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  • Woman appointed Archbishop of Canterbury in a historic first for the Church of England

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    Sarah Mullally was on Friday appointed as the new Archbishop of Canterbury, becoming the spiritual leader of 85 million Anglicans worldwide and the first woman to hold the role in its 1,400-year history.Mullally, 63, was made Bishop of London in 2018 – the Church of England’s third most senior bishop after the archbishops of Canterbury and York. Before her ordination, Mullally worked as a nurse at hospitals in London, going on to serve as Chief Nursing Officer for England.“As I respond to the call of Christ to this new ministry, I do so in the same spirit of service to God and to others that has motivated me since I first came to faith as a teenager,” Mullally said.“At every stage of that journey, through my nursing career and Christian ministry, I have learned to listen deeply – to people and to God’s gentle prompting – to seek to bring people together to find hope and healing.”The Archbishop-Designate for years led the Church of England’s process exploring questions of marriage and sexuality and was supportive of the move to allow ministers to offer blessings to same-sex couples in churches. She is renowned as a strong administrator who has worked to modernize the running of her London diocese while playing a leading role in the church’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.Mullally’s elevation to archbishop was only possible due to reforms under Justin Welby, the former leader, who allowed women to be consecrated as bishops a decade ago.The role of Archbishop of Canterbury has been vacant for almost a year after Welby resigned in November 2024 over his failure to report prolific child abuser John Smyth, who was accused of attacking dozens of boys, including those he met at Christian camps, in the 1970s and 1980s.A damning independent report found that by 2013 the Church of England “knew, at the highest level,” about Smyth’s abuse, including Welby, who became archbishop that year.Welby’s resignation, according to church historian Diarmaid MacCulloch, was “historic and without exact precedent in the 1,427-year history of Archbishops of Canterbury” given no previous archbishop had stepped down to accusations of negligence over sexual abuse.The Archbishop of Canterbury is the most public face of an institution that has struggled to stay relevant in a more secular nation. The archbishop is often called on to speak at significant national moments, presiding over major royal events, including the recent coronation of King Charles.Candidates for the Archbishop of Canterbury are chosen by the Crown Nominations Commission, a body chaired by Jonathan Evans, the former head of MI5, Britain’s domestic security service. The commission, comprising 17 voting members, decide on a preferred candidate, to whom Prime Minister Keir Starmer then gives his assent.It is, however, King Charles, the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, who formally appoints the archbishop. The British monarch’s role dates to when King Henry VIII broke away from the authority of the pope and declared himself head of the new church.In July, Evans had said he wanted to avoid a list of candidates “all of whom are white, Oxbridge, male and come from the southeast of England.” He said there was “a desire for somebody who can give genuine spiritual leadership and direction to the church,” and who can “speak authoritatively and graciously with a Christian voice into the affairs of the nation.”Announcing Mullally’s appointment, Evans thanked the members of the public who shared their views on the direction of the church in a public consultation earlier this year. “I shall be praying for Bishop Sarah as she prepares to take up this new ministry in the coming months,” he said.Mullally will now preside over a church fighting to reclaim relevance and trust. She will lead efforts to address declining numbers of church goers, including reaching younger people, and address financial challenges.Mullally will be installed officially in a service at Canterbury Cathedral in March 2026, becoming the 106th archbishop since Saint Augustine arrived in Kent from Rome in 597.

    LONDON —

    Sarah Mullally was on Friday appointed as the new Archbishop of Canterbury, becoming the spiritual leader of 85 million Anglicans worldwide and the first woman to hold the role in its 1,400-year history.

    Mullally, 63, was made Bishop of London in 2018 – the Church of England’s third most senior bishop after the archbishops of Canterbury and York. Before her ordination, Mullally worked as a nurse at hospitals in London, going on to serve as Chief Nursing Officer for England.

    “As I respond to the call of Christ to this new ministry, I do so in the same spirit of service to God and to others that has motivated me since I first came to faith as a teenager,” Mullally said.

    “At every stage of that journey, through my nursing career and Christian ministry, I have learned to listen deeply – to people and to God’s gentle prompting – to seek to bring people together to find hope and healing.”

    The Archbishop-Designate for years led the Church of England’s process exploring questions of marriage and sexuality and was supportive of the move to allow ministers to offer blessings to same-sex couples in churches. She is renowned as a strong administrator who has worked to modernize the running of her London diocese while playing a leading role in the church’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Mullally’s elevation to archbishop was only possible due to reforms under Justin Welby, the former leader, who allowed women to be consecrated as bishops a decade ago.

    The role of Archbishop of Canterbury has been vacant for almost a year after Welby resigned in November 2024 over his failure to report prolific child abuser John Smyth, who was accused of attacking dozens of boys, including those he met at Christian camps, in the 1970s and 1980s.

    A damning independent report found that by 2013 the Church of England “knew, at the highest level,” about Smyth’s abuse, including Welby, who became archbishop that year.

    Welby’s resignation, according to church historian Diarmaid MacCulloch, was “historic and without exact precedent in the 1,427-year history of Archbishops of Canterbury” given no previous archbishop had stepped down to accusations of negligence over sexual abuse.

    The Archbishop of Canterbury is the most public face of an institution that has struggled to stay relevant in a more secular nation. The archbishop is often called on to speak at significant national moments, presiding over major royal events, including the recent coronation of King Charles.

    Candidates for the Archbishop of Canterbury are chosen by the Crown Nominations Commission, a body chaired by Jonathan Evans, the former head of MI5, Britain’s domestic security service. The commission, comprising 17 voting members, decide on a preferred candidate, to whom Prime Minister Keir Starmer then gives his assent.

    It is, however, King Charles, the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, who formally appoints the archbishop. The British monarch’s role dates to when King Henry VIII broke away from the authority of the pope and declared himself head of the new church.

    In July, Evans had said he wanted to avoid a list of candidates “all of whom are white, Oxbridge, male and come from the southeast of England.” He said there was “a desire for somebody who can give genuine spiritual leadership and direction to the church,” and who can “speak authoritatively and graciously with a Christian voice into the affairs of the nation.”

    Announcing Mullally’s appointment, Evans thanked the members of the public who shared their views on the direction of the church in a public consultation earlier this year. “I shall be praying for Bishop Sarah as she prepares to take up this new ministry in the coming months,” he said.

    Mullally will now preside over a church fighting to reclaim relevance and trust. She will lead efforts to address declining numbers of church goers, including reaching younger people, and address financial challenges.

    Mullally will be installed officially in a service at Canterbury Cathedral in March 2026, becoming the 106th archbishop since Saint Augustine arrived in Kent from Rome in 597.

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  • Friends of Michigan church shooting suspect say he long carried hatred toward Mormon faith

