Karoline Leavitt Confirms Suspect In Michigan Church Shooting ‘Hated People Of The Mormon Faith’
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Monday that the gunman behind the horrific shooting at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Michigan was motivated by his hatred of the Mormon faith.
The suspect, identified as 41-year-old Marine Corps veteran Thomas Jacob Sanford, drove his pickup truck through the church doors in Grand Blanc Township during Sunday services before opening fire on worshippers. He was later killed in a shootout with police. (RELATED: At Least One Dead, Several Injured After Shooting And Fire At Michigan LDS Church)
Leavitt told “Fox & Friends” that she had been briefed by FBI Director Kash Patel and said the preliminary evidence pointed to an anti-Mormon bias. “From what I understand based on my conversations with the FBI director, all they know right now is that this was an individual who hated people of the Mormon faith,” Leavitt said. “They are trying to understand more about this, how premeditated it was, how much planning went into it, whether he left a note — all of those questions have yet to be answered, but certainly will be answered by the FBI.”
Authorities confirmed at least four people were killed and eight others were injured before Sanford was neutralized. Detectives are still working to establish the full motive, ABC News reported.
President Donald Trump reacted quickly, calling the violence a targeted assault on Christians. “This appears to be yet another targeted attack on Christians in the United States of America,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “The Trump Administration will keep the Public posted, as we always do. In the meantime, PRAY for the victims, and their families. THIS EPIDEMIC OF VIOLENCE IN OUR COUNTRY MUST END, IMMEDIATELY!”
The Michigan massacre follows another church attack just weeks earlier in Minneapolis, where two children were shot and killed at Annunciation Catholic Church on Aug. 27 during a school-day mass. Police identified the suspect as Robin Westman, a man who identified as a woman.
Sanford’s background as a veteran is also under review. Military records show he served in the Marines from June 2004 to June 2008 and completed a combat deployment in Iraq. He had been married to his wife, Tella Sanford, since 2016.
The FBI and ATF remain on the ground in Michigan, combing through Sanford’s digital footprint and interviewing witnesses as the investigation continues. Local law enforcement has promised full transparency once additional evidence is gathered.