Two Mass Shootings Linked to Former U.S. Military Veterans

Two deadly attacks this past week — one in North Carolina and another in Michigan — were carried out by former U.S. military members, highlighting growing concerns about veteran mental health and violence.

In Southport, North Carolina, 40-year-old Nigel Max Edge, a former Marine, allegedly opened fire at a crowded waterfront bar late Saturday night, killing three and injuring five others. Authorities described the shooting as “highly premeditated.” Edge, who legally changed his name in 2023 from Sean William Debevoise, claimed to be a combat veteran with PTSD. Military records confirm he served in the Marine Corps from 2003 to 2009, receiving a Purple Heart and multiple honors for his service in Iraq.

Meanwhile, in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, another former Marine, Thomas Jacob Sanford, 40, launched a violent attack during Sunday services at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Sanford drove his truck into the church, opened fire on worshippers, and set the building on fire using gasoline.

Sanford was killed by responding officers after exchanging gunfire. Authorities later recovered four bodies from the church, and the search for additional victims remains ongoing. The attack has left the Grand Blanc community in shock, as the violence unfolded in a sacred space during morning worship.

Sanford, who served from 2004 to 2008, was also a decorated Marine and the father of a 10-year-old son with a rare medical condition. His final Marine Corps assignment was at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.