GRAND BLANC TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — It’s been just over two months since the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‑day Saints in Grand Blanc Township was attacked, a shooter taking the lives of four parishioners and leaving the rest of the community scarred.
Watch the story from Faraz Javed in the video player below:
7 News Detroit reporter Faraz Javed was one of the first reporters on the scene and has been on the story from the very start. Now, he’s bringing you a story you’ll only see on Channel 7 with exclusive body camera footage from two Genesee County Sheriff’s deputies who are also trained medics.
You’ll witness their fight to save lives inside a burning church — and hear from those who lived through the gunfire, the flames, and the heartbreak.
Related Video: Chopper 7 video shows aftermath of deadly Grand Blanc Township church attack
"You never really think that it can happen that close to home," said Dustin Roy, a Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Medic.
Sgt. Collette Hunt, a Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Medic, recalls arriving on the scene.
"When I got there, the shooter was already down," said Sgt. Hunt. "The building was on fire inside."
Roy said the smoke was so thick that you almost began choking.
"Everybody was doing their part, but it was chaos," said Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson.
At the Grand Blanc LDS church, the morning of September 28 brought gunfire, chaos, and lives hanging in the balance. But a response from a specialized unit of the Genesee County Sheriff's Office was unlike anything you might expect.
Exclusively obtained bodycam footage shows the response of the Sheriff’s medics, Dustin Roy and Collette Hunt, who were among the first on the scene.
"You were hearing on the radio that the shooter was down, but at that point, there was no way for you guys to know that there was a second shooter," Faraz said.
"There were conflicting stories that said that there was more than one, and then one had taken off," said Sgt. Hunt.
Sheriff Swanson said these were no ordinary medics.
"They have tactical helmets, rifles, and they're trauma kits. And they're looking for the deceased, they're looking for the injured, and they're also looking for a possible second offender," he said.
Since 1978, this is the only specialized hybrid unit in Michigan, a deputy and medic combo that can render aid and neutralize a threat at the same time.
Early after news crews arrived, we were hearing a lot of kids were unaccounted for.
"Kids or adults. You still have to try. We tried crawling until we couldn't see and the air wasn't breathable. And I finally grabbed him by the back," said Sgt. Hunt.
Roy said he was spitting out chunks of black for days after the event.
"Got a pretty nasty sinus infection from it, but all of it was well worth it just to make sure that nobody was in there," he said.
That fateful day, Hunt says she treated three patients. While Roy moved countless others — triaging, carrying them, guiding them to safety.
"What's the one moment you'll never forget about that day?" Faraz asked.
"The steeple falling, 100 percent," said Roy.
Hunt also recalled that moment, "The fire finally came to the roof and the steeple fell. That was extremely heart-wrenching. And there was like a weird fire tornado that was next to it. And both him and I were like, man, it looks like hell."
Roy added, "It was scary. It was definitely scary. That was the biggest emotional thing for me. The way that it felt too reminded me very much of 9-11."
Hunt and Roy will never forget September 28th.
"When you look at that picture, you can only see fire and nothing else. It's like you guys are walking into fire," Faraz said.
"That's what it was like," said Hunt.
Roy said, "When I look at that picture, a piece of scripture stands out to me. It's Isaiah 6:8, and you hear the voice of God, of whom shall I send, who will go for us? And Isaiah said, here am I, send me."
Roy also said luck played a factor on that day.
"If you had given that shooter an additional 60 seconds, without police intervention that day, it would have been a thousand-fold more catastrophic than it already is," he said.
Hunt said, "A lot of the kids you mentioned were missing, were LS trained through their schools, so they all knew exactly what to do, they just all hopped out of the window and took off running into the woods."
After the tragedy, Sheriff Swanson has a message: "Don't let hate fill the void. That's what caused the shooting. It was pure hate. It's a day that I saw order come out of chaos. A day where the community came together, and I saw the best of EMS, fire and police."
