Shooter kills 4, wounds 8 at Michigan church

At least four people have died and eight others have been injured after an Iraq War veteran crashed his truck into the doors of a Mormon church in Michigan and opened fire during a morning service on Sunday.

Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye said a 40-year-old male drove his vehicle through the doors of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at about 10:25 am and began firing an assault rifle at hundreds of churchgoers. He also set fire to the church, which was engulfed in flames and billowing smoke.

Two of the shooting victims died and eight others were hospitalized, officials said. Several hours after the shooting, police reported finding at least two more bodies in the charred remains of the church.

The Michigan rampage marked the 324th mass shooting in the US this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which tracks such incidents and describes a mass shooting as one in which four or more people are shot or killed, not including the shooter.

It was also the third US shooting in less than 24 hours, including one at a waterfront bar in North Carolina, where three people were killed, and another a few hours later at a casino in Eagle Pass, Texas, that killed at least two.

Grand Blanc, a town of 7,700 people, is about 100 kilometers northwest of Detroit.

Investigators confirmed the gunman was Thomas Jacob Sanford, who served in Iraq in 2004-08.

Investigators said Sanford started a fire in the church before fleeing. He later exchanged gunfire with police and was killed in the parking lot.

"We do believe that there were people up there who were near that fire, and they were unable to get out of the church," Renye added. "So, we do believe we will find additional victims once we're able to search that, once there are no signs of a fire reigniting."

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said in a statement, "We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of prayers and concern from so many people around the world."

Investigators were still trying to determine Sanford's motive, and were searching his home and cellphone records.

US President Donald Trump wrote on social media that this shooting was "yet another targeted attack" on Christians in the US.

Soaring tensions

The United States, where firearms are readily available, has a long history of gun violence.

However, tensions have soared in recent weeks after a series of high-profile attacks, including the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk in Utah and a deadly shooting at a federal immigration enforcement facility in Texas.

Sunday's attack also comes a month after a mass shooting at a Catholic church and school in Minnesota, in which two children were killed while attending Mass, and several others were severely wounded.

Political divisions have grown deeper in the wake of the attacks, with Trump launching a campaign targeting left-wing groups he accuses of being "domestic terrorists".

Agencies and Xinhua contributed to this story.