CRAIG HAYDEN dies in fatal Grand Blanc Township shooting
Fatal Grand Blanc Township shooting death of Craig Hayden
The FBI has confirmed that the individual responsible for the fatal attack at a Michigan church was driven by “anti-religious beliefs” targeting the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The assault resulted in the deaths of four people and left the building completely destroyed.
The deceased, identified through family and friends, are Craig Hayden, William “Pat” Howard, John Bond, and Thelma Armstrong. Lisa Louis, who was present during the tragic event, expressed forgiveness toward the shooter despite her father’s death.
Jennifer Runyan, leading the FBI investigation, stated in a prerecorded message that the attack was motivated by the assailant’s opposition to the Mormon religious community. This confirmation comes after friends of the accused reported long-standing hatred towards the church.
While some details about the shooter, Thomas Jacob Sanford, were previously known, the FBI has now specified the underlying motivation for the violence. Sanford, aged 40, was killed by responding law enforcement officers.
The attack occurred on Sunday, September 28th, when Sanford crashed his pickup truck into the church building while people were attending services. He subsequently set the structure ablaze using gasoline. The previous official casualty figure listed eight injured individuals, but the FBI later announced that nine people were actually affected by the incident.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known as the Mormon church, did not provide immediate comment regarding the situation. Their leaders had recently gathered to mourn the loss of their president, who died just before the attack.
An attorney representing Sanford’s family declined to comment immediately on the matter. Sanford had reportedly expressed anti-Mormon views years ago after living in Utah, where he also struggled with substance abuse issues.
