GRAND BLANC TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — A woman who was inside a church in Grand Blanc Township, where a deadly mass shooting took place, spoke to 7 News Detroit on Sunday, just hours after the shooting.
Paula (no last name given) said she has been part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for nearly four decades. She said a counselor was up at the pulpit speaking when they heard a big bang and a door blew open.
Grand Blanc Township Police Department Chief William Renye said that the suspect, a 40-year-old man from Burton, rammed a vehicle into the front of the church, got out and opened fire on the people inside.
WATCH: Drone video shows LDS church in Michigan on fire after shooting
In a later update on Sunday, he identified the suspect as Thomas Jacob Sanford, but didn't provide any more information.
According to Renye, the first 911 call came in at 10:25 a.m. and officers arrived on scene 25 seconds later. Renye said the suspect was killed around 10:33 a.m., about 8 minutes after the first 911 call.
Police said the fire is out and they expect to find more victims inside as they search the scene.
"My church is gone. I joined the church 38 years ago in that building, and now it's gone," Paula said. "It's devastating to know that I've lost friends and to see somebody would do this to our church."
The shooting happened less than 12 hours after the worldwide church's leader, President Russell M. Nelson, passed away peacefully at his home in Salt Lake City. He was 101 years old.
WATCH: LDS Church President Russell M. Nelson dies at age 101
According to Paula, she and others rushed out of the church and ended up getting to their cars, and the suspect also opened fire on the vehicles.
"I didn't know what was going on. I didn't know what was going on, and I didn't know if we were going to have to get down because we couldn't see anybody. We couldn't see," Paula said.
Watch the full interview with Paula in the video below:
