Thomas Sanford and Nigel Max Edge: Two Iraq War veterans linked to mass shootings hours apart
Thomas Jacob Sanford was identified in a Michigan church shooting. Hours earlier, Nigel Max Edge opened fire at a crowded bar in Southport, North Carolina.
Thomas Jacob Sanford, a 40-year-old US Marine veteran who served in Iraq from 2004 to 2008, has been identified as the suspect in the mass shooting at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints building in Grand Blanc, Michigan on Sunday morning.
Authorities say Sanford rammed his Chevy Silverado truck into the church, then opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle, killing two people and injuring at least nine others. He was fatally shot by police at the scene after a brief exchange of gunfire.
Social media details emerge
A photo circulating online appears to show a vehicle with an Iraq War veteran sticker on the license plate, believed to be linked to Sanford. Alleged social media accounts associated with him include images of dead animals and photos of Sanford posing with firearms. The same accounts also portray him as a family man, married with a young son.
According to a New York Post report, a now-dormant GoFundMe page from 2015 raised over $3,000 for Sanford's son, who was born with a rare genetic disorder called congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI).
Also Read: Thomas Jacob Sanford: 5 shocking things we know about Michigan church shooting suspect
Iraq War veteran arrested in separate North Carolina shooting
Just hours before the Michigan church shooting, another former Marine, Nigel Max Edge, opened fire at a crowded waterfront bar in Southport, North Carolina, killing three people and injuring five others.
Edge reportedly fired into the crowd from a boat outside the American Fish Company bar on Saturday night. The 40-year-old suspect, identified as being from Oak Island, is a combat-wounded Iraq veteran who has long struggled with mental illness and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to the News & Observer. He previously went by the name Sean DeBevoise.
Charges filed against edge
Edge was taken into custody. He is facing multiple charges, including:
- First-Degree Murder (3 counts)
- Attempted First-Degree Murder (5 counts)
- Assault with a Deadly Weapon with Intent to Kill Inflicting Serious Injury (AWDWIKISI) (5 counts)