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    The man who opened fire in a Michigan church and killed four people while setting it ablaze long harbored hatred toward the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, according to longtime friends, and told a stranger who showed up at his door days before that attack that Mormons were the “Antichrist.” The suspect, identified as 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford, began making those sentiments known years ago following his return from Utah, where he dated but later broke up with a girlfriend who was a member of the Mormon faith, two childhood friends said Tuesday. Sanford had moved to Utah after leaving the Marines and told his friends he had become addicted to methamphetamines.No longer the happy-go-lucky kid who was voted class clown of their graduating class, Sanford routinely spouted off about his grievances against the church, his friends said. The first time they heard it was at a wedding 13 years ago.”We were like, ‘Come on, we don’t want to hear this,’” said Bobby Kalush, who grew up down the road from Sanford. “When he came back from Utah, he was a completely different person.”Just six days before Sunday’s attack, those grudges were still boiling at the surface, said Kris Johns, a city council candidate who described a bizarre brush with Sanford while door-knocking for his campaign.The two were speaking at Sanford’s home in Burton about gun rights when Sanford physically leaned in, Johns said, and asked, “What do you know about Mormons?”For close to 15 minutes, Sanford spoke in controlled and calm tones about the Mormon faith, saying he was concerned about their beliefs while expressing that he was a Christian. Sanford then said he believed that Mormons are the “Antichrist,” according to Johns.”That’s something I’ll never forget,” he said.Police have released very few details about Sanford, who died after being shot by officers, and have refused to discuss what might have motivated the attack at the church, which was reduced to rubble in Grand Blanc Township, about 60 miles north of Detroit.On Tuesday, Sanford’s family released a statement through a lawyer, expressing condolences. “No words can adequately convey our sorrow for the victims and their families,” they said. Sanford served four years in the Marine Corps after enlisting in 2004 and deployed once to Iraq for seven months, according to military records. His commander during the deployment, David Hochheimer, said the unit never saw combat or incoming fire. “It was a relatively quiet time,” he said on Tuesday.Sanford moved to Utah shortly after leaving the military. His friends said they noticed a change after he moved back home, thinking his battle with addiction was to blame. Kalush said his friend was no longer the “short, stocky ball of energy” who once bought dozens of flowers to give out to girls before the homecoming dance.Around bonfires with friends, it wasn’t unusual for Sanford to start talking about how Mormons were going to take over, said Frances Tersigni, who along with his twin brother was among Sanford’s best friends.”It was just so random. It was like, ‘Why Mormons dude?’” Tersigni said. “It’s hard to explain. We didn’t take it serious.” But there were no signs that he was a threat to anyone, Tersigni said. An avid hunter, Sanford was married now and raising a child at home.”He never once, never, said ‘I’ve got to do something,’” he said. “There’s a Jake we all knew, and there was one who was hidden. It wasn’t apparent to us.” Federal investigators remained at the church Tuesday as heavy machinery began moving debris from the church.Authorities have not yet released the names of the four people who died or the eight people — ages 6 to 78 — who were wounded and expected to survive. Among the wounded were a father and his young son, according to a GoFundMe post.One of those who died was being remembered as a grandfather who adored spending time with his family. John Bond, a Navy veteran, was well-known in the community and loved golfing and trains, according to friends organizing fundraising for the family.Another victim was identified online by family as Pat Howard.”Uncle Pat was so many things. … In my mind I see him mid conversation, his eyebrows raised, his eyes bright and a smile just starting to show,” niece Maureen Seliger said on Facebook. Jeffrey Schaub, bishop of the Grand Blanc church, said in a video posted Monday that the attack has left the community reeling.”As you can expect, our members are quite shaken in spirit and in body,” he said. “And it hurts.”There has been an outpouring of support from different faith communities, he said. “It was very humbling to see how much good there is in the world today and that, above all, we are all children of the same Father in heaven,” he said, with a tremor in his voice.Sanford drove his truck into the church’s brick wall while members were gathered inside Sunday morning. He apparently used gas to start the fire and also had explosive devices, said James Dier of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.Flames and smoke poured from the church for hours after the attack.Jerry Eaton, 78, who lives across the street, sheltered seven people who fled the church, including a mother with her four young children. He was watching television when he heard the shooting.”I’ve done a lot of hunting, so I know the sound of gunfire,” he said. “As much as I didn’t want to believe it, that’s exactly what it sounded like.” White reported from Detroit. Associated Press reporter John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed to this report.

    GRAND BLANC TOWNSHIP, Mich. —

    The man who opened fire in a Michigan church and killed four people while setting it ablaze long harbored hatred toward the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, according to longtime friends, and told a stranger who showed up at his door days before that attack that Mormons were the “Antichrist.”

    The suspect, identified as 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford, began making those sentiments known years ago following his return from Utah, where he dated but later broke up with a girlfriend who was a member of the Mormon faith, two childhood friends said Tuesday. Sanford had moved to Utah after leaving the Marines and told his friends he had become addicted to methamphetamines.

    No longer the happy-go-lucky kid who was voted class clown of their graduating class, Sanford routinely spouted off about his grievances against the church, his friends said. The first time they heard it was at a wedding 13 years ago.

    “We were like, ‘Come on, we don’t want to hear this,’” said Bobby Kalush, who grew up down the road from Sanford. “When he came back from Utah, he was a completely different person.”

    Just six days before Sunday’s attack, those grudges were still boiling at the surface, said Kris Johns, a city council candidate who described a bizarre brush with Sanford while door-knocking for his campaign.

    The two were speaking at Sanford’s home in Burton about gun rights when Sanford physically leaned in, Johns said, and asked, “What do you know about Mormons?”

    For close to 15 minutes, Sanford spoke in controlled and calm tones about the Mormon faith, saying he was concerned about their beliefs while expressing that he was a Christian. Sanford then said he believed that Mormons are the “Antichrist,” according to Johns.

    “That’s something I’ll never forget,” he said.

    Police have released very few details about Sanford, who died after being shot by officers, and have refused to discuss what might have motivated the attack at the church, which was reduced to rubble in Grand Blanc Township, about 60 miles north of Detroit.

    On Tuesday, Sanford’s family released a statement through a lawyer, expressing condolences. “No words can adequately convey our sorrow for the victims and their families,” they said.

    Sanford served four years in the Marine Corps after enlisting in 2004 and deployed once to Iraq for seven months, according to military records. His commander during the deployment, David Hochheimer, said the unit never saw combat or incoming fire. “It was a relatively quiet time,” he said on Tuesday.

    Sanford moved to Utah shortly after leaving the military. His friends said they noticed a change after he moved back home, thinking his battle with addiction was to blame. Kalush said his friend was no longer the “short, stocky ball of energy” who once bought dozens of flowers to give out to girls before the homecoming dance.

    Around bonfires with friends, it wasn’t unusual for Sanford to start talking about how Mormons were going to take over, said Frances Tersigni, who along with his twin brother was among Sanford’s best friends.

    “It was just so random. It was like, ‘Why Mormons dude?’” Tersigni said. “It’s hard to explain. We didn’t take it serious.”

    But there were no signs that he was a threat to anyone, Tersigni said. An avid hunter, Sanford was married now and raising a child at home.

    “He never once, never, said ‘I’ve got to do something,’” he said. “There’s a Jake we all knew, and there was one who was hidden. It wasn’t apparent to us.”

    Federal investigators remained at the church Tuesday as heavy machinery began moving debris from the church.

    Authorities have not yet released the names of the four people who died or the eight people — ages 6 to 78 — who were wounded and expected to survive. Among the wounded were a father and his young son, according to a GoFundMe post.

    One of those who died was being remembered as a grandfather who adored spending time with his family. John Bond, a Navy veteran, was well-known in the community and loved golfing and trains, according to friends organizing fundraising for the family.

    Another victim was identified online by family as Pat Howard.

    “Uncle Pat was so many things. … In my mind I see him mid conversation, his eyebrows raised, his eyes bright and a smile just starting to show,” niece Maureen Seliger said on Facebook.

    Jeffrey Schaub, bishop of the Grand Blanc church, said in a video posted Monday that the attack has left the community reeling.

    “As you can expect, our members are quite shaken in spirit and in body,” he said. “And it hurts.”

    There has been an outpouring of support from different faith communities, he said. “It was very humbling to see how much good there is in the world today and that, above all, we are all children of the same Father in heaven,” he said, with a tremor in his voice.

    Sanford drove his truck into the church’s brick wall while members were gathered inside Sunday morning. He apparently used gas to start the fire and also had explosive devices, said James Dier of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

    Flames and smoke poured from the church for hours after the attack.

    Jerry Eaton, 78, who lives across the street, sheltered seven people who fled the church, including a mother with her four young children. He was watching television when he heard the shooting.

    “I’ve done a lot of hunting, so I know the sound of gunfire,” he said. “As much as I didn’t want to believe it, that’s exactly what it sounded like.”

    White reported from Detroit. Associated Press reporter John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed to this report.

