Prosecutor declines to charge officers who fired at Grand Blanc church attacker

The Genesee County Prosecutor's Office has declined to prosecute two officers who fired their weapons in response to an armed shooter last fall at a church in Michigan. 

"All the evidence supports the belief that (names redacted) were in fear for their lives and the lives of others present," says the letter signed by prosecutor David S. Leyton and deputy chief assistant prosecutor Michael A. Tesner.  

The conclusion is that officers "were legally entitled to use deadly force in lawful self-defense or defense of others," they said. 

The letter was addressed to Michigan State Police, with a copy directed to Grand Blanc Township Police. 

The Sept. 28, 2025, attack at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on McCandlish Road in Grand Blanc Township involved a shooting and an intentionally set fire at the church building while a worship service was taking place. Four people died, and eight others were injured during the incident, during which the suspect exchanged gunfire with police. 

The suspect, Thomas Jacob Sanford of Burton, also was killed. 

First responders from dozens of neighboring communities, along with federal authorities, assisted Grand Blanc Township authorities on the call. The FBI called the incident "an act of targeted violence." 

The suspect had several weapons, including assault rifles and a semi-automatic shotgun, authorities said. His pickup also crashed into the wall of the church. 

The first officer on the scene was a Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officer, and then a Grand Blanc Township police officer arrived. 

A man who was attending the service confronted the suspect and fired a weapon, but missed, the prosecutor's office said.  

The DNR conservation officer, who was on patrol and in uniform nearby, then arrived and saw the activity outside. The DNR officer armed himself with a rifle and pursued the suspect, the prosecutor's office said, firing two rounds that missed and then ordering the man to drop his weapon and get on the ground. 

In response, the suspect held the rifle above his head in a manner that the conservation officer believed would allow him to continue shooting. 

At that point, the Grand Blanc police officer approached, and a church member also approached the scene, holding a pistol. All three – the conservation officer, police officer and church member – shouted at the suspect to put his weapon down. 

The suspect lowered his rifle in a manner that they believed was threatening, the report said. The police officer and conservation officer both fired their weapons at the same time, prosecutors said. The church member was not able to fire a round.  

The suspect fell to the ground, dropping his rifle.  

An autopsy later found two rounds fired from one of the law enforcement weapons in the suspect's body, the report said. 

The above video originally aired on Jan. 20, 2026.