The community around Grand Blanc came together for a memorial service and vigil Tuesday to honor the victims of a deadly attack on a local church that left five people dead, including the gunman, eight injured, and a chapel burned to the ground.
In the wake of tragedy at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township, the small, tight-knit community about 50 miles north of Detroit has begun the process of healing.
The memorial service served as an immediate affirmation that they would not be defined by the violence of one day.
The town's path forward is being defined by unity and mutual support, evident in the interfaith faces in the crowd and the presence of an imam invited by local officials.
Bridger Frampton, a church member who was present during the shooting, said he saw people in front of him and behind him get hurt — a horrific scene he said his previous military and medical training helped him process.
"I'm in the medical field. I know the the scenarios there. The training kicks in," he said, recalling his initial reaction to shots being fired.
His message, however, was focused on resilience and healing.
"You have to recognize that what's inside of you needs to come out. It's an infection. You get it out, you talk it out."
"Tragedy struck," Frampton said. "It's not allowed to stay. We get to choose now how we carry this forward."
The memorial at the Grand Blanc High School football field also offered residents a chance to celebrate the acts of heroism that emerged from the chaos.
Crystal Cranston spoke about her son’s father, Adam Peterson, a firefighter with the Grand Blanc Township Fire Department, with whom she co-parents. She said he was the first firefighter to enter the burning structure.
For Cranston, Peterson's dedication is a source of both pride and anxiety.
"We have a 3-year-old son," she said. "Knowing that he loves his son ... I hope he gets to see his son grow up no matter what fire he responds to. But if he doesn't make it home someday, I know that he'll die, if he dies in a fire, being a hero."
Peterson's actions and the rapid response of all first responders were honored during the memorial. Cranston made T-shirts for families to wear and emergency responders received many standing ovations from the bleachers.
Other community members echoed the sentiment that Grand Blanc’s defining characteristic is its ability to come together.
David Miller, a Grand Blanc resident, was at a different church at the time of the shooting. He described what he saw that day: "We could see the smoke from the church," he said. "We didn't know exactly what was happening. You know, you're scared if there's an active shooter at one church, is there going to be one at another one?"
The town's leaders and residents pledged to continue praying for the victims, supporting the church, and lifting each other up in the difficult weeks and months ahead.
Residents said the path forward is built on unity, a collective defiance of violence, and the belief that they are "better together."
