(GRAND BLANC, Mich.) — The man suspected of opening fire on a Michigan LDS church on Sunday was a 40-year-old veteran of the Iraq War, according to officials.
Police said the suspect, Thomas Jacob Sanford, drove his truck into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Michigan, before firing shots and setting the building on fire.
Sanford was killed in a shootout with police, officials said. At least four churchgoers were killed, and eight others were injured in the attack.
In the wake of the deadly rampage, Sanford’s military record has come into focus. The truck that he drove into the church bears an Iraq War veteran license plate, according to officials.
A photo posted to Sanford’s mother’s Facebook account appears to show him standing in front of the truck allegedly used in Sunday’s attack
ABC News has confirmed with the United States Marine Corps that Sanford served four years in the Marines from June 2004 to June 2008. He ultimately rose to the rank of sergeant, officials said.
He had one combat tour to Iraq that ended three months before he left the Marines, being deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom in August 2007.
While serving, Sanford specialized in handling military vehicle equipment. Both as a technician responsible for inspecting, servicing and repairing motor transport equipment like tactical vehicles and as a vehicle recovery operator, responsible for bringing back armored vehicles in support of troop missions.
He left the military in March of 2008, after working in combat logistics at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.
Sanford’s record provided by the Marine Corps indicates that he was given typical recognition at the time of his service for those of his rank.
Sanford was also a father of a son who grappled with serious health obstacles after he was born, according to posts online from the family and the hospital.
No motive has yet been identified in the deadly shooting and fire on Sunday.
(GRAND BLANC, Mich.) — The search for more potential victims of a mass shooting at a Michigan church continued into Monday, after a gunman killed at least four people while hundreds were worshiping on Sunday morning.
Gunman Thomas Jacob Sanford, 40, drove his truck into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Michigan, on Sunday morning, before shooting congregants and setting the building on fire, according to officials.
At least four people were killed and eight others were injured in the shooting and fire, according to police. The gunman was then killed in a shootout with responding police, law enforcement said.
The FBI is leading the investigation, calling the attack an “act of targeted violence.”
Officials confirmed that of those shot, one victim died at the scene, another later died at the hospital and two more individuals were found dead at the scene due to the fire. Eight others remain hospitalized, seven are in stable condition and one is in critical condition.
Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye told reporters Sunday, “We do believe we will find additional victims once we have that scene secured.”
Officials said that the chapel is a “total loss” as investigators work to comb through the rubble.
A source briefed on the investigation told ABC News that detectives are urgently working to determine the motive behind the shooting.
Investigators are working to learn whether the church had been the target of threats in recent months and looking to see whether the timing could be connected to the death on Saturday of Russell M. Nelson, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was 101 years old.
Renye said during Sunday’s news conference that the FBI had assigned more than 100 agents to help in the investigation.
Renye said the gunman “ran the vehicle through the front door, exited and started firing shots,” adding that it remains unclear what connection, if any, the suspect had to the church.
Sanford was a veteran of the Iraq War, according to officials. ABC News confirmed with the United States Marine Corps that Sanford served four years in the Marines from June 2004 to June 2008. He ultimately rose to the rank of sergeant, officials said, serving one combat tour to Iraq.
President Donald Trump said had been briefed on the shooting and fire, writing Sunday on social media, “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!” Trump said.
Trump also wrote that the FBI is leading the investigation efforts. Trump said that while the suspect is dead, there is “still a lot to learn.”
Vice President JD Vance posted his own statement on social media, calling the shooting and fire at an LDS church “awful.” He said the “entire” Trump administration is monitoring the incident.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said her “heart is breaking for the Grand Blanc community” in a statement on X.
“Violence anywhere, especially in a place of worship, is unacceptable,” she said. “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 the Grand Blanc close.”
(NEW YORK) — New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced Sunday he is suspending his campaign for mayor, just weeks away from the closely watched election.
Adams announced his decision in a video on X.
The mayor, running as an independent, resisted calls to drop out previously from opponents of Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, who were concerned he and independent candidate former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who lost the Democratic primary and is running as an independent, would split the vote.
Adams has been polling behind Mamdani, Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa.
ABC News previously reported that it is too late for Adams’s name to be removed from the ballot. His name will remain, as will fellow long shot candidate Jim Walden, who also suspended his campaign and last week endorsed Cuomo.
Adams’ decision follows an order Friday from the Manhattan federal judge who oversaw Adams’ criminal case.
