What happened
Thomas Jacob “Jake” Sanford was born in 1985 to Brenda Walters and Tom Sanford. He graduated high school in the early 2000s from Goodrich High School. He was in the marines from 2004-2008, with a 6-month deployment as a mechanic where he recovered damaged vehicles from the battlefield.
After his deployment ended in early 2008, Jake reportedly lived in Utah for a year and had a Mormon girlfriend there, but this was short-lived and he moved to Michigan where he met his wife Tella Campbell. Jake and Tella had a son who was born in September 2015, and they were engaged shortly before his birth. Their son was born with hyperinsulinism, and was hospitalized in Texas for the first several months of his life. The couple were married on March 13th, 2016, and around this time they bought a home in Burton, Michigan.
Jake could be described as a “Red-Blooded American”. He loved to fish and hunt, had a John Deere tattoo on his left shoulder, drove a GMC pickup which had 2 full-sized American flags mounted on it, and guns were such a big part of his identity that he wore a shotgun shell as his broach at his wedding.
Politically, he seems to support the MAGA movement, as he wore Trump campaign merch and had a Trump-Vance 2024 sign on his property.
Religiously, it seems he was a Christian. In 2023 his family went on vacation to “The Ark Encounter”, which is a Christian theme park in Kentucky.
In recent weeks there are several reports that Jake was struggling with mental health issues. His wife said talking to him was like talking to a rock. His mother posted to his facebook saying that he demonized others and always playing the victim to the point it was causing rifts in personal relationships. Kris Johns, a candidate for city councilor in burton, MI, spoke to Sanford the week before. Sanford made a special note to tell this stranger how much he hated Mormons and believed they are evil.
At 10:32 on September 28th, 2025 – mere days after his son’s 10th birthday – Thomas Jacob “Jake” Sanford rammed his truck into the front of the Mormon church building located at 4285 McCandlish Rd, Grand Blanc, MI 48439. He exited his truck, poured gasoline and lit the church on fire. He then entered the church, and opened fire. Prior to murdering one person, he reportedly demanded they answer whether they believe in Jesus or Joseph Smith, and when the person was too slow to answer Sanford shot and killed him. The ward panicked. Multiple people were trapped inside the church, while others ran to the surrounding grove for safety.
Police were on the scene within 30 seconds. By 10:37 Thomas Jacob Sanford was dead in the back of the parking lot. At 12:20 an improvised explosive device was removed from his truck. The church building collapsed within 45 minutes.
In total, 2 people were shot to death on site, 8 others were injured (including a little girl he shot in the back), 2 more people died from the fire, and 1 other person died at the hospital from their injuries.
Why I think it happened
The fact that Sanford was a veteran who saw combat cannot be discounted. Witnessing the horrors of war affects a person’s mental state for the rest of their lives. As an American and a hunter, Sanford also had easy access to firearms. I believe this mix of poor mental health and access are what is chiefly responsible.
Despite Sanford being on the opposite end of the political spectrum from me, I don’t think this was politically motivated. I believe one of the biggest motivating factors is the fact that Charlie Kirk’s assassin had previously been affiliated with Mormonism, and Mormons would go on to be one of the many groups of people who were given the blame. Considering Sanford’s brief stint in Utah and his comments to the politician, it seems likely to me that this was a perceived retaliatory attack specifically against Mormons.
What needs to happen
Firearms remain easily accessible to the mentally ill with no oversight as to the safety of those in their community. Even after decades of mass shootings, politicians continue to balk at the idea of gun reform to prevent violence. Mass shootings have become are a daily occurrence in America, and the only recourse that people continue to have is either to give “thoughts and prayers”, arm themselves, or accept a certain level of risk in America as a whole.
We need to keep advocating for common sense gun laws. We need to keep advocating for universal and quality healthcare, including mental health. We need to do these things on a national level, but I think we need a renewed commitment to doing so on a state level.
Additionally, we need to continue building community which we can rely upon when the harsh realities of life occur – such as senseless violence like this. Being connected to others is a balm to the soul, and also helps prevent the mental illnesses which lead to horrific acts like this.
How I feel
Reading through forums about this massacre was discouraging, because despite a clear picture of who Sanford is, left-wing people – especially transgender people – are still receiving a large portion of the blame. I am tired of being a scapegoat for acts of violence that are committed by others.
There is a mass shooting just about every day in America now, and it seemed an inevitability that Mormons would be the target of one. America feels like a war zone, and people often seem distrustful of one another. It feels like things are only going to get more polarized and violent in the years to come. I am tired of this violence, and wish that my nation could work together to bring peace for everyone. There’s no reason why this couldn’t happen.
Even though the nation continues to be in distress, my personal level of distress is significantly lower now that I live in Washington. I feel much safer here than I did in Idaho, and this has enabled me to emotionally handle the state of the nation better but also many things in my personal life.