(NewsNation) — The alleged gunman who opened fire on a group of worshippers at a Michigan church on Sunday came from a military background, having served in Iraq.

Police say 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford was behind the attack that left four dead and at least 8 injured at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Michigan.

Sanford allegedly drove his vehicle into the front of the packed church before shooting at churchgoers and setting the building on fire, authorities said. He died after a shootout with law enforcement, they said.

It is unclear whether Sanford was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the Mormon church.

The FBI said the shooting is being investigated as an act of “targeted violence.”

Thomas Jacob Sanford

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