Judge Dale Ho agreed to add the city’s Campaign Finance Board as an interested party in the now-dismissed corruption matter. The CFB asked to be added so it could review the case before deciding whether to award matching funds to the Adams campaign.
The judge’s order granting the request made clear to the mayor and his campaign advisers that it would be unlikely they would receive public money to match the nearly $4 million Adams has raised.
Adams was indicted in September 2024 on five counts in an alleged long-standing conspiracy connected to what prosecutors said were improper benefits, illegal campaign contributions and an attempted coverup.
The charges against the mayor — including counts of wire fraud, conspiracy, bribery and solicitation of a contribution from a foreign entity — were dropped against him in April by the U.S. Justice Department in what his critics claimed was a quid pro quo with the Trump administration.
Adams and the Justice Department denied there was a quid pro quo involved in the dropping of the charges.
Advisers for President Donald Trump had been in contact with Adams to persuade him to drop out of the race and offered him positions in the administration, including an ambassador post in Saudi Arabia, sources told ABC News.
Trump and Adams both denied reports of those meetings. However, Trump has been vocal that candidates should drop out to limit the number of challengers against Mamdani.
Adams said in his announcement he could not continue his bid because of what he said was media speculation and funds withheld by the CFB “have undermined my ability to raise the funds needed for a serious campaign.”
“When I was elected to serve as your mayor, I said these words: This campaign was never about me. It was about the people of this city — from every neighborhood and background — who had been left behind and believed they would never catch up. This campaign was for the underserved, the marginalized, the abandoned and betrayed by government,” Adams said in the video.
“Since then, it has been my honor to be your mayor. And I am proud to say that we took that victory four years ago and turned it into action — making this city better for those who had been failed by government.”
Adams also indicated he will serve out the rest of his term in office.
“Although this is the end of my reelection campaign, it is not the end of my public service. I will continue to fight for this city — as I have for 40 years, since the day I joined the NYPD to make our streets safer and our systems fairer,” he said.
Adams did not endorse any candidate for mayor in his announcement.
Mamdani wrote in a statement reacting to Adams’ withdrawal, “Donald Trump and his billionaire donors might be able to determine Eric Adams and Andrew Cuomo’s actions but they will not dictate the results of this election. New York deserves better than trading in one disgraced, corrupt politician for another. On November 4th, we are going to turn the page on the politics of big money and small ideas and deliver a government every New Yorker can be proud of.”
Cuomo said in a statement Sunday that Adams’s choice to drop out “was not an easy one, but I believe he is sincere in putting the well-being of New York City ahead of personal ambition.”
“We face destructive extremist forces that would devastate our city through incompetence or ignorance, but it is not too late to stop them,” Cuomo wrote.
The former governor added, “Mayor Adams has much to be proud of in his accomplishments. Only in New York can a child raised in a tenement in Bushwick, who once worked as a squeegee boy and a mailroom clerk, rise to become mayor. Whatever differences we may have, Eric Adams’ story is undeniably one of resilience — a testament to the spirit of this city.”
A spokesperson for Sliwa wrote, “Curtis Sliwa is the only candidate who can defeat Mamdani. Our team, our resources, and our funding are unmatched. Most importantly, we have the best solutions to help working people afford to stay in New York City and feel safe.”
City Hall staff members were informed of the mayor’s decision just a few moments before the campaign released Adams’ statement. Adams gave no indication that he has a job lined up after he leaves office. A source close to the mayor was unaware of a job being offered.
(NEW YORK) — Multiple people were shot Sunday during a packed service at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Michigan, police said.
At least 10 parishioners were shot, including one who was killed, Grand Blanc Police Chief William Renye said at a news conference. Renye said two other victims were in critical condition and that the gunman, a 40-year-old man, was killed in a gunfight with police.
The church was deliberately set on fire by the suspect, whose name was not immediately released, Renye said.
“We do believe we will find additional victims once we have that scene secured,” Renye said.
The attack unfolded at 10:25 a.m. and more than 100 people were attending the service, according to Renye.
“He ran the vehicle through the front door, exited and started firing shots,” Renye said of the suspect.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and FBI responded to the incident.
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. Just before 1 p.m., authorities said the fire had been extinguished.
An ABC News source briefed on the investigation said detectives are urgently working to determine the motive behind the shooting. Investigators are working to learn whether the church had been the target of threats in recent months and looking to see whether the timing could be connected to the death on Saturday of Russell M. Nelson, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was 101 years old.
Nelson died at his home in Salt Lake City, church spokesperson Candice Madsen said in a statement.
