GRAND BLANC, Mich. (WWJ) -- The Genesee County Prosecutor says the use of deadly force by officers during last year's Grand Blanc Township church mass shooting was justified.
A letter from Prosecutor David Leyton said Grand Blanc Township officer Jason Carpentier and Michigan DNR conservation officer Luke Robare will not face any charges in the fatal shooting of Thomas Sanford.
Leyton and Deputy Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Michael Tesner said, in letter sent to the Michigan State Police, that both officers believed that Sanford was an active shooter — and they reacted to protect themselves and the public.
The findings, detailed in the letter, were as follows:
Ofc. Jason Carpentier and CO Luke Robare encountered Thomas Sanford after he exited the North entrance of the LDS church and continued to fire in the direction of individuals to the north of the parking lot. Ofc. Carpentier and CO Robare reasonably believed Sanford to be engaged as an active shooter and suspect of a mass shooting and arson. He was armed with an AK47 assault rifle that he refused to put down and when he lowered the weapon in a threatening manner while advancing on the two officers and civilian Trason Willemin, Ofc. Carpentier and CO Robare fired seven rounds and three rounds respectively in defense of themselves and other officers and civilians present. Due to Ofc. Carpentier's and CO Robare's reasonable fear under these circumstances, they were legally entitled to use deadly force in lawful self-defense or defense of others pursuant to MCL 780.972.
Sanford was a resident of nearby Burton, Michigan, and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq.
On September 28, 2025, he drove his pickup truck into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Michigan, then fatally shooting four people and wounding eight others during Sunday services. After the shooting, he set the church on fire.
Investigators from the FBI and ATF classified the attack as a "targeted act of violence."
As for a motive, local reports and witness statements indicated that Sanford harbored significant anti-LDS sentiment, an had expressed hostility toward the church’s beliefs.