GENESEE COUNTY, Mich. – A daughter of one of the people killed in the attack at a church in Grand Blanc Township on Sunday wrote a letter to the community describing what she saw and how she encountered the gunman.
The attack happened on Sept. 28, 2025, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on McCandlish Road.
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The attacker drove his pickup truck into the church before getting out and firing shots with an assault rifle, police said. He also set the building on fire before he left and was killed by authorities.
Four people were killed and eight others were injured in the attack.
A daughter of one of the people killed in the attack wrote a letter to the community describing what she saw and how she was able to forgive the attacker.
The letter was shared on social media by one of her siblings.
The daughter was with her father when the gunman went into the church on Sept. 28. In the handwritten letter, she said she made eye contact with the gunman.
“I never took my eyes off his eyes, something happened, I saw pain, he felt lost,” she wrote. “I deeply felt it with every fiber of my being. I forgave him, I forgave him right there, not in words, but with my heart.”
She also wrote that she believed that the gunman spared her life because they saw into each other’s souls that day.
“I saw into his soul, and he saw into mine. He let me live,” she wrote. “I am sharing this now because I believe it is just one of many reasons I was there. Just one of the reasons.”
She then called for people to set aside hate.
“If you stop letting anger in, hate can’t spread,” she wrote. “We can stop it! We can stop the anger and the hate and stop suffering somewhere for someone.”
You can read her full letter below:
I know many of you may not want to hear this. . . When I gave a description of Thomas to the FBI, I told them he had blue eyes. Blue eyes brightened by tears, red and teary. All I saw as I searched my memory was blue eyes. When he came over to me I felt very calm, [peaceful] even as I kneeled next to my dad, my hands still on dad. It felt like a long time I stared into his eyes while answering his question. The only way I can describe it is I saw into his soul. I never took my eyes off his eyes, something [happened], I saw pain, he felt lost. I deeply felt it with every fiber of my being. I forgave him, I forgave him right there, not in words, but with my heart. Later, I kept asking to see a picture of him. Something about his blue eyes caused me confusion. I [questioned] if I was remembering what I saw correctly? When I finally saw his picture, his eyes were not blue. I couldn’t understand. I know what I saw, it was seared in my brain. In the middle of the night while texting my sister I realized it was my eyes I saw. I saw into his soul and he saw into mine. He let me live. I am sharing this now because I [believe] it is just one of many reasons I was there. Just one of the reasons. I needed to share this for Papa, for Dad, for anyone who can set aside hate. Maybe that time won’t be now for you, but maybe one day. What we say and do matters. Fear breeds anger, anger breeds hate, hate breeds suffering. If we can stop the hate, we can stop the suffering. But stopping the hate takes all of us. I promise you if for one month you can stop using crude language, if you stop taking the Lord’s name in vain you will feel change. We can start there. If you stop letting anger in, hate can’t spread, we can stop it! We can stop the anger and the hate and stop suffering somewhere for someone.