President Donald Trump said he’s been briefed on the shooting and fire, writing Sunday on social media, “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!” Trump said.
Trump also wrote that the FBI is leading the investigation efforts. Trump said that while the suspect is dead, there is “still a lot to learn.”
Vice President JD Vance posted his own statement on social media, calling the shooting and fire at an LDS church “awful.” He said the “entire” Trump administration is monitoring the incident.
“Just an awful situation in Michigan. FBI is on the scene and the entire administration is monitoring things. Say a prayer for the victims and first responders,” Vance wrote.
Shortly after the shooting, Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a post on X, “I am receiving briefings about what appears to be a horrific shooting and fire at an LDS church in Grand Blanc, Michigan. @FBI and @ATFHQ agents are en route to the scene now. Such violence at a place of worship is heartbreaking and chilling. Please join me in praying for the victims of this terrible tragedy.”
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said her “heart is breaking for the Grand Blanc community” in a statement on X.
“Violence anywhere, especially in a place of worship, is unacceptable,” she said. “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 the Grand Blanc close.”
Renye said during Sunday’s news conference that the FBI has assigned more than 100 agents to help in the investigation.
“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,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a social media post.
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spokesperson Doug Anderson issued a statement confirming that the gunman opened fire on the congregation during Sunday worship services.
“The Church is in communication with local law enforcement as the investigation continues and as we receive updates on the condition of those affected,” Anderson said. “We offer thanks to the emergency responders who are assisting victims and families. We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of prayers and concern from so many people around the world. 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.”
For years, law enforcement and homeland security experts have been warning that religious institutions across the board are being targeted for acts of violence.
“We can all agree that our houses of worship should be safe places for people to exercise their freedom of religion but right now we are increasingly seeing them being targets for violence — and not just attacks any one faith,” Michael Masters, who oversees security operations for the main U.S. network of Jewish schools and synagogues, told ABC News. “Attacks against religious institutions are attacks against our democracy as a whole.”
Masters said there has been an increase in targeted attacks across the faith-based community over the past several years.
“This is something we’ve been working to prepare for in the Jewish community for many years. In the current threat environment, the offenders are often not distinguishing. There’s the Jewish community, the Sikh community, the Annunciation church and now the LDS church in Michigan,” he said.
(GLOBE, Ariz.) — At least four people have been confirmed dead and two remain unaccounted for amid intense flooding in parts of Arizona, local officials said Saturday.
The flooding caused about 1,000 propane tanks to wash away from a distribution facility, creating a serious hazmat concern in the area of downtown Globe, Arizona, according to Gila County Emergency Management.
On Saturday, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs declared a state of emergency to speed resources to the area.
“The flooding in Gila County has caused heartbreaking loss and serious damage,” she said in a statement.
A search and rescue effort was underway for more potential victims, officials said.
Two of the victims confirmed dead were found in a vehicle having drowned, officials said, and a third victim was found outside a vehicle in downtown Globe. An official could not confirm to ABC News if the victims were adults or any relation between them.
A fourth man who went missing during the storm overnight was found dead Saturday morning outside his vehicle, according to the Scottsdale Police Department.
Police said they discovered Ander Polanco’s body outside his car as floodwaters receded. A death investigation is underway and the cause of death hasn’t been released.
The propane tanks that washed away have created a serious concern due to their ability to explode, officials warned.
“Historic Downtown Globe is currently unsafe, with compromised buildings as well as hazardous chemicals and debris, including propane tanks,” the city of Globe said in a post on Facebook.
“For your safety, please stay out of the area until further notice. We also ask everyone to stay out of the creek. Search and rescue operations are underway, and any traffic in the area can interfere with rescue teams and throw off the scent work of trained dogs,” the city said.
Gila County Emergency Management is advising residents to shelter in place due to possible hazardous materials in the floodwaters.
All available agencies in the region are responding to assist with SAR and hazmat assessment and clean up, a county emergency management official told ABC News.
“Crews continued work throughout the night. We want to thank them for their diligent work. This includes Globe FD, Globe PD, Globe Public Works, Gila County, Gila County Emergency Services and DPS,” the city of Globe said.
The city has added over 100 additional resources that include Maricopa Search and Rescue, Tonto Rim Search and Rescue, Pima County Search and Rescue, and 2-20 person work crews from the State Land Department. “We are waiting on many other crews from throughout the state,” the city said.
(SOUTH PORT, N.C.) — Three people were killed and eight others injured after a person on a boat fired shots at a waterfront bar in the coastal North Carolina city of Southport, a city spokeswoman told ABC News.
