Questions Remain After Marine Veterans Linked to Mass Shootings in Michigan and North Carolina

GRAND BLANC, MICHIGAN / SOUTHPORT, NORTH CAROLINA — Authorities are investigating two back-to-back mass shootings carried out over the weekend by Marine veterans, attacks that left seven people dead and more than a dozen injured.

The first shooting took place at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Michigan, while the second erupted at a waterfront bar in Southport, North Carolina. Despite the separate locations, the cases are drawing national attention because of the suspects’ shared background as Marine veterans of the Iraq War.

Michigan Church Attack Leaves Four Dead

Investigators say 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford of Burton, Michigan drove his pickup truck through the chapel doors during Sunday worship services, firing an assault rifle at congregants before setting fire to the building.

Four people were killed, and eight others were injured — two critically — before Sanford was killed in a gunfight with police. Authorities later discovered four improvised explosive devices made from consumer-grade fireworks inside his truck, along with American flags mounted on the vehicle.

FBI officials described the shooting as an act of “targeted violence,” though they stopped short of labeling it terrorism. Sanford’s longtime acquaintances told ABC News he had long expressed anger toward Mormons, stemming from a failed relationship and years of substance abuse.

North Carolina Waterfront Bar Shooting

Just hours before the Michigan tragedy, 40-year-old Nigel Edge allegedly opened fire from a boat at the American Fish Company bar in Southport, North Carolina, killing three people and injuring five others.

Police described the suspect as a “lone wolf” who carried out a premeditated attack using a short-barrel AR rifle equipped with a suppressor and scope. Edge was arrested while attempting to load his boat at a nearby ramp.

He now faces three counts of first-degree murder, five counts of attempted murder, and multiple assault charges. Prosecutors are weighing whether to pursue the death penalty.

Edge, who had changed his name in 2023 from Sean Debevoise, was a decorated veteran awarded the Purple Heart. He told investigators he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Motives Still Unclear

Authorities have yet to determine direct motives in either case. In Michigan, Sanford reportedly had no ties to the Grand Blanc church, while in North Carolina, officials have not revealed why Edge targeted the waterfront bar.

“These are acts of senseless, targeted violence,” FBI officials said, noting that more than 100 witnesses were interviewed in Michigan alone.

Both suspects had prior brushes with the law but nothing suggesting they were capable of such attacks. The investigations remain ongoing.

The tragedies in Michigan and North Carolina leave families and communities reeling as questions persist about how two veterans, in separate states and just hours apart, carried out mass violence with devastating consequences.

Do you believe these attacks point to broader issues of veteran mental health and reintegration? Share your thoughts and join the conversation at SaludaStandard-Sentinel.com.