Authorities Search for Motive in Michigan Church Attack

Authorities are still combing through the charred wreckage of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints jn Grand Blanc Township, Michigan this morning, and officials caution that there are still several parishioners unaccounted for after a 40-year-old man crashed his truck inside the church, opened fire, and then set a blaze that fully engulfed the building during worship on Sunday. 

As of Monday morning, authorities say four people were killed in the attack and eight others injured, but  Grand Blanc Township police Chief William Reyne says the number of fatalities could rise as the investigation at the church continues. Reyne also praised the heroism of several parishioners during Sunday’s attack, saying they helped to save the lives of children in attendance. 

Two people died early on, with eight others injured, one critically. Later that night, Reyne announced that two other bodies had been found, with others still unaccounted for.

He thought it important to remember the bravery inside the church.

“I’d also like to acknowledge the heroism of not only the first responders but the people who were inside the church at the time,” he said at a press conference.

“They were shielding the children who were also present within the church, moving them to safety. Just hundreds of people, just practicing their faith. Just extreme courage, brave … and that’s the type of community that we are.”

According to Reyne, a Grand Blanc Township police officer and a state Department of Natural Resources conservation officer arrived at the church within 30 seconds of the first 911 call, which was placed at 10:25 Sunday morning. The police chief says the suspect was “neutralized” within eight minutes of that call, with officers engaging him in a parking lot behind the church. 

By that time, the blaze had already engulfed much of the church. Reyne says an accelerant of some kind was used by the attacker, and the ATF has reported that the suspect also had some type of “explosive devices” with him, though they have not said whether any were used in the attack. 

Authorities haven’t officially announced a motive for the attack, which was carried out by a 40-year-old veteran of the Iraq War. There’s been a lot of speculation about the killer’s political leanings and motivation for targeting the Mormon church, and much of what I’ve seen is pretty baseless. The killer’s name is fairly common, and records of political donations from individuals with that same name may not actually be from the individual in question, for instance. 

Michigan’s “red flag” law apparently wasn’t used against the attacker, despite having been in place for over two years. As Michigan lawmakers respond to the attack, I suspect that expansion of the state’s “red flag” statute will be one area of consideration, along with a ban on so-called assault weapons. 

At this point Gov. Gretchen Whitmer hasn’t announced any plans for a special session, as we’ve seen from Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz in response to the shooting at a Catholic church in Minneapolis last month, but that could change in the coming hours or days. We’ll be watching closely for the reactions of officials in Michigan, including any legislative responses that would impact the right to keep and bear arms.  

Editor’s Note: The gun control lobby will use attacks like this to press their legislative agenda to strip us of our Second Amendment rights.

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