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  • Michigan church shooting survivor says she looked gunman who killed her father in the eyes:

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    A woman who survived the deadly attack on a church in Michigan Sunday says in a letter posted on social media that she looked the gunman in the eyes after he killed her father, and “I forgave him right there.” 

    In the letter shared Monday, the woman recounted the events of the shooting at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, in which four people were killed. She said she needed to share what she went through for her dad and “for anyone who can set aside hate.”

    “When he [the gunman] came over to me I felt very calm, peaceful even as I kneeled next to my dad, my hands still on dad,” she wrote. “It felt like a long time I stared into his eyes while answering his question.” 

    “The only way I can describe it is I saw into his soul. I never took my eyes off his eyes, something happened, I saw pain, he felt lost. I deeply felt it with every fiber of my being. I forgave him, I forgave him right there, not in words, but with my heart.”

    Her father was one of the four people killed in the attack. The victims range in age from 6 to 78 years old. Eight others were wounded. 

    The suspect was identified as 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford of Burton, Michigan. Sanford drove his pickup truck through the front doors of the church, exited his vehicle and opened fire with an assault-style rifle at around 100 churchgoers, Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye said. Officials say he then set the church building on fire. Sanford died after “exchanging gunfire” with police, according to Renye. 

    Law enforcement officials described the shooting as “an act of targeted violence.” Based on conversations with the FBI director, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday the attacker was “an individual who hated people of the Mormon faith.”

    In her letter, the woman wrote that when she gave a description of the attacker to the FBI, she told them he had blue eyes; however, she learned that was not the case after she saw his photo.

    “In the middle of the night while texting my sister I realized it was my eyes I saw,” she wrote. “I saw into his soul and he saw into mine. He let me live.” 

    Kierra Frazier

    Kierra Frazier is a news editor for CBS News & Stations.

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  • Investigation continues into fatal Michigan church shooting, fire

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    Death toll expected to rise from shooting, fire at Grand Blanc church



    Death toll expected to rise from shooting, fire at Grand Blanc church

    02:04

    Investigators will be back at the scene Monday in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, where a shooting and fire at a church left at least four people dead. The FBI is investigating the incident as “an act of targeted violence.”    

    About 100 people were inside the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on McClandlish Road around 10:25 a.m. Sunday when the shooting happened. The suspect, identified as a 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford of Burton, Michigan, drove his vehicle through the front doors of the church, exited his vehicle and fired “several rounds” of an assault rifle at hundreds of churchgoers, Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye said at a news conference.

    Four people were confirmed dead as of late Sunday. One victim was listed in critical condition at an area hospital, and seven others were reported to be in stable condition. Henry Ford Genesys Hospital said it provided care for some of the victims.

    Renye said it is believed some people are unaccounted for. 

    U.S. officials and state lawmakers shared messages in response to the shooting, and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ordered U.S. and Michigan flags to be lowered to half-staff through Friday to honor and remember the victims. 

    Grand Blanc Community Schools will be closed Monday. Grand Blanc Township Police Department expects to host its next press conference Monday, at a time not yet announced. 

    Bloomfield Township Police says it will “increase patrols around our places of worship and other community gatherings to help ensure a safe environment for everyone.”

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation, which is leading the investigation, has asked anyone with information to call 1-800-225-5324 or submit a tip here. 

    Paula Wethington

    Paula Wethington is a digital producer at CBS Detroit. She previously held digital content roles at NEWSnet, Gannett/USA Today network and The Monroe News in Michigan. She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina.

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  • Gunman in Michigan church shooting died after “exchanging gunfire” with police. Here’s what we know.

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    Police in Grand Blanc, Michigan, say the gunman who killed at least four people and injured eight others at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sunday morning died after “exchanging gunfire” with police.

    The suspect was identified as 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford of Burton, Michigan, Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye said. 

    Sanford served in the U.S. Marines for three-and-a-half years from 2004 to 2008, CBS News has confirmed. He was deployed from August 2007 to March 2008 as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, which led to the fall of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

    According to Renye, calls about the shooting at the Church of Latter-day Saints on McCandlish Road came in around 10:25 a.m., and officers were at the scene less than a minute later. Police said Sanford died at the parking lot of the church around 10:33 a.m.

    Sanford lived around eight miles away from the church. Michigan State Police and a bomb squad were investigating his home throughout the evening on Sunday. 

    Investigators say there may be bomb making materials inside, though it’s unknown if anything was found. 

    Nearby residents told CBS News Detroit they couldn’t believe what happened in their small suburban community located about an hour northwest of Detroit.

    “I really feel for the families, you know, even feel for the accused,” resident April Vann said. “It’s just a sad, really sad situation. You know, family’s lives are destroyed in 2.2 seconds.”

    Jason Miller, another nearby resident, said something has to change. 

    “It’s troubling. A mile from home, you know? It’s obviously getting closer to us, right?” Miller said. “So when it starts getting close, you’re not just looking at the TV screen saying, ‘I feel bad. What’s going on?’ It’s here now, and that’s why we got to do something. It’s getting to be a problem.”

    Several neighbors weren’t able to get inside their homes on Sunday afternoon. Michigan State Police troopers said they would be in the area into the evening.

    President Trump said on Truth Social that Sunday’s shooting was “horrendous,” and that he would provide “full support” to state and local officials for the investigation.

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    Veronica Ortega

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  • Latest details on Michigan LDS church shooting that killed at least 4

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    Latest details on Michigan LDS church shooting that killed at least 4 – CBS News










































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    At least four people were killed Sunday when a gunman rammed his truck into a Michigan church and opened fire during worship services. CBS News’ Terell Bailey has more.

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  • Gunman in Michigan church shooting died after “exchanging gunfire” with police. Here’s what we know.

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    Police in Grand Blanc, Michigan, say the gunman who killed at least two people and injured eight others at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sunday morning died after “exchanging gunfire” with police.

    The suspect was identified as 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford of Burton, Michigan, Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye said. 

    Sanford served in the U.S. Marines for three-and-a-half years from 2004 to 2008, CBS News has confirmed. He was deployed from August 2007 to March 2008 as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, which led to the fall of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

    According to Renye, calls about the shooting at the Church of Latter-day Saints on McCandlish Road came in around 10:25 a.m., and officers were at the scene less than a minute later. Police said Sanford died at the parking lot of the church around 10:33 a.m.

    Sanford lived around seven miles away from the church. Michigan State Police and a bomb squad were investigating his home on Sunday afternoon.

    Investigators say there may be bomb making materials inside, though it’s unknown if anything was found. 

    Nearby residents told CBS News Detroit they couldn’t believe what happened in their small suburban community located about an hour northwest of Detroit.

    “I really feel for the families, you know, even feel for the accused,” resident April Vann said. “It’s just a sad, really sad situation. You know, family’s lives are destroyed in 2.2 seconds.”

    Jason Miller, another nearby resident, said something has to change. 

    “It’s troubling. A mile from home, you know? It’s obviously getting closer to us, right?” Miller said. “So when it starts getting close, you’re not just looking at the TV screen saying, ‘I feel bad. What’s going on?’ It’s here now, and that’s why we got to do something. It’s getting to be a problem.”

    Several neighbors weren’t able to get inside their homes on Sunday afternoon. Michigan State Police troopers said they would be in the area into the evening.

    President Trump said on Truth Social that Sunday’s shooting was “horrendous,” and that he would provide “full support” to state and local officials for the investigation.

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  • At least 2 killed, 8 injured in shooting at Michigan church; suspect dead, police say

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    At least two people are dead and eight others are in the hospital after a shooting during a worship service at a church in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, on Sunday morning.

    According to police, it happened around 10:25 a.m. at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 4825 McCandlish Road. 

    Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye said in a news conference on Sunday afternoon that the suspect, identified as a 40-year-old man, drove his vehicle through the front doors of the church, exited his vehicle and fired “several rounds” of an assault rifle at hundreds of churchgoers. 

