A 14-year-old boy is being called a hero after helping his family escape during the Michigan church shooting that left four people dead and eight others injured.
When hard moments come, we see how much we need God’s care and protection. None of us can know when danger will strike, but we can trust that He is always near.
On Sunday morning, Jasper was serving as an usher at his Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints congregation in Grand Blanc Township. His job was to stand at the chapel doors, but he stepped away to get a tissue when he suddenly had a runny nose.
His aunt, Amber Rosen, said, “It was so unexpected and came on fast. Jasper hadn’t been sick. But he felt the need to leave his post and go to the restroom to get a tissue.”
Moments later, the gunman, Thomas Jacob Sanford, drove his truck through the same doors Jasper had just left and started shooting.
Rosen said her sister Michelle and the children were sitting at the back of the chapel. Jasper ran to his 8 and 10-year-old brothers and pulled them close. His sister Josie was separated in the rush of people trying to escape.
More than 100 members crowded one door as Sanford circled to fire at people fleeing. Jasper led his mother and brothers to a back exit, but the door jammed.
“Without even thinking, Jasper took his elbow and hit the glass window a few times, and the whole thing shattered with no cuts to him,” Rosen said. He then flagged down a car and placed his brothers inside to keep them safe.
As the church burned and officers exchanged fire with Sanford, Jasper and his mother hid behind cars. Josie was later found by SWAT officers in the woods holding a hymnbook.
“When Jasper saw her, he sprinted and grabbed her and of course it was a wonderful reunion for them that their family was all together and safe,” Rosen said. “I believe that angels were with them.”
Sanford, a Marine veteran, died in a gun battle with police. Two victims were shot, and two others were found inside the burned church, including a father and husband, a Navy veteran grandfather, and a young girl with her parents.
This story shows how God’s hand can still be seen in terrible times. Please join in praying for the victims, the families, and the entire community as they begin the long process of healing.
WATCH: Heroic Teen Ushers His Brothers to Safety During Michigan Church Attack
