During Sunday service at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Michigan, an armed man rammed his pickup truck into the main entrance, stormed the building, and opened fire before, according to police, setting the church on fire. At least one person was killed and nine others injured. The attacker was shot dead by police, authorities said.
Police Chief William Renye told reporters that hundreds of worshippers were inside the church at the time of the attack. After the assailant left the building, he was pursued by two officers, leading to a shootout in which he was killed. The fire engulfed the entire building, sending smoke and flames billowing for hours. Renye noted that rescuers expect to find additional victims once they can examine the sections most heavily damaged by the blaze.
The attacker’s motive remains unknown. Investigators are searching his home in the nearby city of Burton. Authorities did not clarify whether he had any connection to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Emergency crews work at the scene of the shooting and fire at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Michigan. September 28, 2025.
AFP
President Donald Trump said he had been briefed on the tragedy and thanked the FBI, which deployed around 100 agents to the site. “PRAY for the victims, and their families. THIS EPIDEMIC OF VIOLENCE IN OUR COUNTRY MUST END, IMMEDIATELY!” he wrote on social media.
The church is located in a residential neighborhood, with a Jehovah’s Witnesses’ building nearby. Grand Blanc Mayor John Creasey said: “Although we are formally separate jurisdictions, in reality this is one community. An event like this wounds all of us. It is hard for me to comprehend what has happened, and my heart is with the families of the victims.”
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer stressed that “any act of violence, especially in a house of worship, is unacceptable,” and offered condolences to residents.
The attack came a day after the death of Russell M. Nelson, the church’s president and its oldest leader in history, who passed away at the age of 101. Under church procedure, Dallin H. Oaks will become the new president.
“The Church is in contact with law enforcement, monitoring the investigation and the condition of the injured,” said official spokesperson Doug Andersen in a statement. “Houses of worship must remain sanctuaries of peace, prayer, and unity. We pray for peace and healing for all those affected.”
According to Dan Glass, head of the Teamsters Local 332 union, several striking nurses from the nearby Henry Ford Hospital suspended their walkout and rushed to assist emergency crews. “Human lives matter more than any labor dispute,” he said.