Thelma Rina Armstrong, a 54-year-old White female, found her life tragically cut short on Sunday, September 28, 2025, during a violent attack at a meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan. A native of Klerksdorp, South Africa, born on May 8, 1971, Thelma had immigrated to the United States in 2019 to be closer to her daughter and grandchildren.
She had built a life in Grand Blanc, working as a Quality Technician at American Axle and becoming a beloved member of her local church community, where she was affectionately known as 'Yia Yia' and the 'Missionary Mother' for her nurturing spirit.
The morning of her death began as an ordinary Sunday service but descended into chaos around 10:25 a.m. A man, later identified as 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford of Burton, rammed his pickup truck through the front doors of the church. Sanford then exited the vehicle and opened fire on the congregation with an assault-style rifle. Amid the gunfire, a fire, which investigators believe was deliberately set with an accelerant, began to engulf the building. Thelma was wounded during the attack and died in an ambulance on the way to the hospital. She was one of four church members killed that day in an assault that also left eight others wounded, with victims ranging in age from six to 78.
Law enforcement, including an officer from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and one from Grand Blanc Township, confronted Sanford outside the church within minutes of the attack. An exchange of gunfire ensued, and Sanford was shot and killed at the scene. Investigators later discovered improvised explosive devices inside his vehicle. The FBI assisted in the investigation, describing the incident as an act of targeted violence. Authorities confirmed that Sanford acted alone, and with the sole suspect deceased, no arrests were made in connection with the deadly assault.