    Ten people with gunshot wounds were taken to the hospital, where two victims have since died. Renye said “multiple” individuals who were injured are in critical condition, and expects there will be more victims.

    Henry Ford Health confirmed that it was treating nine patients at Henry Ford Genesys Hospital. 

    “Our hospital is fully staffed with experienced caregivers, and we are grateful to our team members who continue to care for all our patients at Henry Ford Genesys Hospital. Counselors and spiritual care are available to provide confidential support and counseling services for our patients and team members,” said the health system in a statement.”

    Police said the man, from Burton, Michigan, died after responding officers from Grand Blanc Township and the Michigan DNR “engaged in gunfire” with him. 

    According to investigators, the man deliberately started a fire at the church at some point, though it’s not yet known how the fire was started. Crews have since contained the blaze.

    Police are expected to hold another news conference at 5 p.m. You can watch it at the video player above. 

    Officials have set up an on-site reunification site at a movie theatre on Trillium Circle Avenue. Anyone who needs to connect with someone who was at the church is asked to call the American Red Cross at 248-705-7352.

    Smoke rises from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Michigan, on Sept. 28, 2025. Police said there were multiple victims in a shooting at the church.

    CBS News Detroit


    “This is a dynamic scene,” Genesee County Sheriff Christopher Swanson said in a video recorded at the scene. “The time where we are right now, there’s going to be more updates. Just know that there’s a lot of things that are happening that we are not able to communicate just because of the work that needs to be done.”

    Swanson said there is no active threat to the community.

    The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said in a written statement that it’s been in communication with law enforcement and that it’s thankful for the emergency responders who are helping the victims and their families.

    “We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of prayers and concern from so many people around the world,” the statement said. “In moments of sorrow and uncertainty, we find strength and comfort through our faith in Jesus Christ. Places of worship are meant to be sanctuaries of peacemaking, prayer and connection. We pray for peace and healing for all involved.”

    Gov. Gretchen Whitmer posted a written statement on social media that said, “My heart is breaking for the Grand Blanc community. Violence anywhere, especially in a place of worship, is unacceptable. I am grateful to the first responders who took action quickly. We will continue to monitor this situation and hold the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc close.”

    Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel said on X that the agency is tracking reports of the shooting and that agents are at the scene to assist local authorities.

    “Violence in a place of worship is a cowardly and criminal act. Our prayers are with the victims and their families during this terrible tragedy,” Patel said.

    Grand Blanc Township police said at least 100 FBI agents are responding to the shooting. 

    U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said she has received briefings about the incident.

    “Such violence at a place of worship is heartbreaking and chilling. Please join me in praying for the victims of this terrible tragedy,” Bondi said.

    President Trump said that he has been briefed on the shooting. 

    “I have been briefed on the horrendous shooting that took place at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in Grand Blanc, Michigan. The FBI was immediately on scene, and will be leading the Federal Investigation, and providing full support to State and Local Officials. The suspect is dead, but there is still a lot to learn. This appears to be yet another targeted attack on Christians in the United States of America. The Trump Administration will keep the Public posted, as we always do. In the meantime, PRAY for the victims, and their families. THIS EPIDEMIC OF VIOLENCE IN OUR COUNTRY MUST END, IMMEDIATELY,” Mr. Trump said in a Truth Social post.   

    According to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, her agency is in communication with “interagency partners.”

    Noem added in a social media post on X that, “Sacred places of worship should never fear violence in America. I am praying for the victims of this heinous attack and their families.”

    The New York Police Department said early Sunday afternoon that it was deploying “additional resources to religious institutions across the city,” in response to the shooting.

    Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said Sunday that out of an abundance of caution, the Los Angeles Police Department will be increasing patrols at places of worship across the city. 

    The Grand Blanc Township Police Department said it will have counselors at its facility starting on Monday and through the rest of the week.

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    Nick Lentz

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  • At least 1 killed, 9 injured in shooting at Michigan church; suspect dead, police say

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    At least one person is dead and nine others are in the hospital after a shooting during a worship service at a church in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, on Sunday morning.

    According to police, it happened around 10:25 a.m. at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 4825 McCandlish Road. 

    Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye said in a news conference on Sunday afternoon that the suspect, identified as a 40-year-old man, drove his vehicle through the front doors of the church, exited his vehicle and fired “several rounds” of an assault rifle at hundreds of churchgoers. 

    Ten people with gunshot wounds were taken to the hospital, where one victim has since died. Renye said “multiple” individuals who were injured are in critical condition, and expects there will be more victims.

    Henry Ford Health confirmed that it is treating nine patients at Henry Ford Genesys Hospital. 

    “Our hospital is fully staffed with experienced caregivers, and we are grateful to our team members who continue to care for all our patients at Henry Ford Genesys Hospital. Counselors and spiritual care are available to provide confidential support and counseling services for our patients and team members,” said the health system in a statement.”

    Police said the man, from Burton, Michigan, died after responding officers from Grand Blanc Township and the Michigan DNR “engaged in gunfire” with him. 

    According to investigators, the man deliberately started a fire at the church at some point, though it’s not yet known how the fire was started. Crews have since contained the blaze.

    Police are expected to hold another news conference at 5 p.m. You can watch it at the video player above. 

    Officials have set up an on-site reunification site at a movie theatre on Trillium Circle Avenue.

    Smoke rises from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Michigan, on Sept. 28, 2025. Police said there were multiple victims in a shooting at the church.

    CBS News Detroit


    “This is a dynamic scene,” Genesee County Sheriff Christopher Swanson said in a video recorded at the scene. “The time where we are right now, there’s going to be more updates. Just know that there’s a lot of things that are happening that we are not able to communicate just because of the work that needs to be done.”

    Swanson said there is no active threat to the community.

    The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said in a written statement that it’s been in communication with law enforcement and that it’s thankful for the emergency responders who are helping the victims and their families.

    “We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of prayers and concern from so many people around the world,” the statement said. “In moments of sorrow and uncertainty, we find strength and comfort through our faith in Jesus Christ. Places of worship are meant to be sanctuaries of peacemaking, prayer and connection. We pray for peace and healing for all involved.”

    Gov. Gretchen Whitmer posted a written statement on social media that said, “My heart is breaking for the Grand Blanc community. Violence anywhere, especially in a place of worship, is unacceptable. I am grateful to the first responders who took action quickly. We will continue to monitor this situation and hold the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc close.”

    Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel said on X that the agency is tracking reports of the shooting and that agents are at the scene to assist local authorities.

    “Violence in a place of worship is a cowardly and criminal act. Our prayers are with the victims and their families during this terrible tragedy,” Patel said.

    Grand Blanc Township police said at least 100 FBI agents are responding to the shooting. 

    U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said she has received briefings about the incident.

    “Such violence at a place of worship is heartbreaking and chilling. Please join me in praying for the victims of this terrible tragedy,” Bondi said.

    President Trump said that he has been briefed on the shooting. 

    “I have been briefed on the horrendous shooting that took place at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in Grand Blanc, Michigan. The FBI was immediately on scene, and will be leading the Federal Investigation, and providing full support to State and Local Officials. The suspect is dead, but there is still a lot to learn. This appears to be yet another targeted attack on Christians in the United States of America. The Trump Administration will keep the Public posted, as we always do. In the meantime, PRAY for the victims, and their families. THIS EPIDEMIC OF VIOLENCE IN OUR COUNTRY MUST END, IMMEDIATELY,” Mr. Trump said in a Truth Social post.   

    The New York Police Department said early Sunday afternoon that it was deploying “additional resources to religious institutions across the city,” in response to the shooting.

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  • Multiple victims reported in shooting at Michigan church, suspect is

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    Multiple people have been hurt in a shooting at a church in Grand Blanc, Michigan, police said on Sunday morning. 

    The Grand Blanc Township Police Department said in a Facebook post at 11:12 a.m. that there was an active shooter at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 4825 McCandlish Rd., and “there are multiple victims,” and that the shooter “is down.”