The shooting began at the Southport Yacht Basin at about 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, when someone on a boat coming up Cape Fear opened fire on the American Fish Company, an outdoor bar venue, said ChyAnn Ketchum, the city’s public information officer. The boat then proceeded up the Intracoastal Waterway, she said.
The city posted a notice on its Facebook page warning of “reports of an active shooter” just before 10 p.m. along the waterfront, advising residents to avoid the area and stay in their homes.
“Shortly after 10:00 p.m., the U.S. Coast Guard observed a single individual matching the description of the shooter, loading their boat at the public boat ramp at NE 55th Street in Oak Island,” Ketchum said in a statement.
She added,” The Coast Guard crew detained this suspect, who is now being held by the Oak Island Police Department, and will be turned over to the Southport Police Department for questioning, with assistance from the State Bureau of Investigation.”
Southport is a city of about 4,300 people near the mouth of the Cape Fear River.
(NEW YORK) — Voting machine company Dominion has settled its $1.3 billion defamation lawsuit against former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani over false allegations surrounding the 2020 presidential election, according to the company.
The settlement came just days after the company said they reached another settlement with another one-time Trump attorney, Sidney Powell.
“The Parties have agreed to a confidential settlement to this matter,” a Dominion spokesperson said in a statement to ABC News about the Giuliani case.
A court filing in the ongoing civil case against Giuliani on Friday showed the parties seeking a voluntary dismissal of the matter. No details about the settlement were made available.
“Each party shall bear its own attorneys’ fees, expenses, and costs,” the filing stated.
The “confidential settlement” would bring an end to the case that spanned over four years, since Dominion first filed is $1.3 billion dollar lawsuit against Giuliani in January 2021.
The suit accused Giuliani of carrying out “defamatory falsehoods” about Dominion in the wake of the 2020 election in part to enrich himself through legal fees and his podcast.
An attorney for Giuliani listed in the case did not immediately respond to ABC’s request for comment.
Dominion also sued Powell in January of 2021 for $1.3 billion, accusing her of leading a pervasive campaign to spread false election theories that gained currency with President Donald Trump.
Last week, a filing in the defamation case against Powell also showed the parties seeking voluntary dismissal.
“The Parties have agreed to a confidential settlement to this matter,” a Dominion spokesperson said.
A former federal prosecutor, Powell rose to become a close adviser to Trump in the closing days of his first term, meeting with Trump repeatedly as he mounted increasing attempts to overturn the outcome of an election he lost by more than 7 million votes.
Attorneys for Powell did not respond to ABC’s request for comment.
(NEW YORK) — A storm system closing in from the Atlantic Ocean is expected to become Tropical Storm Imelda by the end of this weekend, and could bring storm surges and high winds to the Southeast U.S. coastline early next week.
The National Hurricane Center said Saturday that the storm — currently officially known as Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine, or PTC Nine — was northwest of the eastern tip of Cuba as of 5 a.m. ET, moving northwest at around 7 mph and forecast to cross the central and northwestern Bahamas this weekend.
The storm is expected to approach the southeastern U.S. coast early next week. A tropical storm warning is in effect for the central and northwestern Bahamas.
PTC Nine is expected to develop into a tropical depression on Saturday and a tropical storm around Saturday night or early Sunday. When it becomes a tropical storm, it will take the name Imelda.
Rain associated with the storm is expected to impact eastern Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica and the Bahamas, with flash and urban flooding forecast through the weekend, the NHC said. Mudslides are possible in higher terrain, it added.
Expected rainfall is around 4 to 8 inches for the Bahamas, 8 to 12 inches and localized totals up to 16 inches for eastern Cuba, and 2 to 4 inches of additional rain for other parts of Cuba, as well as Jamaica and Hispaniola.
Up to 3 feet of storm surge is also expected for the coastlines in the northwestern Bahamas.
As the system approaches the U.S., coastal Georgia, the Carolinas and mid-Atlantic states may all see flash, urban and river flooding, the NHC said.
The storm is expected to be at or near Category 1 hurricane intensity when it approaches the U.S. coast early next week, the NHC said, bringing storm surge and wind.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Humberto has rapidly intensified to become the third major hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season. The NHC said Saturday that Humberto is expected to “remain a powerful major hurricane through early next week.”
Humberto is still expected to track west of Bermuda on Tuesday through Wednesday and stay hundreds of miles west of the U.S., eventually turning northeast and back out to sea without a landfall.
