Michigan Church Shooting Suspect Thomas Jacob Sanford's Wife Has Strong Political Views
Thomas Jacob Sanford and his wife once had a GoFundMe for their son.
Published Sept. 29 2025, 10:54 a.m. ET
The man suspected of driving his truck into a Michigan church and shooting multiple parishioners before setting the building on fire, Thomas Jacob Sanford, is dead, per Newsweek.
He reportedly entered into a shootout with police as he tried to flee the scene, but he was killed during the gunfire. Now, many want to know who Thomas Jacob Sanford's wife is and if the couple had any kids together.
Although immediately following the tragedy at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints location in Grand Blanc, Mich., no one related to Sanford came out to share a statement or thoughts on what the suspected shooter is accused of.
Postmortem, there are some details on who he was married to, Tella Sanford, and what some see as a potentially politically motivated crime.
Who is Thomas Jacob Sanford's wife?
While Tella has not publicly shared her thoughts on what happened at the church or her husband's death at this time, her Facebook account does paint a picture of who she is. Her posts are about the son she shares with Thomas, who went by Jake before his death.
She also shared sarcastic marriage-related posts, including one about her spouse's listening habits. It looks like Thomas might have commented on it at one point, but any comments or tags of his are not available on her profile.
Tella also appears to lean more conservative with support for Donald Trump on her profile. In one post, the contents of which is now unavailable, her hashtags include #bringTrumpback and #whovotedforthis.
Elsewhere, on X (formerly Twitter), someone shared a photo of Thomas and Tella with their son. In the photo, Thomas has a pro-Trump 2020 shirt on.
Because of Tella and Thomas's apparent political views, some believe the attack on the church, which Thomas was suspected of during the shootout with police, may have been politically motivated in some way.
One user shared in an X post, "Thomas Jacob Sanford's Facebook was filled with MAGA content, and he attended Trump rallies. If Antifa can be called a terrorist organization, should MAGA be treated the same way when its supporters commit violence?"
However, following his death, there does not appear to be an active or confirmed Facebook account for Thomas still up.
Thomas Jacob Sanford's family had a GoFundMe for his kid.
Thomas and Tella have one child together, a son named Brantlee, who was born in 2015. According to a Facebook page dedicated to the boy, he was diagnosed with Congenital Hyperinsulinism.
Per MedlinePlus, babies born with this often have an abnormally high amount of insulin in their blood, which leads to hypoglycemia, or a condition where blood sugar levels fall well below what is normal and safe.
Per CNN, there was once a GoFundMe dedicated to raising money for Thomas and Tella's son, but it is no longer active online.
In 2021, Tella wrote an update on their son's page to share how far he had come.
"If it wasn't for God guiding your doctors, you wouldn't be here with us today," she wrote at the time. "No matter what challenge you face in this life, always remember to keep your faith and trust in the Lord. I will always protect you, guide you and try to teach you what's right. You've made me a mother and have made me stronger in every way. You are my life and forever my baby."