    Police said there is no active threat to the public. 

    The conditions of the victims haven’t been disclosed.

    Police added that the church was “actively” on fire, but crews have since contained the flames. They are asking the public to avoid the area. 

    Officials have set up an on-site reunification site at a movie theatre on Trillium Circle Avenue.

    Law enforcement officials are expected to provide an update at 1 p.m. ET.   

    Smoke rises from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Michigan, on Sept. 28, 2025. Police said there were multiple victims in a shooting at the church.

    CBS News Detroit


    “This is a dynamic scene,” Genesee County Sheriff Christopher Swanson said in a video recorded at the scene. “The time where we are right now, there’s going to be more updates. Just know that there’s a lot of things that are happening that we are not able to communicate just because of the work that needs to be done.”

    Swanson said there is no active threat to the community.

    Gov. Gretchen Whitmer posted a written statement on social media that said, “My heart is breaking for the Grand Blanc community. Violence anywhere, especially in a place of worship, is unacceptable. I am grateful to the first responders who took action quickly. We will continue to monitor this situation and hold the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Grand Blanc close.”

    Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel said on X that the agency is tracking reports of the shooting and that agents are at the scene to assist local authorities.

    “Violence in a place of worship is a cowardly and criminal act. Our prayers are with the victims and their families during this terrible tragedy,” Patel said.

    U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said she has received briefings about the incident.

    “Such violence at a place of worship is heartbreaking and chilling. Please join me in praying for the victims of this terrible tragedy,” Bondi said.

    CBS News Detroit has a crew headed to the scene.

    This is a developing story. Stay with CBS News Detroit for the latest. 

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    Nick Lentz

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  • Three Annunciation Catholic School​ moms demand action during town hall

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    Three women stood together on stage at a town hall in Plymouth, Minnesota on Sunday, bound together by the tragedy their children experienced inside Annunciation Catholic School on August 27. 

    “I don’t want any other parent or family to feel this misery,” said Malia Kimbrell.

    Kimbrell’s 9-year-old daughter Vivian was rushed to the hospital after over 100 bullets shattered the windows of Annunciation Catholic School. Vivian was shot multiple times. Now, Vivian is recovering at home and Kimbrell is advocating for a ban on assault weapons.

    “It’s more mental health resources and safer gun storage and better background checks and detecting potential threats online and improved security measures and banning assault weapons,” Kimbrell said Sunday. “If the next mass shooting happens at your child’s school, what type of weapon are you comfortable with the shooter being armed with?”

    The group was brought together by Democratic Rep. Kelly Morrison as a town hall focused on gun violence prevention, for members of Minnesota’s third district. 

    “By taking action, that’s how we honor Harper, Fletcher and all the lives taken by gun violence,” said Carla Maldonado. 

    Maldonado has two children at Annunciation and described the panic she felt after she and her husband heard the gunshots that morning from their home nearby.

    “We cannot accept a world where civilians have access to weapons designed for battlefields,” Maldonado said. 

    Stephanie Moscetti, a mother of two, also shared her fear that day. Saying her children are changed, espeically her son who was friends with Fletcher Merkel, an 8-year-old boy who was killed in the attack. 

    “My son was an honorary pallbearer at his friends funeral, how is this our reality?” Moscetti questioned. “Our kids deserve safe schools, they deserve safe childhoods where they can play and learn.”

    About a week ago, a Minnesota Senate work group focused on addressing gun violence met for the first time, listening to pleas from some of these same parents. 

    Gov. Tim Walz has vowed to call a special session to address the issue, though a date has not been set.

    If a bill is presented, the legislation would need the support of both democrats and republicans. 

    House Republicans previously released their list of policies to consider in a special session, which included school security grants, more funding for mental health beds and mandatory minimum prison sentences for repeat gun offenders.

    Ashley Grams

    Reporter Ashley Grams joined WCCO in the summer of 2025. She’s excited to be in Minnesota after spending much of her life on the West Coast.

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  • Annunciation Church festival goes on, less than a month after tragic shooting

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    A more than 40-year tradition continued Sunday at Annunciation Church, less than a month since the tragic shooting that claimed the lives of 10-year-old Harper Moyski and 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel.

    For decades, Annunciation has hosted SeptemberFest: a weekend of fun, games, food and music, which serves as the church and school’s annual fundraiser.

    This year, the event continued on with renewed meaning. 

    According to organizers, it was the community that called for SeptemberFest to continue. While some of the programs have been shortened, and Friday and Saturday were limited to the parish and the school community, on Sunday everyone was welcome to stop by.

    “I was very supportive of us doing it,” said parishioner Mike Roaldi. 

    Roaldi’s three kids all attend school at Annunciation.

    “We all felt that it was an opportunity for the kids to come together and have fun and show how we’re healing, show how we heal together,” said Roaldi.

    The festival means valuable time for kids, and community, to be together, he said.

    “To be able to do this now after everything that’s happened, I think is incredibly special, because it says that who we are before and who we are now is a community that’s special, that comes together, that looks out for each other,” said Roaldi. “We have each other, we look out for each other and we always will.”

    Jason Rantala

    Jason Rantala joined WCCO as a reporter in June 2023. He’s a Minnesota native and is thrilled to be telling the stories of those in his hometown.

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  • Frisco Church Consults Authorities, Removes Sermons After Pastor’s ‘Pattern of Sin’

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    Days after Hope Fellowship lead pastor John McKinzie resigned, the church he founded shed more light on the circumstances of his departure and removed some recorded sermons from its website. According to an email sent to congregants on Thursday,  McKinzie’s “multiple breaches of collective trust and his pastoral responsibilities” occurred “over several years.” The email was first shared by religious watchdog website Watchkeep and later verified by the Observer…

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    Kelly Dearmore

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  • A chapel and garden are intertwined in the town of Long Beach, Minnesota

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    “It’s small, it’s stretched out, yes. But it’s a great bunch of people,” said Terry Duhn. 

    In the United States, there are 13 different towns named Long Beach. This one in Minnesota is the smallest, but it’s found a colorful way to stand out. 

    “It’s a little tranquility. A little piece of mind,” said Duhn.

    He’s talking about Morning Glory Gardens on the shores of Lake Minnewaska. It was created in the 1960’s when a newspaper editor named Ed Barsness got sick of seeing an ugly marsh next to a beautiful lake. 

    “He writes in the newspaper about how when he would drive by here, it would smell. Just a swamp in the springtime,” said Duhn. 

    So, they filled the swamp and created a 100-foot-long garden that’s been here ever since. Each year carnations, geraniums and black-eyed Susans are a common site.

    “We have begonias. And there are decorative cabbages this year,” said Duhn. 

    Duhn is the caretaker, but he gets an assist from more than 30 volunteers who help clean and weed. 

    “It makes me beam. It’s a labor of love,” said Duhn when asked about the garden.

    The garden sits in the shadow of the Morning Glory chapel. It moved in a few years after the flowers did. 

    Terry said the little church seats 16 people comfortably, but 12 is ideal. It has an altar, a padded kneeler and a guestbook which includes signatures from across the country. 

    The chapel once stood where a local hospital is now. In 1981, it found a new home near the garden. 

    Four to eight weddings are held there each year. They typically start in May and end in the fall.

    As small as it is, this place of prayer is massive compared to six-seater churches in the towns of Luverne and Dawson. A church in Oslo in Marshall County, seats just 4 people. But it’s the site, not the size, that gets your attention. 

    “It gives them a place to go where they can reflect. They can get a little tranquility or serenity,” said Long Beach Mayor Mike Pfeiffer. “It means different things to different people.”

    In Long Beach, the chapel and garden go together. During sunrise, you see how this place got its name.

    “It is just brilliant. When it comes up it’s to God’s glory,” said Duhn. 

    FFA students at Minnewaska High School helped design this year’s garden. 

    Later this month, the Morning Glory Gardens will get new pavers. Anyone who wants to get married at the chapel can do so, for a $150 donation. 

