100 worshippers before allegedly setting the church on fire. The attack left at least four dead and eight wounded. Thomas Jacob Sanford was killed in a shootout with police at the scene.

“The FBI is now leading the investigation and is investigating this as an act of targeted violence,” FBI special agent in charge Reuben Coleman confirmed following the attack, per NBC News.

Two officers were involved in the shootout — one from the Department of Natural Resources and another from Grand Blanc Township, Chief of Police William Renye confirmed in a press conference aired on CNN.

Authorities added that the church, located on McCandlish Road, had been set on fire. “We believe that [the fire] was deliberately set by the suspect,” Renye said during the news conference, noting that the blaze was extinguished by the Grand Blanc Fire Department.

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The suspect lived about six miles from the church located in Grand Blanc, a small city about 60 miles away from central Detroit. 

A former marine who left the military in 2008, Thomas Jacob Sanford was awarded multiple medals including the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the National Defense Service Medal.

Thomas Jacob Sanford was married and was a father to a 10-year-old son who was reportedly born in 2015, and who was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder, per CNN.

According to the outlet, citing a since-deleted family Facebook page, Thomas Jacob Sanford’s son was diagnosed with a condition called Congenital Hyperinsulinism as a baby, which required a long-term hospital stay and several surgeries to remove parts of his pancreas.