GOODRICH, Mich. — A Michigan church is confirming that the man accused of opening fire at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township Sunday had a recent encounter just days before the deadly attack.

In an email to members, The River Church in Goodrich shared that Thomas Jacob Sanford, the suspect in Sunday’s mass shooting and fire at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Twp., visited its church on September 21 — a week before the attack. Church leaders say Sanford came with his family and spoke with staff about wanting to have his son baptized.

According to the church’s statement, Sanford became agitated during that conversation, though he showed no signs of physical violence and left without incident. “While he became agitated during that interaction, he did not show any indication of physical violence, and he and his family left without incident,” the statement read.

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Church leaders say Sanford had also rented space at the River Church back in 2015, when his family used the building for a fundraiser related to his son’s medical condition. They emphasized that the event was a simple facility rental, not part of church ministry.

Following the Grand Blanc tragedy, law enforcement conducted a full inspection of the Goodrich location and cleared it as safe. Officers also swept surrounding areas “in an abundance of caution.”

The church said it released this information “in the spirit of transparency” and to assure members that every safety step is being taken.

In its message, The River Church also expressed deep sorrow for the victims and their families, quoting Psalm 34:18 — “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”

The email concluded by thanking security and medical teams who serve across the church’s nine campuses, noting that some members of its security staff are armed while serving. Leaders said a full review of safety procedures is now underway.

Background on the Grand Blanc Church Shooting

Authorities say 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford drove a pickup truck into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township on Sunday, opened fire on worshippers, and then set the building on fire.

Four people were killed and eight were injured, including children and elderly victims. Investigators later discovered explosive devices inside the suspect’s vehicle. The FBI continues to lead the investigation, calling it a targeted act of violence.

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Michigan faces $415M bill for botched benefit errors

Michigan will repay around $415 million to the federal government because the state’s largest agency struggles to disburse benefits accurately, Rep. Jason Woolford, R-Howell, told Michigan Capitol Confidential in a phone interview.

Woolford, the chair of the House Oversight Committee, pressed Elizabeth Hertel, the director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, in a hearing on Sept 12.

Woolford pointed to systemic problems with how the department administers safety net programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps); Medicaid; Medicare Savings Program, Women Infants and Children, and the Family Independence Program. In fiscal 2024 alone, Michigan spent more than $35 Billion on health and human services, or more than half its budget. Click here to read more.

 

Elon Musk Leads Mass Netflix Membership Cancellations After Company’s Children’s Cartoon Creator Smears Charlie Kirk as a ‘Nazi’

Billionaire Elon Musk has added his name to the mushrooming number of consumers cancelling their Netflix membership after the streaming giant’s children’s cartoon show creator Hamish Steele smeared slain conservative icon Charlie Kirk as a “Nazi.”

Steele, an animator credited with creating the Netflix cartoon series Dead End: Paranormal Park, took to BlueSky after Kirk was assassinated and defamed the conservative firebrand in a vile tirade.

“Why the fuck are you even commenting on this, dickhead?” Steele said on the social media platform on September 11. “You sympathy for any of the families being slaughtered by your weapons. but a random nazi gets shot and its a public statement. You’re such a fucking evil shit.”

Netflix canceled Dead End: Paranormal Park in 2023 after two seasons. Click here to read more.

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Supreme Court urged to restore Fourth Amendment protections for digital data

The Supreme Court begins a new term next week. In the coming months, the justices will consider cases touching nearly every corner of American life. Among the cases the Court is being asked to take up is one presenting an important question about digital privacy: can the government demand access to your location data from companies like Google without a warrant based on probable cause?

That question is at the heart of Chatrie v. United States. The case arises from a “geofence warrant” which let law enforcement sweep up information about everyone near the scene of a robbery—including many innocent bystanders. Pacific Legal Foundation filed a friend of the court brief on behalf of an amicus brief urging the Court to hear the case and restore crucial Fourth Amendment protections for the digital age.

To investigate the robbery, law enforcement obtained a geofence warrant covering a 150-meter radius around the bank during a one-hour window. To comply, Google had to query its entire “Sensorvault,” a database storing the location histories of between 500 and 600 million users. Click here to read more.

 

Cartel Member Tells CNN Trump Has Made His Criminal Activity ‘More Difficult’

A leader of the Sinaloa Cartel told CNN that President Donald Trump’s crackdown on criminal activity at the southern border has made their lives “more difficult” in footage released on Tuesday.

CNN senior national correspondent David Culver sat inside a vehicle with a member of the cartel, who wore a mask and sunglasses to cover his face, during his six-month coverage of the Mexican cartels and how they recruit young Americans. The cartel member told Culver that Trump’s aggressive crackdown on the cartels has made his job “tougher” and “more difficult.”

“Do you think what President Trump has been doing has been making your job tougher?” Culver asked.

“Oh yeah. Yeah,” the cartel member said.

“Yes? But it’s becoming more difficult you think?” Culver asked. Click here to read more.

 

Feds predict major blackout risk from switch to renewables

America’s power grids are increasingly at risk, hobbled by power plant closings, unreliable and insufficient replacements, and increased demand for new power. “If these shadows remain unaltered by the future,” as Charles Dickens put it, then by 2030 the nation’s risk of blackouts will be 100 times worse.

That is the distressing finding from a recent Resource Adequacy Report from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), “Evaluating the Reliability and Security of the United States Electric Grid.”

According to the report, what is endangering reliable energy across America is “the accelerated retirement of existing generation capacity and the insufficient pace of firm, dispatchable generation additions (partly due to a recent focus on intermittent rather than dispatchable sources of energy).” This “status quo” is unsustainable, the report finds, given the expected load growth by 2030, driven especially by “manufacturing, re-industrialization, and data centers driving artificial intelligence (AI) innovation.” Click here to read more.

GRAND BLANC, Mich. — As of now, the only verified and credible way to donate to victims and families impacted by the Grand Blanc Township church shooting and fire is through a secure link provided by local officials associated with Elga Credit Union

👉 Click here to donate

Officials urge the public to be cautious of any GoFundMe or third-party fundraising pages that may not be connected to verified organizations. Always confirm the legitimacy of a donation link before contributing.

In addition to financial support, the FBI and local partners have opened a Family Assistance Center (FAC) to help those affected by Sunday’s tragedy at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township.

The center is located at the Genesys Banquet and Conference Center, 805 Health Park Blvd., Grand Blanc, Michigan 48439, and is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Friday, October 3.

The FAC provides emotional counseling, victim advocacy, and referrals to community services. Victims and family members unable to attend in person may call 800-231-1127 for help.

The FBI Detroit Field Office said its victim services team is working alongside federal, state, and local partners to provide on-site support and guidance for those impacted by the attack.