    John Lauritsen

    John Lauritsen is an Emmy award-winning reporter from Montevideo, Minn. He joined WCCO-TV in late-July of 2007. Two days after he started, the Interstate 35W bridge collapsed.

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  • While mourning, Christian nationalists are calling Charlie Kirk a ‘martyr’ and want vengeance

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    A few hours after Charlie Kirk was killed, Sean Feucht, an influential right-wing Christian worship leader, filmed a selfie video from his home in California, his eyes brimming with tears.

    The shooting of one of the nation’s most prominent conservative activists, Feucht declared, was no less than “a line in the sand” in a country descending into a spiritual darkness.

    “The enemy thinks that he won, that there was a battle that was won today,” he said, referencing Satan. “No, man, there’s going to be millions of bold voices raised up out of the sacrifice and the martyrdom of Charlie Kirk.”

    Soon afterward, Pastor Matt Tuggle, who leads the Salt Lake City campus of the San Diego-based Awaken megachurch, posted a video of Kirk’s killing on Instagram, adding the caption: “If your pastor isn’t telling you the left believes a evil demonic belief system you are in the wrong church!”

    People place lighted candles below a photo of Charlie Kirk at a vigil in his memory in Orem, Utah.

    (Lindsey Wasson / Associated Press)

    Kirk’s death has triggered a range of reaction, much of it mournful sympathy for the 31-year-old activist and his family. But it also has sparked conspiracy theories, hot-take presumptions the left was responsible and calls for vengeance against Kirk’s perceived enemies.

    At a vigil for Kirk in Huntington Beach this week, some attendees waved white flags depicting a red cross and the word “Jesus,” while some chanted, “White men, fight back!” Kirk spread a philosophy that liberals sought to disempower men, and some of his male supporters see his killing as an attack against them.

    Whether the calls for vengeance will ebb or intensify remains to be seen, especially with Utah Gov. Spencer Cox’s announcement Friday that a suspect in the fatal shooting, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, had been arrested after a family member turned him in.

    In life, Kirk spoke of what he called a “spiritual battle” being waged in the United States between Christians and a Democratic Party that “supports everything that God hates.”

    In death, Kirk, one of the Republican Party’s most influential power brokers, is being hailed by conservative evangelical pastors and GOP politicians as a Christian killed for his religious beliefs.

    President Trump called Kirk a “martyr for truth and freedom,” and ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in his honor. He blamed Kirk’s death on the rhetoric of the “radical left.” Vice President JD Vance, who helped carry Kirk’s casket to Air Force Two, retweeted a post Kirk wrote on X last month reading, “It’s all about Jesus.” And Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, quoting Jesus, wrote on X: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

    A woman rests her head on a church seat.

    A woman lays her head down on a seat during a vigil at CenterPoint Church for Charlie Kirk in Orem, Utah.

    (Lindsey Wasson / Associated Press)

    Experts on faith and far-right extremism say they are troubled by the religious glorification of Kirk in this era of increased political violence — and the potential vengeance that may spring from it. The activist’s death, they say, seems to have ignited various factions on the right, ranging from white supremacists to hard-core Christian nationalists.

    “The ‘spiritual warfare’ rhetoric will only increase,” and Kirk is now being lifted up as “a physical manifestation” of a religious battle, said Matthew Boedy, a professor of rhetoric and composition at the University of North Georgia who has written a forthcoming book about Christian nationalism that prominently features Kirk.

    “Spiritual warfare rhetoric was a big part of Jan. 6,” he said of the deadly 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters. “Making a martyr out of Charlie Kirk will change our nation in severe ways.”

    Samuel Perry, a sociologist at the University of Oklahoma and expert on Christian nationalism, said he is a Christian himself but that religion, cynically used, “has the potential to amplify what would otherwise be very secular political conflicts between Democrats and Republicans.”

    “What if those are amplified with a cosmic and ultimate significance?” he said. “It becomes, ‘This is God vs. Satan. This is angels vs. demons — and if we lose this next election, we plunge the nation into a thousand years of darkness.’ … It basically provokes extremism.”

    Feucht, a Christian nationalist and failed Republican congressional candidate from Northern California, said that “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church” and that, in the wake of Kirk’s death, “we have to do something.”

    Kirk — who rallied his millions of online followers to vote for Trump in the 2024 election — declared that God was on the side of American conservatives and that there was “no separation of church and state.” He was also known for his vitriol against racial and religious minorities, LGBTQ+ people, childless women, progressives and others who disagreed with him.

    Kirk called transgender people “a throbbing middle finger to God.” He said the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was “a huge mistake” and called the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. “awful.” On his podcast, he called with a smirk for “some amazing patriot out there in San Francisco or the Bay Area [who] wants to really be a midterm hero” to bail out of jail the man who attacked then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband with a hammer in their home in 2022.

    A memorial is set up for Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.

    A memorial is set up for Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.

    (Lindsey Wasson / Associated Press)

    In 2023, Kirk sat on the stage of Awaken Church in Salt Lake City and said: “I think it’s worth it to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the 2nd Amendment to protect our other God-given rights.”

    Two days before his death, Kirk retweeted a video of himself saying that a “spiritual battle is coming for the West,” with “wokeism or marxism combining with Islamism” to go after “the American way of life, which is, by the way, Christendom.”

    Perry said, “There’s no need to whitewash the legacy of Charlie Kirk.”

    “This is a tragedy, and no one deserves to die this way,” Perry said. “Yet, at the same time, Charlie Kirk is very much part of this polarization story in the U.S. who used quite divisive rhetoric, ‘us vs. them, the left is evil.’”

    Perry noted that Kirk’s Turning Point USA had placed him on its Professor Watchlist, a website that says it aims to expose professors “who discriminate against conservative students and advance leftist propaganda.” The entry on Perry flags him for “Anti-Judeo-Christian Values.”

    Some on the right say their recent fiery words are only a response to the hateful rhetoric of the left. One widely shared example: Two days before Kirk’s killing, the feminist website Jezebel published an article titled, “We Paid Some Etsy Witches to Curse Charlie Kirk.” It has since been removed and replaced by a letter from the site’s editor saying it had been “intended as satire and made it absolutely clear that we wished no physical harm.”

    Kirk was killed by a single sniper-style shot to the neck Wednesday during an outdoor speaking event at Utah Valley University.

    After announcing the suspect’s arrest Friday, Gov. Cox said he had prayed that the shooter was not from Utah, “that somebody drove from another state, somebody came from another country.” But that prayer, he said, “was not answered the way I hoped for.”

    He then said that political violence “metastasizes because we can always point the finger at the other side” and that, “at some point, we have to find an offramp, or it’s going to get much, much worse.”

    Some of Kirk’s most prominent evangelical followers have said that his death represents an attack on conservative Christian values and that he was gunned down for speaking “the truth.”

    Jon Fleischman, Orange County-based conservative blogger and former executive director of the California Republican Party, who started out as a conservative college activist, knew Kirk and said “there is one hell of a martyr situation going on.”

    “A lot of people are getting activated and are going to walk the walk, talk the talk, and give money as their way of trying to process and deal with losing someone they care about,” he told The Times.

    In recent years, Kirk had become more outspoken about his Christian faith. He founded the nonprofit Turning Point USA in 2012 as an avowedly secular youth organization and became known for his college campus tours, with videos of his debates with liberal college students racking up tens of millions of views.

    But in 2020, during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, college campuses closed. Kirk started speaking at churches that stayed open in violation of local lockdown and mask orders, including Godspeak Calvary Chapel in Ventura County, which was led by Pastor Rob McCoy, a former Thousand Oaks mayor.

    McCoy is now the co-chair of Turning Point USA Faith, which encourages pastors to become more politically outspoken. McCoy, who could not be reached for comment, wrote in a statement Friday: “For those who rejoiced over his murder, you are instruments of evil and I implore you to repent. For those of you who mock prayer, you would do well to reconsider. Prayer doesn’t change God, it changes us toward a more peaceful and civil life.”

