[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 159 (Monday, September 29, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6814-S6816]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                          Grand Blanc Shooting

  Ms. SLOTKIN. Mr. President, first, along with Senator Gary Peters, I 
ask unanimous consent that the Senate observe a moment of silence in 
this Chamber to honor the four people and many more wounded yesterday 
in Grand Blanc Township.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  (Moment of silence.)
  Ms. SLOTKIN. Mr. President, today, I rise on behalf of the community 
of Grand Blanc, a community in unspeakable pain, grief, and anger. I 
stand on the floor of the U.S. Senate as Michigan's junior Senator, 
along with our senior Senator Gary Peters, to represent and honor what 
has gone on in our community.
  At 10:30 yesterday morning, a man drove a car into The Church of 
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township. The gunman 
set fire to the building and started shooting. At this time, four are 
deceased, more are injured and at the hospital. In this small community 
just 15 minutes from my own community, we are shocked to the core.
  In addition to mourning the dead, we pray for the injured. We pray 
for the community that will be living with the effects of this for 
months and years to come, and we thank the professionals who are taking 
care of those in shock today.
  Everywhere you go in Michigan, whether I was picking up a cup of 
coffee or picking up my dry cleaning, Michiganders are very raw.

[[Page S6815]]

  I think the most important thing, first, is to thank our first 
responders but also use them as an example. The first officer was on 
the scene 30 seconds after the 9-1-1 call, and it took law enforcement 
8 minutes to neutralize the shooter--8 minutes. They did a masterful 
job addressing an incredibly complex act of violence, and their efforts 
are what are keeping people afloat.
  I want to give special recognition to two officers: one from the 
Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the other a Grand Blanc 
Township police officer who happened to be in the area close by and 
risked their lives to protect the innocent. They did not wait. They ran 
toward the danger without hesitation. They are heroes today.
  I visited Grand Blanc Township this morning. We made a point to go 
with both Democratic- and Republican-elected leaders, local, State, and 
Federal. What I saw in the community is confusion and deep pain that 
something like this could happen in this small place. It is a community 
where fender benders are much more common than any kind of violent 
crime, and there is a feeling of pain that such a senseless and useless 
act of violence happened in our community.
  I think it is important to learn that lesson from law enforcement. 
From everyone I talked to, whether it was local law enforcement, our 
State folks, our Federal folks, they all said: We just all joined in. 
We didn't think.
  They put their heads down, and they started protecting people. That 
is the example I hope we can all learn as we try to understand this 
moment in our country's history.
  We have a problem in this country. We have an epidemic in this 
country, and we have to acknowledge that. The only way we get better is 
by acknowledging we have a problem. We have a problem with mental 
health, and we have a problem where people think violence is a 
legitimate option in voicing disagreement in our system. Whether it was 
the death of Charlie Kirk, State legislators in Minnesota, people 
worshiping in Grand Blanc, those who attacked the President of the 
United States, it is normal to look for an ideology and a reason why 
they would perpetrate these kinds of attacks. But I think more than 
anything, what I ask Michiganders and ask Americans to do is look not 
for the specific reason why but understand that what is happening in 
our country, we are signaling that we are unwell. We are unwell. 
Whether it is in Nevada or Michigan, people are unwell, and we have 
to understand that it is our responsibility to address that.

