Tragic Shooting at LDS Church in Michigan
After a heartbreaking shooting incident at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Michigan last Sunday, members of the congregation have begun organizing fundraising efforts for the families affected by the gunman’s actions.
The shooter, identified as 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford, an Iraq war veteran, drove his truck into a church in Grand Blanc, Michigan, where he opened fire and subsequently set the building ablaze. In a confrontation with law enforcement, Sanford was killed, along with five innocent lives lost during the attack.
Reports suggest that Sanford harbored intense resentment towards the Mormon faith, stemming from personal grievances, including unsuccessful relationships with members of the Utah LDS community.
In response to the tragedy, church members have initiated several fundraisers to support victims and their families. They have successfully raised over $146,000 for Greg Mikat, who remains in the ICU with life-threatening gunshot wounds.
Kathleen Payton, Greg’s niece, has also started a GoFundMe campaign to assist his parents, Jeff and Murray Kubiak, who were injured in the attack; Jeff was shot and has undergone multiple surgeries, while Murray suffered injuries from glass shrapnel. Their fundraiser has gathered approximately $89,582 to date.
“While at church, my father heard the loud crash and rushed to help,” Payton recounted. “In the chaos that ensued, he was shot.”
Additionally, the fundraising efforts have raised over $134,000 for the Phelps family after Benjamin Phelps and his son were harmed in the attack; thankfully, his son has since returned home. Nearly $95,000 has been collected for the widow of one victim, Craig Hayden, while more than $61,000 has been donated to the family of Navy veteran John Bond, who was also killed. Approximately $89,000 has been raised for Pat Howard, another victim.
Interestingly, the largest fundraised amount has been for the shooter’s family. Dave Butler, a writer and a member of the Mormon Church, noted the complexity of supporting Sanford’s family while also mourning the victims. He described it as a difficult, and perhaps harsh, reality to support the families of both victims and the attacker.
“It seemed very cruel,” he expressed, emphasizing the need to keep the victims’ families in focus.
Motivated by his faith, Butler established a fundraising campaign for Sanford’s family, aiming for $500,000. As of now, over $290,000 has been raised with many messages of love and forgiveness accompanying donations.
Contrary to some opinions, Butler pointed out that generosity has been shown not only by members of the LDS community but also by those outside the faith. He articulated the shared humanitarian values that drive supporting the needy.
“Our teachings are not unique; they align with universal morals to uplift the downtrodden,” Butler remarked.
The father of the deceased shooter released a statement expressing shock and sorrow over the incident, asking for privacy as the family processes their grief alongside that of the victims.
“We are completely shocked by this. We seek privacy as we mourn our losses and those of others,” the statement read.
A follow-up statement from the extended family expressed deep sympathy for all affected, emphasizing their devastation over Sanford’s actions and the community’s suffering while waiting for further investigations.
