On September 28, an ex-Marine drove a pickup into a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Michigan, and opened fire during Sunday service. The suspect, identified as Thomas Jacob Sanford, killed four and injured eight others before dousing the church with gasoline and setting it ablaze. Authorities confirmed police fatally shot Sanford within minutes.
The incident has shaken the local community and raised urgent questions about safety in places of worship. It is the latest in a string of shooting attacks on US churches over the past 20 years, including one in August that killed two children at the Church of the Annunciation in Minneapolis.
Mass shootings remain a painful and recurring part of American history. Despite decades of debate, lack of comprehensive gun control legislation means such tragedies continue to occur. Carried out increasingly by young men who also often suffer from serious mental health or substance abuse problems, these attacks continue to plague the country.
Click through the following gallery to learn more about these tragedies.