New details have come to light about the serious event that shocked the United States, when an armed attack at a Mormon church in Michigan left four people dead and at least eight others injured.
US authorities have identified the shooter as Thomas Jacob Sanford, 40, a former US Marine and Iraq War veteran. Sanford served in the US military from 2004 to 2008. He was killed by police in a parking lot outside the church shortly after the attack.
According to official reports, the attack took place on Sunday morning local time. Sanford drove into the church premises, causing panic among the faithful, and then opened fire with a gun. After shooting at the crowd, he is suspected of deliberately setting the building on fire, causing a massive fire that partially collapsed the church structure.
Rescue teams are still searching the rubble, as other possible victims are suspected.
After neutralizing the perpetrator, police conducted searches in his car and found improvised explosive devices, further increasing concerns about his intentions. Security forces also raided Sanford's apartment to collect more evidence and shed light on the motives for the attack, which remain unclear to this day.
US President Donald Trump reacted immediately after the incident, strongly condemning the violent act and expressing condolences to the families of the victims. He stressed that "the epidemic of violence in the country must end", describing this attack as a tragedy that must not be repeated.
This was not the only act of violence that shook America over the weekend. Just the day before, on Saturday evening, three people were killed and at least eight others were injured in another attack after a gunman opened fire from a boat into a crowd gathered near a waterfront bar in a coastal North Carolina town.
Successive events have increased concerns about public safety in the US, putting the issue of gun violence and the measures that need to be taken to prevent similar tragedies in the future back at the center of the debate.