    Professor Boedy said McCoy turned Kirk toward Christian nationalism, specifically the Seven Mountains Mandate — the idea that Christians should try to hold sway over the seven pillars of cultural influence: arts and entertainment, business, education, family, government, media and religion.

    Christian nationalism, which is rejected by mainline Christians, holds that the United States was founded as a Christian nation and that the faith should have primacy in government and law.

    Brian Levin, founder of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism and a professor emeritus at Cal State San Bernardino, said, “the more violent fringes of Christian nationalism have disturbing aspects that are eliminationist and antidemocratic.”

    He noted that some of the same Christian nationalists and white supremacists who are now calling Kirk a martyr already deified Trump, especially after he survived two assassination attempts on the campaign trail last year and said he had been “saved by God to make America great again.”

    Levin said many Christian nationalists portray Trump as “an armed Christian warrior protecting America from a disturbing assortment of immigrants, religious minorities, genders and sexual orientations.” And so, when he uses martyr language to describe Kirk, his adherents latch on.

    “Where do martyrs come from? From violent conflicts and wars,” Levin said. “The fact of the matter is that this is a moment that Trump could have more effectively seized, but he veered into divisive territory.”

    California Senate Minority Leader Brian W. Jones (R-Santee) also called Kirk “a modern day martyr.” In a statement, Jones quoted Thomas Jefferson, who said, “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.”

    Jones wrote: “Let us take care that we allow that tree to grow and blossom as it feeds on the lifeblood of Charles J. Kirk in the years to come.”

    Times staff writer Seema Mehta contributed to this report.

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  • Utah college where Charlie Kirk was killed is a lesser-known school but the state’s largest

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    THE EVENT. LISA. SO WE ARE HEARING FROM MORE PEOPLE WHO WERE AT THAT RALLY TODAY. KCRA 3’S ANAHITA JAFARY IS IN THE NEWSROOM WITH WHAT THEY SAW. YEAH. CURTIS. LISA, FEAR IS THE WORD ECHOING ACROSS UTAH VALLEY UNIVERSITY. STUDENTS TELL ME THEY NEVER THOUGHT THEY’D EXPERIENCE SOMETHING LIKE THIS AT THEIR SCHOOL. ONE STUDENT TELLS US SHE FELT THE EVENT WASN’T VERY SECURE, SAYING SHE DIDN’T NOTICE MANY SAFETY MEASURES IN PLACE. ESPECIALLY WITH HOW PACKED IT WAS NOT ONLY WITH STUDENTS, BUT FAMILIES, LARGE CROWDS, AND EVEN PROTESTERS. ONE COUPLE WE SPOKE WITH SAYS THE LOUD BANG DIDN’T SOUND LIKE A GUNSHOT AT FIRST, BUT ONCE PEOPLE STARTED SHOUTING AND RUNNING, THEY KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG. HERE’S WHAT THEY REMEMBER FROM THOSE TERRIFYING MOMENTS. WE’RE JUST TALKING FOR A LITTLE BIT, AND WE HEARD A BIG LOUD. WE HEARD A LOUD NOISE. AND AT FIRST I DIDN’T THINK IT WAS A GUNSHOT. I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE LIKE A SOMEONE. I DON’T KNOW, SETTING OFF LIKE A FIREWORK OR SOMETHING. I DON’T KNOW. BUT EVERYONE STARTED RUNNING AND WE HEARD PEOPLE SAY THAT THEY SAW BLOOD. AND SO THAT’S WHEN IT STARTED TO GET SCARY. SO WE WERE RUNNING OUT OF THERE. IT WAS KIND OF LIKE A SKETCHY ENVIRONMENT BECAUSE THERE WAS NO LIKE METAL DETECTORS OR ANYTHING. LIKE PEOPLE COULD JUST WALK IN. AND SO THERE WERE A LOT OF FAMILIES THERE TO. BUT AFTER WE HEARD IT, I WAS SO SCARED. I DIDN’T THINK, I DIDN’T WANT TO THINK IT WAS A GUN OR A SHOOTING. BUT I REALIZED, LIKE, THERE WAS NO WAY IT WASN’T GOING TO BE, THAT. STUDENTS SAY THEY’RE NOW UNEASY ABOUT RETURNING TO CAMPUS AND UNCERTAIN ABOUT WHAT THE UNIVERSITY WILL DECIDE FOR UPCOMING CLASSES. LIVE IN THE NEWSROOM. I’M ANAHITA JAFARY KCRA THREE NEWS. THANK YOU. AND HERE IS MORE ABOUT CHARLIE KIRK, THE CONSERVATIVE ACTIVIST WAS 31 YEARS OLD, A FATHER OF TWO. HE FOUNDED TURNING POINT USA IN 2012. THE NONPROFIT ADVOCATES FOR CONSERVATIVE POLITICS ON HIGH SCHOOL, COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES, AND PRESIDENT TRUMP CREDITED KIRK AND HIS GROUP FOR GALVANIZING A

    Utah college where Charlie Kirk was killed is a lesser-known school but the state’s largest

    Updated: 10:29 PM PDT Sep 10, 2025

    Editorial Standards ⓘ

    The Utah college where conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot Wednesday is the state’s largest public university after years of rapid enrollment growth, but is lesser known than other colleges in the state.Related video above: Utah Valley University students recount terror after the assassination of Charlie KirkUtah Valley University was founded under a different name in 1941 as a vocational school focused on providing war production training. It didn’t begin offering four-year degrees until the 1990s, a move that fueled a fivefold increase in enrollment over the next three decades. It now has nearly 47,000 students, according to the university website.Nearly nine out of 10 students at the school in Orem are from Utah, and 18% of students are 25 years old or older. Business and psychology are among the most popular majors.Utah Valley University’s campus is right off a major highway about 40 miles south of Salt Lake City, where the state’s flagship school, the University of Utah, is located.Utah Valley is also just a few miles away from Brigham Young University, which is owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known widely as the Mormon church.Related video below: Witness to assassination of Charlie Kirk recounts chaosUtah is one of 14 states that allow some level of concealed carry of firearms on public college and university campuses. FBI Director Kash Patel initially said on social media that a “subject” had been taken into custody, only to later say that the person had been released after being questioned.A person of interest in Wednesday’s shooting was in custody, officials said, but no information has been released about whether that person was legally carrying a weapon.The Utah Valley University Wolverines have several athletic teams, including men’s and women’s basketball teams that play in the Western Athletic Conference.Related video below: Utah officials give first news conference after Charlie Kirk shooting

    SALT LAKE CITY —

    The Utah college where conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot Wednesday is the state’s largest public university after years of rapid enrollment growth, but is lesser known than other colleges in the state.

    Related video above: Utah Valley University students recount terror after the assassination of Charlie Kirk

    Utah Valley University was founded under a different name in 1941 as a vocational school focused on providing war production training. It didn’t begin offering four-year degrees until the 1990s, a move that fueled a fivefold increase in enrollment over the next three decades. It now has nearly 47,000 students, according to the university website.

    Nearly nine out of 10 students at the school in Orem are from Utah, and 18% of students are 25 years old or older. Business and psychology are among the most popular majors.

    Utah Valley University’s campus is right off a major highway about 40 miles south of Salt Lake City, where the state’s flagship school, the University of Utah, is located.

    Utah Valley is also just a few miles away from Brigham Young University, which is owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known widely as the Mormon church.

    Related video below: Witness to assassination of Charlie Kirk recounts chaos

    Utah is one of 14 states that allow some level of concealed carry of firearms on public college and university campuses. FBI Director Kash Patel initially said on social media that a “subject” had been taken into custody, only to later say that the person had been released after being questioned.

    A person of interest in Wednesday’s shooting was in custody, officials said, but no information has been released about whether that person was legally carrying a weapon.

