The mass shooting comes amid a rash of violence against churches and other religious institutions and amid a series of politically motivated shootings. It also comes after a mass shooting at a waterfront bar in North Carolina left three people killed late Saturday night.
The shooting on Sunday morning was at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Michigan.
The fire set in the aftermath of the shooting grew to a five-alarm blaze that caused a partial collapse of the structure, according to law enforcement officials. James Deir, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Detroit Field Division, said during a press conference Sunday night that the gunman used gasoline as an accelerant to burn the building.
Officials said that the chapel is a “total loss” as investigators work to comb through