Swells generated by the hurricane will begin affecting portions of the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Bermuda this weekend, the NHC said in its latest update.
ICE officers clash with demonstrators outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility using smoke gas and plastic bullets to disperse crowds protesting against deportations in Broadview, Illinois, United States on September 19, 2025. Several hundred protesters had gathered near the Broadview ICE center, chanting against immigration enforcement policies. (Photo by Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on Friday, according to the school district.
ICE said Ian Roberts was in the country illegally from Guyana and was working as a superintendent despite having “a final order of removal and no work authorization.”
When officers conducting a “targeted enforcement operation” tried to approach Roberts in his car on Friday, the superintendent sped away, and the officers later found his car abandoned, ICE said.
Police helped find Roberts, and when he was taken into custody, the superintendent was in possession of a loaded handgun, a fixed-blade hunting knife and $3,000 in cash, ICE said.
Roberts came to the U.S. on a student visa in 1999 and a judge gave him a “final order of removal” in May 2024, ICE said in a statement. Roberts has weapon possession charges from February 2020, the agency said.
School district officials said in a statement they didn’t have information on “next potential steps” for Roberts.
Roberts joined the Des Moines district in July 2023 and “held educational leadership positions in districts across the U.S. for 20 years,” school board chair Jackie Norris said at a news conference Friday.
“There is new information that has been made public that we did not know, and have not been able to verify as to whether that information is accurate,” she said.
“There is much we do not know,” she said. “However, what we do know is that Dr. Roberts has been an integral part of our school community since he joined over two years ago. During his time with our district, he has shown up in ways big and small, and has advocated for students and staff and begun introducing concepts that will help us reimagine education for future generations of Des Moines students.”
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is rushed offstage during a rally on July 13, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania. Butler County district attorney Richard Goldinger said the shooter is dead after injuring former U.S. President Donald Trump, killing one audience member and injuring another in…Show more Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
(DALLAS, Texas) — As the motive in the fatal sniper-type shooting at a Dallas Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office this week becomes clear, law enforcement experts said the incident is part of a frightening trend of rifle-wielding shooters targeting politicians, police and others from long distances.
The Dallas shooter, according to authorities wanted to “terrorize” ICE officers not just in Dallas, but around the country. The U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas made clear on Thursday that the shooter “hoped to minimize any collateral damage or injury to the detainees and any other innocent people. It seems that he did not intend to kill the detainees or harm them. It’s clear from these notes that he was targeting ICE agents and ice personnel.” Authorities say the suspect’s writings showed he had an anti-ICE bias.
Since an alleged would-be assassin attempted to kill President Donald Trump during a July 2024 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, at least seven sniper-type incidents have unfolded across the country, including the Sept. 10 shooting that claimed the life of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk, according to reporting by ABC News.
While such shootings have been part of America’s history, including the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1960s, law enforcement experts told ABC News that they have never seen so many sniper-type incidents occurring in such a short amount of time.
“I believe this is the next chapter, if you will, in our history of violence, specifically active-shooter-type situations,” Jesse Hambrick, a retired Georgia deputy sheriff and counter-sniper expert, told ABC News.
The latest incident occurred on Wednesday morning when the 29-year-old suspect, identified by federal authorities as Joshua Jahn of Fairview, Texas, opened fire on a Dallas ICE facility, killing a detainee and leaving two others critically wounded, officials said. The victims were shot in an uncovered sallyport at the facility, officials said.
Jahn allegedly planned the attack for months and opened fire from the rooftop of a private office building overlooking the ICE facility, using an 8mm bolt-action rifle he legally purchased in August, Joe Rothrock, the FBI special agent in charge of the bureau’s Dallas office, said at Thursday afternoon’s news conference.
Rothrock described the shooting as a “targeted, ambush-style attack” and that the suspect engaged in a significant, high-degree of pre-attack planning, including researching the targeted building and using apps to track the location of ICE agents.
Federal officials said the suspect, a U.S. citizen who died by suicide, sprayed the length of the building with gunfire and left behind writings leading investigators to believe he wanted to shoot ICE agents, not detainees, and cause terror, federal officials said.
“Hopefully this will give ICE agents a real terror, to think, ‘is there a sniper with AP [armor-piercing] rounds on the roof?” the suspect allegedly wrote in one handwritten note, according to FBI Director Kash Patel.
Patel disclosed in a social media post on Thursday that the suspect also conducted multiple searches on ballistics and the ‘Charlie Kirk Shot Video’ before carrying out the attack.