    The Utah Valley University Wolverines have several athletic teams, including men’s and women’s basketball teams that play in the Western Athletic Conference.

    Related video below: Utah officials give first news conference after Charlie Kirk shooting

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  • UPDATED: A Timeline of the Gateway Church Scandal, Robert Morris Court Activity

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    It’s been a year since North Texas megachurch founder and pastor Robert Morris stepped down from his position amid claims that he had sexually abused a minor, and the Southlake-based ministry is still reeling from the scandal’s aftershocks. Most recently, leaders at the Gateway Church, which is based out of Southlake but has campuses across North Texas, announced the end of Saturday services…

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    Emma Ruby

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  • Annunciation community gathers for first Mass since attack; pastor recounts horror, shares hopes for future

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    The Annunciation Catholic Church community in southwest Minneapolis gathered on Saturday evening for the first Mass since 20 people were shot on Wednesday morning. Two of the victims, 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel and 10-year-old Harper Moyski, died from their injuries.

    Support from the community has been pouring in since the deadly attack, which injured 15 other children and three parishioners in their 80s.

    This weekend’s masses are being held in the auditorium of Annunciation Catholic School next door. Mass will also be livestreamed on the Archdiocese of Minneapolis and St. Paul’s Facebook page.

    Father Dennis Zehren and Archbishop Bernard Hebda.

    WCCO


    Before Saturday’s service, Father Dennis Zehren spoke about the attack, with Archbishop Bernard Hebda at his side.

    “It’s a difficult memory and it just, it was loud, it just kept coming and my first instinct was to rush toward where the bullets were coming from,” Zehren said.

    The pastor recounted his effort to protect students in the sanctuary. 

    “I mean, if I could have got between those bullets, and those kids, that’s what I was hoping to do,” he said.

    On Saturday night, Zehren gathered his parish to share a message of hope. 

    “We watch for that light that will scatter every darkness, we watch for that light that will never fade, that will only grow stronger,” he said. “We watch for that light of the world. That light of the world is Jesus Christ.”

    Bonnie and Joe Munn stepped out after mass and told WCCO they were touched by his message.  

    “He doesn’t read from the literature, he reads from his heart,” said Joe Munn.

    The two are glad to know this community can look to him as many seek comfort. 

    “They’re going to heal well with him being the pastor here,” said Bonnie Munn.

    The church remains closed as it’s still considered a crime scene. It’s unclear when it will reopen, as Annunciation is working to make sure the needs of the affected families are being met.

    To help those affected by the shooting, click here.

    memorial-outside-annunciation-catholic-church-in-minneapolis.jpg

    WCCO


    Memorial continues to grow outside Annunciation

    For days, mourners have gathered in grief, bringing flowers and candles to the growing tribute outside the church and school.

    “We are here as believers, Catholics, to support this Christian community,” said Helen Morrell.

    “You can’t describe it,” said Ryan Dolan. “It’s our community, it’s our friends, it’s our family. When you see the windows gone and the memorials for little kids, you just don’t have words to describe it.”

    The pain is personal for so many, including Ava Frank, who used to babysit Moyski. 

    “We’ve known them since they moved in. It kind of doesn’t feel like plausible. She’s like the most outgoing kid you’ll ever meet. Full of color. She’s great,” Frank said. “She’s been to our cabin. They’re not neighbors, they’re like family friends. I go to school in Tennessee and no one knows about it. I flew back this morning so I can be here.”

    Being with the community is what many say they have to do, whether they know these families or not.

    “When my mom’s dad died in 2020, Harper and her mom painted a bunch of rocks with his initials on it for us to scatter around,” Frank said. “So we have those, too. They’re the most outgoing people, so I’m happy to be back for her.”

    Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese also announced Saturday that a rosary for Annunciation will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 5. 

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    Ashley Grams

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  • Hundreds visits Annunciation Church to pay tribute to victims of shooting

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    What started with a few flowers has blossomed into dozens of bouquets, notes, books, candles and more outside Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, two days after a mass shooting changed the community forever. 

    Hundreds came to pay their respects on Friday for the victims, including two children who were killed and 18 others — students and three adult parishioners — who were wounded when a shooter opened fire during school Mass Wednesday morning. 

    Among the visitors to the church was Beth Zenisek, who said she can’t get these words out of her head: “When you pray, move your feet.” It’s an African proverb that the Annunciation principal quoted in a statement in the immediate hours after the tragedy. 

    Dozens of people visit Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Aug. 29, 2025, two days after a mass shooting at the place of worship that killed two children and injured 18 other people.

    WCCO


    “That saying rings in my head, like these church bells, and that’s kind of the mantra I’m going to move forward with,” Zenisek said. “I can pray, but when you’re praying about something, take action on it as well.”

    She has deep familial ties to the church. It’s where her parents met in the choir, where she attended as a child and where her children went to school. 

    “It’s everything. It’s raised my mom. It raised my siblings and I. They helped raise my children. And you just can’t find anything more meaningful in life than a supportive, spiritual family to support you through the good and the bad,” Zenisek said.

    She made a fast friend visiting the church on Friday in Marianne Rother, who was married there and just recently celebrated her 50th class reunion with her former eighth-grade classmates. 

    “When I thought about it, what hit me is somebody had invaded my home,” Rother described learning of the shooting. “It’s just a form of a memory home, that somebody had come in and tragically destroyed part of that memory.”

    Both women said that only on Friday did they feel the strength to come visit the church and pay their respects. They’re both thinking about how to move forward amid insurmountable grief. 

    “I’m kind of at the ‘what can I do?’ point. And I just thought coming up and just paying my respects and saying some prayers is the right thing to do,”  Zenisek said.

    Caroline Cummings

    Caroline Cummings is an Emmy-winning reporter with a passion for covering politics, public policy and government. She is thrilled to join the WCCO team.

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    Caroline Cummings

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  • Hundreds visit Annunciation Church to pay tribute to victims of shooting

    [ad_1]

    What started with a few flowers has blossomed into dozens of bouquets, notes, books, candles and more outside Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, two days after a mass shooting changed the community forever. 

    Hundreds came to pay their respects on Friday for the victims, including two children who were killed and 18 others — students and three adult parishioners — who were wounded when a shooter opened fire during school Mass Wednesday morning. 

    Among the visitors to the church was Beth Zenisek, who said she can’t get these words out of her head: “When you pray, move your feet.” It’s an African proverb that the Annunciation principal quoted in a statement in the immediate hours after the tragedy. 

    Dozens of people visit Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Aug. 29, 2025, two days after a mass shooting at the place of worship that killed two children and injured 18 other people.

    WCCO


    “That saying rings in my head, like these church bells, and that’s kind of the mantra I’m going to move forward with,” Zenisek said. “I can pray, but when you’re praying about something, take action on it as well.”

    She has deep familial ties to the church. It’s where her parents met in the choir, where she attended as a child and where her children went to school. 

    “It’s everything. It’s raised my mom. It raised my siblings and I. They helped raise my children. And you just can’t find anything more meaningful in life than a supportive, spiritual family to support you through the good and the bad,” Zenisek said.

    She made a fast friend visiting the church on Friday in Marianne Rother, who was married there and just recently celebrated her 50th class reunion with her former eighth-grade classmates. 

    “When I thought about it, what hit me is somebody had invaded my home,” Rother described learning of the shooting. “It’s just a form of a memory home, that somebody had come in and tragically destroyed part of that memory.”

    Both women said that only on Friday did they feel the strength to come visit the church and pay their respects. They’re both thinking about how to move forward amid insurmountable grief. 

    “I’m kind of at the ‘what can I do?’ point. And I just thought coming up and just paying my respects and saying some prayers is the right thing to do,”  Zenisek said.

    Caroline Cummings

    Caroline Cummings is an Emmy-winning reporter with a passion for covering politics, public policy and government. She is thrilled to join the WCCO team.

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    Caroline Cummings

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