At least one person is dead and nine more were injured after a lone gunman drove a truck into a Michigan Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and opened fire on the hundreds of people celebrating service on Sunday morning.
Police also believe the shooter, a 40-year-old male from Burton who was killed by a pair of responding law enforcement officers, according to Grand Blanc Township police chief William Rainey, deliberately set fire to the church at some point during his attack.
In a brief press conference Sunday afternoon, Rainey said authorities believe there are additional victims trapped by fire.
“We can’t confirm that just yet because it was a large fire and we do believe there was people up there near the fire and they were unable to get out of the church,” he said, noting he couldn’t say whether they died from gunshot wounds or fire-related injuries.
At least two of the victims are in critical condition, according to Rainey.
Police confirmed the weapon used was an assault rifle but weren’t able to comment on the suspect’s relationship with the church or whether he was known to police.
Rainey said he and other agencies will have more information at a press conference scheduled for 5 p.m. EST.
The fire has since been contained, but people are still asked to avoid the area. A reunification place for people off-site is the Trillium Theater.
In
, Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson said the area had been evacuated and promised more updates later.
“This is a dynamic scene,” he said.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer expressed condolences in a post to X and said, “violence anywhere, especially in a place of worship, is unacceptable.”
— Governor Gretchen Whitmer (@GovWhitmer) September 28, 2025
Grand Blanc is a suburb of Flint, about 100 kilometres northwest of Detroit.
The shooting comes a day after Russell M. Nelson, the parent church’s oldest-ever president, died at 101. He’s expected to be replaced by 93-year-old
Dallin H. Oaks, the current longest-serving apostle.
On X,
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi
said she is receiving updates from the scene and that both Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) and Federal Bureau of Investigation agents were en route to assist local authorities.
“Such violence at a place of worship is heartbreaking and chilling,” she wrote.
FBI Director Kash Patel
that “violence in a place of worship is a cowardly and criminal act.”
More to come.
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