Like the suspect in the Kirk shooting who engraved shell casings found at the scene with messages — including “Hey fascist! CATCH! — authorities said the suspect in the shooting at the Dallas ICE facility also wrote a message on at least one bullet casing found at the crime scene that read, “ANTI-ICE.”
Like some of the other sniper shooters who have carried out recent attacks, the suspect seemed prepared to die, Hambrick told ABC News.
“Here’s the reality, very honestly, if someone has no fear of losing their own life, it makes them dang near impossible to prevent from taking somebody else’s life,” Hambrick said.
The shooting at the ICE facility came just two weeks after a gunman perched atop a building at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, shot and killed Kirk as the 31-year-old co-founder of the conservative grass roots organization Turning Point USA was speaking to a large crowd at an outdoor event. The suspect, identified as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, was arrested and charged with capital murder.
“The long-range threat is new, and I think that’s all stemming from Butler,” said Don Mihalek, a former senior U.S. Secret Service Agent, referring to the July 2024 attack on Trump, which killed one rallygoer and injured two others before the shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crook, was fatally shot by a Secret Service counter sniper. “I think the Butler incident is being copycatted in many ways by other people.”
Less than a month after the assassination attempt on Trump, a sniper armed with an AR-15 rifle opened fire from an overpass along Kentucky’s Interstate 75 near London, hitting a dozen vehicles and injuring eight people, authorities said. The suspect, 32-year-old Joseph Couch, a former member of the Army Reserve, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound following an 11-day manhunt, officials said.
On Sept. 15, 2024, just two months after the first attempt on Trump’s life, a Secret Service agent foiled another assassination attempt on the president at Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida. The agent spotted the barrel of a rifle sticking out of the fence line and opened fire on the shooter, identified as 59-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, causing him to flee the area. Roth was convicted by a jury on Tuesday and faces a sentence of life in prison.
Several of the recent sniper attacks have targeted firefighters and law enforcement officers. On June 29, 2025, a 20-year-old suspect, identified as Wess Roley, allegedly ambushed and killed two firefighters in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, after he set a fire they responded to, officials said. Roley was later found dead from suicide, authorities said.
On Aug. 7, a gunman identified by authorities as 61-year-old Carmine Faino shot and wounded two Pennsylvania state troopers in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, with a rifle he allegedly fired “from a position of tactical superiority” after calling 911 to report shots fired near a home he shared with a girlfriend he allegedly killed, officials said. Faino was fatally shot by a special emergency response team, officials said.
Three days after the Pennsylvania attack, a sniper opened fire on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention campus in Atlanta, authorities said. The suspect, 30-year-old Patrick White, who officials said blamed the COVID-19 vaccine for making him sick and depressed, died by suicide.
Mihalek said such sniper shootings present a “tremendous challenge” for law enforcement to prevent, particularly at a time when ambush attacks on law enforcement are dramatically increasing.
In a report released on Sept. 2, the National Fraternal Order of Police stated that 229 officers have been shot in the line of duty thus far in 2025, 31 fatally. In 2024, 342 officers were shot in the line of duty, including 50 who were killed, up from 46 in 2023, according to the report.
There have been at least 50 ambush-style attacks on law enforcement this year, resulting in 66 officers being shot, 15 of them fatally, according to the report. In all of 2024, there were 61 ambush-style attacks on law enforcement officers nationwide, resulting in 79 officers shot, 18 fatally, according to the National Fraternal Order of Police.
Amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants in the country, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement this week that ICE officers are facing a 1,000% increase in assaults against them since January.
In an interview with ABC News on Wednesday, Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said security protocols are being ramped up at ICE facilities across the country.
“Obviously, the next step for us is making sure our officers are safe. That’s my biggest fear every night, especially with these increases [in assaults], that everyone gets home safe every night. We’ve got to make sure our buildings and facilities are protected,” said Lyons.
Hambrick told ABC News that in the current threat environment, law enforcement agencies nationwide should be reevaluating their security tactics, including working with property owners in their communities to prevent easy access to rooftops.
“Law enforcement has to think now, ‘When I walk into a setting where I’m going to be, I’ve got to look up, and that’s not natural,” Hambrick said. “I’ve got to look around 360 degrees, and I need to secure those roofs.”
Mihalek said he believes the use of drones to scan the tops of buildings could become routine and help law enforcement agencies protect officers.
“Drones may become standard procedure in a lot of these law enforcement operations, especially for ICE,” Mihalek said.
