A father-of-six and grandfather who served in Vietnam has been named as the first victim of the Michigan church massacre.
Navy veteran John Bond, aged 77, tragically lost his life on Sunday during a violent attack initiated by Thomas Jacob Sanford at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc.
Bond’s wife, Joanne, shared that their final conversation involved John mentioning his shoes needed polishing and expressing his love for her with the words ‘I love you.’
Sanford, 40, smashed his truck into the Grand Blanc Township church, opened fire and set the building ablaze, killing at least four people.
Bond was a ‘loving husband, father, and grandfather,’ according to a GoFundMe set up by his family.
‘He was a well known and loved member of his family and active in his community,’ the family said.
John, who dedicated nine years to serving in the Navy, was passionate about golf and trains. His family remembered him fondly for cherishing time with his family and grandchildren.
The attack on the church occurred about 10.25am while hundreds of people were in the building in Grand Blanc Township, outside Flint.
The incident involved John Bond, a 77-year-old Navy veteran, who was killed after Thomas Jacob Sanford launched an assault on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc.
Authorities reported that Thomas Jacob Sanford targeted over a hundred attendees during a service at the Church of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc on Sunday.
Sanford got out of the pick-up with two American flags raised in the truck bed and started shooting, Police Chief William Renye told reporters.
Officials from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, including James Dier, stated that the attacker used gas to ignite a fire and was in possession of explosive devices, although it remains unclear if they were deployed.
One family friend told journalist Ty Steele that Sanford had been battling PTSD.
‘It’s hard to feel sad for someone who did something so terrible, and I still feel sad. I had heard through family events that he had had PTSD,’ she said.
‘He would make comments occasionally and it was something that was kind of talked about. It wasn’t talked about in depth… so I don’t know the depth of his issues.’
Sanford’s loved ones, including his wife and both of his parents, also frequently shared pro-Trump messaging on their social media pages.
But investigators are still trying to establish a motive.
Nearly a week before the horrific tragedy, Kris Johns, a resident running for city council, said he had a conversation with Sanford in which the shooter fumed about his hatred of Mormons.
The city council candidate, who was canvasing the neighborhood at the time, said: ‘He was extremely nice at first. He even talked about his child who had a serious medical concern.
The charred wreckage of the building is still being searched as of Monday. It’s pictured on Sunday after the attack
‘But when the conversation turned to religion, I just wanted to get off the door and away from him.’
Johns said Sanford told him he previously lived in Utah – a state with close ties to Mormonism – where he had a brief relationship with a Mormon woman.
Johns, who spoke to Detroit Free Press about the conversation with Sanford, who shared his struggles with drug addiction after his time in the service.
The 44-year-old said ‘it was one thing after another,’ as Stanford went on to ask him if he believed in God.
Johns, a Christian who is a member of the Solid Rock Community Church in Burton, replied ‘yes’ to Sandford, adding: ‘From there, the conversation takes a very sharp turn.’
He was then asked by Sanford about the Mormon bible, the role Jesus plays in the religion, the history of the LDS church, and more, Johns said.
‘I just didn’t know what the next question was going to be,’ he added.
‘There’s certain things you don’t forget. This is not a forgettable guy.
‘It was very much standard anti-LDS talking points that you would find on YouTube, TikTok, Facebook,’ Johns said of Burton.
As he went on to speak of the religion, Sanford told Johns that he had his tattoos removed so he could take part in church ceremonies.
Several tattoos were seen on his arm in Facebook photos of Sanford, including barbed wire imagery and what appears to be a dreamcatcher.
