Michigan Mormon Church Victim ID'd as 77YearOld Navy Vet, Grandfather Nicole AcostaOctober 1, 2025 at 12:20 AM 9 gofundme John Bond Loved ones have identified one of the four victims killed when a gunman opened fire inside a Mormon church on Sunday Sept.
- - Michigan Mormon Church Victim ID'd as 77-Year-Old Navy Vet, Grandfather
Nicole AcostaOctober 1, 2025 at 12:20 AM
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gofundme
John Bond -
Loved ones have identified one of the four victims killed when a gunman opened fire inside a Mormon church on Sunday Sept. 28
John Bond, 77, was a Navy veteran and grandfather of 10
Authorities said Thomas Jacob Sanford, 40, also set the church in Grand Blanc, Mich., on fire before being killed in a shootout with police
One of the victims killed in a mass shooting at a Mormon church in Michigan over the weekend has been identified by loved ones.
John Bond, a Navy veteran, was remembered as a "loving husband, father and grandfather" in a GoFundMe campaign created to help offset memorial costs and support his surviving wife. PEOPLE has reached out to GoFundMe to verify the fundraiser.
Bond was one of four killed when a gunman opened fire on more than 100 worshippers at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc on Sunday, Sept. 28, PEOPLE previously reported, citing police. Authorities said eight others were wounded in the attack.
The 77-year-old victim's wife told Fox 2 Detroit that her husband's last words to her were, "I love you." Per the outlet, the family said that Bond had six children and 10 grandchildren.
On the fundraiser page, relatives said Bond was "active in his community" and loved "golf and trains" in addition to spending time with his family and grandkids.
After the shooting, the suspect, 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford, set the building on fire and was killed in a shootout with police.
Thomas Jacob Sanford
Authorities claimed Sanford crashed his pickup truck, mounted with two American flags, into the church, got out, and began shooting with an assault rifle, KUTV reported. Officials also believe Sanford used gasoline to start the fire, per the outlet.
While a motive remains under investigation, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told FOX News' FOX & Friends that Sanford was "an individual who hated people of the Mormon faith," according to CNN.
"The FBI is now leading the investigation and is investigating this as an act of targeted violence," FBI special agent in charge Reuben Coleman said after the attack, NBC News reported.
Bill Pugliano/Getty
The burned church as emergency services respond to a shooting and fire at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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Sanford is a former Marine who was deployed in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom and lived about six miles from the church located in Grand Blanc, a small city about 60 miles away from central Detroit, PEOPLE previously reported.
At the time of the attack, Sanford was married and a father to a 10-year-old son who was reportedly born in 2015, and who was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder, according to CNN.
The suspect's father, Thomas Sanford, spoke out in the aftermath of the violence, saying the family is "completely in shock over this; we have no answers," NBC News reported.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints called the incident a "tragic act of violence" in a statement.
"Places of worship are meant to be sanctuaries of peacemaking, prayer and connection," the release states. "We pray for peace and healing for all involved."
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