  In Michigan, we, unfortunately, have had five mass shootings in the 
past 4 years. Oxford High School, Michigan State University, the Splash 
Pad in Rochester Hills, another church in Wayne, MI, and now Grand 
Blanc Township is added to this sick fraternity of communities that 
have to endure this kind of violence.
  I would dare say that myself, this is the fourth time I have 
personally dealt with one of these mass shootings. I can see that it 
desensitizes you after all these times. You get used to it in a way 
that I just can't reconcile.
  It was important for us to come together--Democrats and Republicans--
to put out the message that, please, take a breath. Don't watch 
everything social media is putting forward. Learn from our law 
enforcement officials to be serious and judicious, and let us all be 
leaders in our own lives. Either you are working every day in your 
community to make things better or you are working to split people 
apart.
  This targeted violence was meant to terrorize us. It is meant to make 
us scared in our houses of worship, where people were just trying to 
pray on a Sunday morning. It is meant to terrorize us in our high 
schools, in our colleges, in our places of political discourse, on our 
university campuses. But what it does by making us afraid is, it is 
infringing on our freedom. If people don't feel that they can go to 
their sanctuaries--the place where they and their children are supposed 
to be safe--that is infringing on our freedom.
  I would say we must acknowledge as Americans that we have an illness, 
and the symptom is this extreme violence that is being perpetrated on 
our most innocent civilians.
  I hope today, after a long month of violence across the country, that 
Democrats and Republicans, especially in this body, can rise above the 
petty political games and come together to get to work on this 
epidemic. It is our responsibility as leaders. It is our responsibility 
as the people look to us to lead.
  I just encourage every American to rise above the anger and vitriol 
of this moment and instead focus on our communities and what we need to 
come together and heal.
  With that, I yield to my senior Senator Gary Peters.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Michigan.
  Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, I, along with my Senate colleague from 
Michigan Elissa Slotkin, am heartbroken and appalled to stand here 
today as we grieve yet another tragedy in our home State of Michigan.
  On Sunday, Grand Blanc Township experienced unimaginable violence 
when a gunman drove his car into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-
day Saints, fired gunshots at the members of the congregation, and then 
started a massive fire using gasoline that destroyed most of the church 
building. This was shocking. It was horrific. It was a violent attack 
on a quiet and peaceful community.
  There are now families whose loved ones will never return their call, 
never hug them back, and never sit by their side as they practice their 
faith.
  I am devastated to share the ages of these individuals that ranged 
from just 6 years old to 78 years old. I simply can't imagine the agony 
that their families are now experiencing.
  There are also eight other victims who remain in critical condition 
in the hospital with their families waiting anxiously by their side. My 
thoughts are with them as we hope and pray for their safe recovery.
  This was the kind of horror that you don't want to believe is even 
possible in our world, let alone in our own community. But, 
unfortunately, this is not the first time that I have stood at this 
podium after senseless acts of violence devastated parents, siblings, 
children, friends, and neighbors in my State. That is why a part of me 
feels this terrible sadness today for the pain and loss that was 
inflicted upon Grand Blanc Township and the greater community.
  But I also feel just immense outrage because there are no words to 
describe the pain, the devastation, and confusion you experience at 
these moments--pain for the senseless loss of life, devastation for the 
sense of fear that no matter how hard we work to heal, this despicable 
act has shattered this quiet community--and our utter confusion as to 
how someone could have the capacity to inflict this kind of evil.
  We know that our Nation is plagued by an epidemic of gun violence. 
More than 100 Americans will die from gun violence each and every day 
in our country. We also know that there has been a rise in violent 
threats and deadly attacks targeting churches, synagogues, mosques, and 
other houses of worship in communities all across our country. We 
cannot allow these patterns of violence to continue. We cannot simply 
accept these attacks like it is another normal day. It is not.
  And despite what people may tell us, there is far more that unites us 
than divides us. Now, more than ever, we need to come together and hold 
each other up. And once we have grieved, we must work together to find 
solutions that will prevent this kind of tragedy from devastating more 
communities.
  It is certainly past time to enact sensible gun reform and ensure 
that every American can practice their faith without fear for their 
lives. It is certainly past time to take the temperature down on our 
politics, a growing sickness that has undoubtedly contributed to the 
rise of polarization and hate-fueled violent attacks against our 
country. The bottom line is that the time to act is now. There is 
simply no other option.
  I want to, once again, share my deepest condolences for the families 
and loved ones of the victims of this absolutely horrific attack. My 
heart breaks for the entire community and everyone who has been 
impacted by this catastrophic event.
  I also want to thank the law enforcement and emergency personnel who 
responded immediately to this harrowing scene. In fact, two law 
enforcement officers engaged the shooter in less than a minute, and as 
a result, there is no question that countless lives were

[[Page S6816]]

saved. Their profound bravery and heroism can never be forgotten, as 
well as the courageous community members who acted quickly to shield 
women, children, and the elderly from gunfire.
  Finally, I want to thank the numerous local, State, and Federal 
Agencies that have stepped in to support the victims and their loved 
ones and ensure a thorough investigation is carried out.
  Michiganders are tough. Michiganders are resilient. But most 
importantly, they are kind. On Sunday, that kindness showed through as 
we saw so many people race--race--to help in the aftermath of this 
appalling attack. As we remember the victims and as we remember their 
loved ones and the community members who are still grieving, I hope 
those actions not only provide some form of comfort but also show that 
heroism and kindness in the face of unspeakable tragedy is truly who we 
are as Americans.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Vermont.
  Mr. WELCH. Mr. President, first of all, I want to express my sadness 
at the loss of lives in Michigan, and I want to thank my colleagues 
Senator Peters and Senator Slotkin.
  You speak for every single one of us, and our hearts are broken. 
Regrettably, our hearts are broken too many times with this endless 
violence. But thank you so much. And you spoke for every single Member 
of the Senate, Republican and Democrat, and I think you spoke for 
America.
  Thank you, my colleagues.