Gunman Kills Four During Attack on Church in Grand Blanc, Michigan

What Happened?

A lone gunman rammed his vehicle into the entrance of the Church of Latter-Day Saints building in Grand Blanc, Michigan, before opening fire on those who were inside at the time. At least four people were killed and ten wounded by the gunfire, and the church was also set ablaze by the gunman, who law enforcement authorities said used an accelerant to cause the fire. 

According to local police, the lone suspect, Thomas Jacob Sanford, 40, of the nearby city of Burton, was killed by law enforcement within minutes of the attack.

Why it Matters

The attack on the church in Grand Blanc comes just two weeks after a gunman attacked a church in Minneapolis. In response, several major cities in the United States have added additional security to places of worship. Law enforcement authorities released some information on the Grand Blanc attacker, including that he was a former Marine who had served in combat in Iraq in the early 2000s. 

During the early 2000s, several new styles of attacks were developed by jihadists in Iraq, including the use of a vehicle to breach a structure as the beginning of a larger assault combining explosive devices with small arms fire.

The idea was to use a large vehicle moving at a high rate of speed to punch a hole in security barriers, which would then allow the main attack to commence. It appears the attack in Grand Blanc mirrored those tactics, and the fact that the attacker served in Iraq suggests he probably first saw that style of attack during one of his deployments.

In addition to those killed and wounded, there was also significant structural damage to the church in Grand Blanc due to fire. The attacker apparently breached the building, then began his assault by shooting at those inside and setting fire to the church. Police said they also recovered several explosive devices from the scene, which the attacker most likely failed to detonate because law enforcement killed him before he could use them.

What makes these types of attacks so deadly is that using a combination of weapons can enable a single person to cause a lot of damage to structures and a mass casualty event. Even in Iraq, when we had tanks, jets, and machine guns, vehicle-borne attacks are not always stoppable, particularly if the attackers are willing to die. 

How it Affects You

The number of violent attacks in the United States has increased in the past few months, and the Grand Blanc attack will likely fuel more political division as everyone races to blame one group or another. Extremism is a willingness to use violence to achieve a political goal, which means political ideology by itself is not the decisive factor. The willingness to use violence is.