Church tragedy 'does not define Grand Blanc and who we are': Community reels from shooting, fire

Max Bryan, The Detroit News on Sep 29, 2025

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GRAND BLANC TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Flags waved at half staff in Grand Blanc Township on Monday as the small Genesee County community reeled from a mass shooting and fire that left five people dead on Sunday, including the suspect, and thousands searching for answers.

As investigators try to determine what led a 40-year-old Burton man to open fire at the Church of the Latter-day Saints on McCandlish Road and set it on fire, many were clear about one thing: The violence that marred their small community on Sunday doesn't define them.

"This is not Grand Blanc. This does not define Grand Blanc and who we are," said Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye.

Speaking to reporters at a press conference on Monday, Renye said his agency is hurting in the aftermath of the Sunday tragedy.

"And we know you are hurting as well with us," Renye said.

Some laid flowers outside the church on Monday. Schools in Grand Blanc were closed on Monday.

At least one person injured in the shooting and fire remained in critical condition on Monday at Henry Ford Genesys Hospital while another was listed in critical but stable condition.

Renye said two family assistance centers had been set up to help those impacted by the tragedy, including one at the local senior center and another at Henry Ford Genesys Health Club, 801 Health Park Boulevard.

Flags, meanwhile, would be lowered through Friday and returned to full staff on Saturday."Our Grand Blanc community is hurting tonight," Grand Blanc resident Amanda Oakman posted on Facebook Sunday night. The "tragedy at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has touched so many lives ... including mine and some of my family and friends.

"A million people have reached out to me today, and I appreciate that. This church is only a few houses down from my home. I witnessed some of this tragedy (Sunday), and it was horrifying. Please keep this church and the members of this community in your thoughts and prayers."

Grand Blanc Township is located about seven miles south of Flint. Tommy Jordan, who lived in Grand Blanc for 19 years before moving to Burton five years ago, said it wasn't without some issues, but described the community as "mild-mannered."

"People stealing stuff from stores, that happened all the time. But something like this? You'd never heard of something like this. This has shocked everybody."

'Us vs. them'

Natalie Kasperzyk-Pilutti, who lives in a subdivision only about a mile from Latter-day Saints Church on McCandlish said the battles are no “longer left versus right."

"It’s much more than that. And I think we all need to stop pitting each other against each other," she said.

“I think we need to all get off social media, we all need to get to know our neighbors and we all need to love our neighbors.”

At a candlelight prayer vigil late Sunday evening at Holy Redeemer Church in Burton, hosted by the Genesee County Republican Party, participants opened the event to include prayers for the victims of the church shooting.

“We did this for everyone,” said party Secretary April Snyder about the vigil, which was originally billed as a memorial to Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist killed on stage in Utah, and other recent tragedies.

“With the events that happened this morning, it’s taken on a different meaning for us," Snyder said.

'Back to normal'

Renye, the police chief, tried to strike a hopeful note about the road ahead. But he asked people to stay away from the church as investigators continue to clear it out.

"I am confident that together we're going to build a stronger community due to this incident," he said. "... Let us work so we can get back to normal. That's what we all want."

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(Staff Writers Beth LeBlanc and Carol Thompson contributed.)