At least one person is dead and ten more injured after a shooting that occurred this Sunday morning at a church in Grand Blanc, just outside the city of Flint, in the US state of Michigan. The Christian church is believed to be on fire.
Among the victims is one person dead and two more in critical condition, according to Grand Blanc Police Chief William Renye, who also confirmed in a press conference that the shooter is also deceased.
The suspect is a 40-year-old man from the Burton neighborhood of Flint. He died after receiving a fatal wound during a shootout with Grand Blanc police officers. The motive is currently unknown, Renye said.
The police official warned that hundreds of people were attending church at the time of the attack and that they expect to find more victims once the area is searched and secured. “We believe we will find more victims once the scene has been secured,” he said.
The church suffered a major fire, according to images broadcast by American television networks. Police have confirmed that the fire is now under control and have urged people in the area to take shelter in the north wing. “Please avoid the area,” they urged the rest of the population.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer stressed that any type of violence is “unacceptable” after learning of the incident. “My heart goes out to the community of Grand Blanc,” Whitmer posted on X.
President Donald Trump also mentioned the incident and denounced the “epidemic of violence” affecting the country and in particular an “attack on Christians.” “The suspect is dead, but there is still much to be learned. This appears to be another attack on Christians in the United States,” he noted in a message posted on his account on the social media platform Truth Social, which he owns.
“Pray for the victims and their families. This epidemic of violence in our country must end immediately!” the US president added.
The city of Flint is known for appearing in several documentaries by filmmaker Michael Moore, such as “Bowling for Columbine,” “Fahrenheit 9/11,” and especially “Roger & Me,” which portrays the decline of the automotive industry in this region of the United States. Moore himself is originally from Flint.
