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Residents of Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, were left shocked when a shooting took place at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints branch in September 2025.

When the dust settled, authorities identified Thomas Jacob Sanford -- who was shot and killed by police at the scene -- as the suspected gunman.

We're going to take a look into the background of the accused murderer and see what led up to the tragic events of September 28.

Sanford was raised not far from the site of the shooting, and he graduated from Goodrich High School in nearby Goodrich -- about 10 miles east of the church -- in 2003, according to the Clarkston News.

One of his former high school classmates, Ryan Lopez, spoke to The New York Times and described the suspected shooter as a "country kid" who enjoyed hunting various types of game.

Lopez claimed he would often see the suspected shooter around town and described him as a completely "normal" person.

Sanford briefly moved to Utah around 2010, and a woman who'd rented a room to him told The New York Times he'd worked for a landscaping business and was also interested in sculpture.

Sanford's military career began not long after he graduated from high school, as he began serving in the Marines in 2004.

He was briefly stationed in Okinawa, Japan, before he was sent to Iraq in 2007, where he took part in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Lopez, who served in the Marines alongside Sanford, claimed his former high school classmate had focused on motor transport work during his time in the service.

Sanford remained with the Marines until 2008, when he retired from the service.

Sanford reportedly married a former high school classmate in 2016, and they shared a son.

The boy was born with a condition known as hyperinsulinism, which is when insulin cells in the pancreas secrete excess insulin, which can lead to various complications, according to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Sanford and his wife eventually learned about a children's hospital in Texas, and he told the Cook Children's Health Care Newsroom, being able to connect with a specialist felt like "a sign from heaven."

The suspected shooter and his wife took their son to Texas to receive treatment, and the family was eventually able to return to Michigan after his condition improved.

Sanford's political beliefs were reportedly conservative, and he was seen wearing a T-shirt endorsing Donald Trump's 2020 re-election bid in a photo shared on Facebook, according to the Daily Mail.

The suspected shooter's T-shirt also featured a graphic reading "Make liberals cry again."

A Google Street view of Sanford's home taken in June showed a "Trump-Pence" sign affixed to a back fence, the Detroit Free Press reports.

Sanford was registered to vote in Burton, Michigan, although when he voted last is unknown, and voters don't register by party in Michigan.

Sanford allegedly began the attack by crashing his truck into the church, after which he began firing at congregants, reports The New York Times.

He reportedly set fire to the church using either gasoline or another flammable material. Three makeshift explosives were recovered from the scene.

Sanford later began exchanging gunfire with police, and he was shot and killed by authorities, ending the incident.

Dave Grohl and his wife, Jordyn Blum, made a rare public appearance this past weekend ... posing side by side at a charity event.

The couple was all smiles on Saturday as they were recognized by L.A. Mayor Karen Bass for their service to the city.

Grohl and Blum both rolled up their sleeves for the "Meatball Mayhem" event put on by Hope the Mission and Los Angeles Mission -- where more than 60,000 meatballs were rolled, cooked, and packed.

Jillian Lauren Shriner's gotta be letting out a sigh of relief right about now ... because she managed to skirt jail time.

A judge granted the wife of Weezer's bassist, Scott Shriner, a diversion as a result of mental health issues on Thursday, according to the Los Angeles Times.

In case you forgot, Jillian ended up on the wrong side of the long arm of the law back in April after she shot at cops who were searching for suspects in a nearby hit-and-run incident -- which had nothing to do with her -- near her home in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles. She allegedly pointed a gun at officers and fired ... officers then shot her in the shoulder, and she was be treated for her injury.

D4vd has not been named as a suspect in Celeste Rivas' death ... but many are wondering how her body ended up in his trunk ... especially since the Tesla he drives can send a notification about being opened directly to his phone.

Here's the deal ... the 2023 Model Y Tesla has moved beyond the standard key and fob ... with many using a Tesla app to open and drive the vehicle.

The app's chock-full of helpful features ... including the ability to send a push notification to your car if you leave your trunk open for more than 10 minutes.

Taylor Swift flew in under the radar to watch her fiancé Travis Kelce play his NFL game in Kansas City on Sunday -- mere hours after attending Selena Gomez's wedding in California, TMZ has confirmed.

The pop star slipped in undetected to Arrowhead Stadium to support her man, Travis, as he and his Chiefs battled the Baltimore Ravens. K.C. beat the Ravens, 37-20. People magazine was the first to report the news.

Fans spotted Taylor's dad, Scott, and her brother, Austin, relaxing in a suite at the stadium with Travis' mom, Donna -- and Scott was even sporting a cap promoting Travis' new American Eagle collab.

