NEW: Alleged Political Leanings Of Mormon Church Shooter Are Revealed

Thomas Jacob Sanford, the gunman in Sunday’s shooting at a Mormon church in Michigan, had been open about his struggles with PTSD, drug abuse, and his search for religion, according to witnesses who spoke with the Marine veteran in the days before he killed four and wounded eight others in a bloody rampage.

Less well known, however, are Sanford’s politics, which investigators are still working to uncover as they probe for his motivation to target parishioners in a service at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Michigan.

Multiple accounts on social media quickly began to comb through Facebook posts showing Sanford, 40, smiling and standing outside with friends while wearing what appears to be a camo-colored shirt promoting the 2020 reelection of Donald Trump. Almost immediately, critics denounced the images as inauthentic or doctored, while Newsweek attempted to trace them back to the source.

The search for a political meaning behind the attack comes as Americans reckon with an increase in politically-motivated violence, which hit its zenith with the Sept. 10 murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the FBI is treating the attack as being directed at Mormons over their faith.

Michigan State Police refuted speculation about Sanford’s motive as “exactly what it is—a speculation” and said investigators won’t reach a conclusion in the case for “some time.”

Social media accounts linked to Sanford’s family show the 40-year-old veteran with a young son, who has a rare genetic disorder. However, Sanford was referred to as “Jake” in the posts, not his first name, “Thomas.”

Public records reviewed by Newsweek show that Sanford had no political party affiliation. However, the outlet also shared an image of Sanford in 2019 wearing a Trump shirt, which they claim was posted on Facebook. Others beleive it to be photoshopped.

According to property records, Sanford lived at the 4100 block of East Atherton Road in Burton, Michigan. Google satellite images show a Trump yard sign in front of the property, but Newsweek was quick to note that Tella Sanford, his wife, was the only member of the household who espoused pro-Trump beliefs on social media.

A May 12, 2021, post by Tella included the hashtag #BringBackTrump. The post has since been deleted.

Sanford served in the Iraq War from 2004 to 2008, retiring as a sergeant and receiving several medals during that time. Other social media images show Sanford as an avid hunter, posing with some of his kills.

President Trump responded to news of the shooting in a Truth Social post on Sunday.

“I have been briefed on the horrendous shooting that took place at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in Grand Blanc, Michigan. The FBI was immediately on scene, and will be leading the Federal Investigation, and providing full support to State and Local Officials. The suspect is dead, but there is still a lot to learn. 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!” he wrote.