Four people have been killed in a church shooting and arson assault in Michigan.

Police say a gunman drove a car into a church in Michigan, opened fire, then set the structure on fire, killing at least four people and injuring eight more.

Hundreds of people attended a Sunday service at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, a town 60 miles (100 km) northwest of Detroit, when the attack occurred, according to officials.

Police later shot and killed the suspect, Thomas Jacob Sanford, 40, of Burton, Michigan, in the church parking lot.

Although the motivation is yet unknown, authorities are looking into the incident as a “act of targeted violence.”

Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye stated at a press conference on Sunday that two victims had been shot and killed.

Later, he stated that two additional persons had been discovered dead and that “some” more were still missing, but he was unable to provide an exact number. He claimed the church, which had sustained significant fire damage, was still being “cleared” on Sunday night.

According to Chief Renye, a shooter crashed a car into the building when “hundreds” of people were attending services at around 10:25 local time (15:25 GMT).

The assailant then started shooting, “firing several rounds at individuals within the church,” according to him, using an assault-style weapon.

He added that authorities “engaged in gunfire with that particular individual, neutralizing that suspect” when the police arrived on the scene right away.

“We are still trying to determine exactly when and where the fire ended up coming from and how it got started,” the police chief said.

The suspect had used an accelerant – most likely gasoline – to start the blaze, authorities said.

Chief Renye also praised the “heroism” of churchgoers who he said had sheltered children in the church during the incident.

Investigators are conducting a search of the suspect’s property and examining his cell-phone records as they work to establish a motive.

Records show Sanford was a Marine Corps veteran, the BBC’s US partner CBS reported.

The FBI is leading the investigation and has deployed crisis response teams, bomb technicians and others to the scene, according to Reuben Coleman, the acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s Detroit field office.

Michigan State Police spokeswoman Kim Vetter told reporters that officers have been responding to additional bomb threats at multiple other locations.

“We’ve responded and cleared those locations,” she said.

In a statement, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints confirmed a gunman opened fire during worship services, and “multiple individuals were injured”.

“We pray for peace and healing for all involved,” it said.

Grand Blanc police said that 100 FBI agents have been deployed to assist with the investigation.

President Donald Trump said he had been briefed on the shooting, and confirmed the FBI will be leading the federal investigation.

Writing on Truth Social, he described it as “yet another targeted attack on Christians in the United States of America”.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a post on X that she had received briefings on “what appears to be a horrific shooting and fire” at the church.

“Such violence at a place of worship is heartbreaking and chilling,” Bondi said.

“Please join me in praying for the victims of this terrible tragedy.”