Ne-Yo got pissed at one of his fans who jumped onstage during his show in Japan ... and their encounter even turned physical!

Check out video ... the Grammy-winning R&B star was belting out his hit "Because Of You" in front of a packed crowd at the Glion Arena Kobe in Japan's Kobe City on Saturday when a man suddenly hopped onstage.

Ever the professional, Ne-Yo continues his performance seemingly unfazed as the fan dances up to him before turning to the audience with arms raised. Ne-Yo grabs the fan by the back of the neck and shoves him off stage with the help of security.

Bad Bunny fans are losing it over him headlining the Super Bowl LX halfitime in February -- and Gloria Estefan is right there fangirling, telling TMZ she’s super hyped!

We caught Gloria outside CBS Studios Monday -- and the three-time Super Bowl performing icon says BB’s return to the stage is massive, a game-changing moment for Puerto Rican representation.

Gloria -- a Cuban-American legend -- keeps driving home just how amazing this is ... watch the full clip to see her shower Bad Bunny with congratulations.

Tyler Robinson -- the 22-year-old suspected of killing Charlie Kirk earlier this month -- had his second court hearing today ... and, we streamed the proceedings live.

Robinson himself didn't appear in Provo court Monday ... calling in remotely from Utah County Jail instead of appearing in person. We did not hear from him Monday.

Robinson's lawyer Kathryn N. Nester appeared before the judge ... Utah County appointed Nester, Michael N. Burt and Richard G. Novak to represent Robinson after a judge found Robinson can't afford to pay for an attorney himself.

The shooter who killed at least four people at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Michigan Sunday morning had extensive military experience and served in Iraq.

Thomas Jacob Sanford -- who was killed after exchanging gunfire with police -- was reportedly an Iraq War veteran who served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2004 to 2008.

It appears Sanford -- who reached the rank of sergeant -- supported President Donald Trump, at least at some point in the past ... 'cause he wore a T-shirt featuring a prominent "Trump 2020" logo on the front in one of his social media posts.

Kieran Culkin finally got his wife to hold up her end of their bargain ... 'cause his better half's pregnant, months after he revealed she promised him four kids if he won an Oscar!

The actor rolled up to opening night of "Waiting For Godot" on Broadway with Jazz Charton -- his wife of more than a decade -- and, he put his hand protectively on her belly ... and she's clearly with child!

The two are positively beaming in the photos ... with Culkin looking particularly proud of himself -- since he sorta manifested this whole situation.

Rory McIlroy and the rest of Team Europe taunted Donald Trump after their big Ryder Cup win over America ... but in surprising fashion, POTUS ended up taking the high road.

Just after Team USA couldn't complete its comeback against Europe on Sunday at Bethpage Black in New York ... McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland and the rest of the Europeans sent a trolling message Trump's way.

In the video, the guys could be seen and heard chanting, "Are you watching? Are you watching? Are you watching, Donald Trump?" -- all while they raised their trophy with glee.

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The F1 superstar shared the devastating update on the English bulldog's health battle on Monday ... revealing to his fans he "lost my best friend last night."

The Ferrari driver -- who adopted Roscoe back in 2013 -- thanked his followers for the support and love they've shown his four-legged friend over the years.

Celeste Rivas' dismembered body was sitting in D4vd's Tesla for weeks before being uncovered by police, according to the LAPD.

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Williams says it's still unclear whether anyone has "any criminal culpability" for Celeste's death "beyond the concealment of her dead body" ... noting the medical examiner has yet to determine a cause or manner of her death.

Bad Bunny is ready to rock the Super Bowl LX halftime show next year ... and a couple of past performers are already showing him some love.

Jennifer Lopez celebrated the big announcement by sharing a photo of her alongside Bad Bunny -- both decked out in silver, standing in front of a Puerto Rican flag -- saying, "Now it's your turn !!!!! bori gang lets gooooo."

Shakira -- who co-headlined the Super Bowl halftime show with Jennifer in 2020 -- is also congratulating Bad Bunny ... reposting his announcement with the caption ... "Welcome back to the Super Bowl stage!" and adding in Spanish, "Here go my Latin people!!!"

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The ex-World Series champ said "it's a good thing," as it'll help umps get calls right when they matter the most.

Law enforcement agents have identified the suspected shooter who killed at least two people and injured more at a church in Michigan Sunday.

Thomas Jacob Sanford -- a 40-year-old from Burton, MI -- was shot dead by police after they say he rammed his car through the front doors of the church and opened fire on hundreds of worshippers in the building.

They also say he started a fire in the church ... the motive for which they're still trying to ascertain at this time.