A woman who survived the tragic church shooting in Grand Blanc, Michigan, on Sunday has taken to social media to share her profound experience during the harrowing event. In a deeply moving letter posted online, she recounts the moment she looked the gunman in the eyes after he fatally shot her father, declaring that she forgave him right then and there.
The devastating incident occurred at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where four individuals lost their lives and eight others sustained injuries. The woman expressed her desire to share her story not only for her father's memory but also for anyone struggling to move beyond hate. She vividly described her encounter with the gunman, stating, "When he came over to me, I felt very calm, peaceful even as I kneeled next to my dad, my hands still on him."
In her letter, the survivor detailed the eerie calm that enveloped her as she locked eyes with the gunman. "It felt like a long time I stared into his eyes while answering his question," she wrote. "The only way I can describe it is I saw into his soul." She expressed a deep emotional connection, noting that she could sense his pain and feelings of being lost. "I forgave him, I forgave him right there, not in words, but with my heart," she added.
The woman’s father was among the four victims, whose ages ranged from just 6 to 78 years old. The suspect, identified as 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford from Burton, Michigan, reportedly drove his pickup truck through the church's front doors before opening fire with an assault-style rifle on approximately 100 churchgoers, as stated by Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye. Following the shooting, Sanford allegedly set the church on fire and was later killed during an exchange of gunfire with police officers.
Authorities have classified the shooting as an act of targeted violence. According to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, discussions with the FBI director revealed that the attacker harbored hatred towards individuals of the Mormon faith. This disturbing motive underscores the broader issues of gun violence and religious intolerance that continue to plague communities across the nation.
In her poignant letter, the survivor shared a surreal moment of realization. When providing a description of the shooter to the FBI, she mentioned he had blue eyes. However, after seeing his photograph, she recognized that it was her own eyes she had seen reflected back at her during the encounter. "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."
Through her letter, the woman not only honors her father's memory but also offers a powerful message of forgiveness amidst a backdrop of unimaginable tragedy. Her story serves as a reminder of the resilience of the human spirit and the capacity for compassion, even in the face of profound loss.
