Thomas Sanford , the former U.S. Marines veteran identified as the lone suspect in the shooting at a Michigan Latter-day Saints church that he also set on fire Sunday (September 28) morning, reportedly went on a hateful tirade against Mormons as being "the antichrist" just days before the incident occurred.

Kris Johns , who is running for a seat on the Burton City Council, told the Detroit Free Press that he encountered an otherwise "extremely friendly" Sanford while canvassing on September 22. Johns said the two chatted for about 20 minutes and Sanford's animosity toward the LDS church didn't seem violent, describing it as "very much standard anti-LDS talking points that you would find on YouTube, TikTok, Facebook," prior to seeing images on television and social media of the at

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