GRAND BLANC TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — Investigators are actively working to determine what led an Iraq War veteran to attack a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints congregation in Grand Blanc Township, killing four people and wounding eight others before being shot dead by police.
Watch Randy Wimbley's video report:
Thomas Jacob Sanford drove through the front entrance of the church Sunday morning, opened fire on worshippers, and set the building on fire before responding officers killed him.
The FBI continues to chase down leads and interview survivors and witnesses. The ATF's National Response Team, comprised of highly trained experts specializing in fire, explosives, and bombing investigations, is on the ground combing through what's left of the church building and analyzing burn patterns.
Additional report: Community comes together in wake of the tragedy
"So we've got piles of debris everywhere. We've got a ceiling that collapsed. We've got walls that fell in. So we've got a very, very complex scene where it's going to involve getting a backhoe in there and digging it out to try to get to the origin and cause of this fire," an investigator said.
Bishop Jeffrey Schaub, a local leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, says churchgoers are still reeling from the attack.
"As you might expect, our members are quite shaken in spirit and in body, and it hurts," Schaub said.
"I know that through our Savior Jesus Christ, we can find joy again. I know that with his help, there can be healing," Schaub said.
Community support is mounting for the victims and survivors. Henry Ford Genesys nurses, currently on strike, replaced picket signs with symbols of solidarity.
"Today it's not about our working conditions, it's about the community because quite honestly that's what we care for," Andrea Wendt said.
Sanford's childhood friend Frank Tersigni posted on Facebook about the attack: "What he did is gut-wrenching. Inexcusable. Disgusting. My heart breaks for those innocent lives he took. That man that came back from Utah wasn't the same. This man that the media and world knows as Thomas, isn't the man I knew. He was a puppet, and the puppeteer was Satan. Because the man I knew wasn't that."
Former FBI Detroit leader Andy Arena provided insight on what investigators will focus on in the coming days.
"They're going to be interviewing everybody that knows this guy. Everyplace he's ever lived, and probably most importantly, his online presence. What's his social media presence? What was he searching on his laptop, on his iPhone, and that's going to really help paint a picture of what drove this individual to do this," Arena said.
The FBI has not officially confirmed a motive in the attack.
The FBI, which is leading the investigation, is asking for the public's help. Anyone with information about what happened should call 1-800-CALL-FBI or visit tips.fbi.gov.
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