GRAND BLANC, Mich. (WXYZ) — Before Thomas Sanford killed four worshippers and injured several others at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township on Sunday, he had a confrontational encounter with staff at another local church that left some members shaken.
Leaders at The River Church, which has locations in Oakland and Genesee counties including Grand Blanc, revealed that Sanford visited their Goodrich location on Sept. 21 seeking to have his child baptized.
Watch Randy Wimbley's video report below:
"We have a policy. We don't require a class for someone to be baptized; we require a conversation," Pastor Caleb Combs said.
That conversation, according to Combs, led staff to hold off on the baptism. That did not sit well with Sanford.
"He just became agitated. I don't know exactly what was said, but as we say in the statement, he became agitated and frustrated," Combs said.
Hear more from Pastor Caleb Combs in the video player below:
The River Church said the interaction did not escalate to the point where they needed to call police. Sanford cut off communication with the church afterward.
A week later, authorities say he launched the deadly attack on the LDS church in Grand Blanc Township.
"We contacted the police as soon as we knew or contacted the authorities as soon as we found out that it was this gentleman," Combs said.
Previous coverage: Church leaders reflect on deadly attack in Grand Blanc Township, community support
The River Church is now cooperating with investigators, who have swept the Goodrich building as part of their investigation.
The church hosted a prayer vigil in support of the LDS church on the day of the attack, seeking to help the community heal.
“We’re heartbroken. Heartbroken for the LDS community, heartbroken for the Grand Blanc community, heartbroken for the state of Michigan to have another shooting," Combs said. "We're broken for the darkness, the evil rearing its head and we want to try to step into that light the best we can."
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The church provided counseling for staff members who encountered Sanford, as some questioned whether there was anything they could have done to prevent the attack.
"The should have, would have, could have can eat every single one of us up," Combs said.
Previous coverage: Grand Blanc community rallies with prayer and support services after church shooting
When asked about the key takeaway from the tragedy, Combs emphasized his faith.
"Takeaway is Jesus is the only hope for our world. It's not a political party, it's not even a church or a religion — it's a relationship with Jesus Christ. Because he transforms people from the inside out, knowing that we can't do this world without him," Combs said.
The River Church released the following statement:
Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the tragic loss of life from the shooting that took place Sunday morning. Moments like this remind us of how fragile life is and how deeply our world is broken. As your pastors and shepherds, we grieve with you, and we stand together in prayer for the victims, their families, and our community.
The pain we feel is profound, and so is the presence of God. We felt that on Sunday evening when we gathered for prayer at our Grand Blanc location. It was a time to remember that God’s Word assures us that “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18). We cling to this promise, knowing that even in the darkest hours, the Lord is with us.
As a church, we seek transparency and want to make you aware that the individual responsible for this tragedy had some connection to our Goodrich location. In 2015, his family used our building for a fundraiser for his son’s medical condition. This usage was outside of our ministry as it was a simple rental to use our building. In addition, he, and his family, also attended a Goodrich gathering on September 21st. He had interactions with our staff, speaking about his desire to have his son baptized. While he became agitated during that interaction, he did not show any indication of physical violence, and he and his family left without incident. We are fully cooperating with law enforcement and offering every assistance necessary. In addition, as a precautionary measure, we were advised to have the Goodrich location thoroughly inspected and was subsequently cleared by law enforcement. They have also been conducting further sweeps of the surrounding area in an abundance of caution. We want you to be aware of this ongoing presence, not to instill fear, but to assure you that every effort is being made to protect our church family. As this is an ongoing investigation, we have shared all the details we know. Should additional updates become necessary, we will communicate as appropriate.
We want to take a moment to thank our security and medical teams across all nine locations. These men and women faithfully serve during our gatherings and events, working to ensure our safety, whether in routine situations or in the face of crisis. We recognize the inherent risks these roles entail, yet they willingly step into them, enabling us to gather and worship week after week. As elders, we publicly express our profound gratitude for their faithful commitment. We know their ultimate desire is to ensure the Gospel is boldly shared and reaches every person.
We understand that you may have questions about security at our locations. While we believe our current security procedures are robust, we are conducting a thorough and comprehensive review of all protocols. While we are careful on what protocols we make public, we wanted to assure you it includes some of our team members carrying a firearm while serving as security personnel.
As a church family, we encourage you to lean on one another and to bring your worries and fear to the Lord. This coming Wednesday and Sunday, we will keep our normal schedule of growth communities, AWANA and gatherings. Our gatherings this Sunday will not only be to worship, but also to lament, to pray, and to seek God’s healing together. Our desire is to be a refuge marked by compassion and by the living hope we have in the good news of Jesus. Let us hold tightly to Christ, our comforter, and let us be His hands and feet to a world that is broken.
- The Elders of The River Church
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