The incident unfolded at around 10.25am local time on Sunday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan. Images of the devastating scene soon found their way online, depicting a looming column of smoke from the blaze, that looked to have consumed the building’s roof.

The gunman has since been identified as Thomas Jacob Sanford, 40, a former Marine who was shot dead by police after launching his attack.

Harrowing reports from Sky News detail how Sanford allegedly drove a vehicle bearing two US national flags through the front doors of the church before opening fire with an assault rifle.

The 40-year-old, who served with the Marines for four years between 2004 to 2008 and was deployed in Iraq, then got out of his vehicle and fired upon people attending Sunday service.