Police said the formal identification process is ongoing.

A gunman opened fire inside a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel in Michigan during a Sunday service and set the building ablaze, killing at least four people and injuring eight others before police shot him, authorities said.

Hundreds of people were inside The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township when a 40-year-old man rammed a ute through the front door, then got out of the vehicle and started shooting, Police Chief William Renye told reporters.

Police believe he "deliberately" set the building on fire.

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After the suspect left the church, two officers pursued him and "engaged in gunfire," Renye said. The man was killed.

Flames and smoke could be seen pouring from the church for hours before the blaze was put out. First responders were then sifting through the wreckage.

"We do believe we will find some additional victims once we find the area where the fire was," Renye said.

He said as well as two victims killed by gunfire, two other bodies had been found in the ruins of the burned church.

According to CNN, a law enforcement source said seven people remain unaccounted for, but cautioned that number could include survivors who had not yet contacted their families.

The search through the wreckage of the church has been called off for the night and will resume tomorrow.

The FBI is leading the investigation into the attack as an "act of targeted violence", according to Reuben Coleman, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Detroit Field Office.

"This act of violence has no place in our state or anywhere else in our country," he said.

"The FBI is committed to continue finding out the facts, circumstances and motives behind this tragedy."

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Who is Thomas Jacob Sanford?

Renye identified the suspect as Thomas Jacob Sanford, 40, from neighbouring Burton. Reyne did not specify a motive at a news conference on Sunday evening. Police cordoned off the street leading to the suspect's home.

Sanford was an Iraq War veteran and outdoorsman, according to military records and social media posts.

A Marine Corps spokesperson told CNN that Sanford served as a sergeant and received several medals for his service, which lasted from 2004 to 2008. He was deployed during Operation Iraqi Freedom for several months starting in the summer of 2007.

Sanford graduated from Goodrich High School in 2004 and was recognised among other veteran alumni, according to an archived page from the school's website. A local news profile of Sanford from 2007 said he was deployed with the US Marine Corps to Japan before preparing to head for service in Iraq.

Social media accounts linked to Sanford's family show he was married with at least one child, a young son. According to a GoFundMe page from 2015, the family was in need of donations to help pay for the medical care of Sanford's son, who was born with a rare genetic disorder.

The newborn was diagnosed with a condition called congenital hyperinsulinism, which required a lengthy hospital stay and several surgeries to remove portions of the pancreas, according to a family Facebook page documenting the difficult journey.

The child's medical condition took a financial toll on the family, with one local news article reporting Sanford took leave from his work as a truck driver for Coca-Cola to be with his son.

"Don't ever take having healthy kids for granted," Sanford is quoted as saying in another article.

"We are proud of our child. I spent four years in the Marine Corps and was in Iraq and this is still the most unique thing to deal with."

Other posts on Sanford's mother's Facebook page show that Sanford was a hunter, posing with deer and other game.

No motive known

Renye said one of the wounded people was in critical condition Sunday evening and seven others were stable.

Police said they did not yet have a motive for the fire or shooting. Investigators are searching the suspect's residence in nearby Burton. Authorities did not provide any additional details about the suspect, including whether he was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the Mormon church.

It was the latest of many shooting attacks on houses of worship in the US over the past 20 years, including one in August that killed two children during Mass at the Church of the Annunciation in Minneapolis.

US President Donald Trump said he was briefed on the shooting. In a social media post, he applauded the FBI, who local authorities said are sending 100 agents to the area, for responding.

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"PRAY for the victims, and their families. THIS EPIDEMIC OF VIOLENCE IN OUR COUNTRY MUST END, IMMEDIATELY!" Trump wrote.

The church building, circled by a parking lot and a large lawn, is near residential areas and a Jehovah's Witness church. It is in Grand Blanc Township, a community of roughly 40,000 people outside Flint.

The impact spread quickly to neighbouring communities, including the small city that shares a name with the township.

"Although we are two separate governmental units, we are a very cohesive community," said city of Grand Blanc Mayor John Creasey.

"This sort of thing is painful for our entire community. I'm struggling to digest all that has happened, and my heart goes out to all of the affected families."

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement that her heart was breaking for the community. "Violence anywhere especially in a place of worship, is unacceptable," she said.

The shooting occurred the morning after Russell M Nelson, the oldest-ever president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, died at 101. The next president of the faith is expected to be Dallin H Oaks, per church protocol.

"The church is in communication with local law enforcement as the investigation continues and as we receive updates on the condition of those affected," Doug Anderson, a spokesperson for Utah-based faith said in a statement.

"Places of worship are meant to be sanctuaries of peacemaking, prayer and connection. We pray for peace and healing for all involved."

Some striking nurses at nearby Henry Ford Hospital left the picket line and ran the short distance to the church to help first responders, Teamsters Local 332 President Dan Glass said.

"Human lives matter more than our labour dispute." Glass said.

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More than 13 years after a vibrant and "fiercely free-spirited" young woman disappeared without a trace, a coroner has concluded she was killed by her controlling lover.

Leisl Smith, 23, was last seen alive on CCTV getting into a white ute at Tuggerah railway station on the NSW Central Coast in August 2012.

The vehicle belonged to her accused killer, James Church, who was charged with her murder and faced trial 10 years later.

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But the trial verdict has been sealed after Church died by suicide on the eve of it being delivered in the NSW Supreme Court in July 2022.

Smith's family finally received answers to painful questions about the fate of the vibrant 23-year-old on Monday as inquest findings were handed down.

Coroner Harriet Grahame determined Smith had been killed by Church before midnight on August 19 at a remote location in the NSW Upper Hunter region.

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Her body has never been found, despite extensive searches spanning more than a decade.

Evidence showed Church was alarmed he could no longer control Smith, who had the potential to affect his standing in the community and his relationship.

She complained the then-42-year-old had previously been physically aggressive and threatened to kill her.

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The inquest was told Church had a "significant history" of inflicting serious harm on his intimate partners, including an incident of grievous bodily harm.

Grahame found he killed Smith after collecting her from the train station and told a myriad of documented lies to conceal his crime.

"Leisl is obviously deeply loved and missed by all," she said as she expressed her sincere condolences to the family.

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"She was a fiercely free spirited daughter and sister … someone who danced to the beat of her own drum, who was adventurous, and always looking for the joy in life."

The coroner acknowledged the "tenacity and strength" of Smith's family, who bore the "particularly cruel burden" of not seeing her live to achieve her potential.

She also formally recommended a legal change be considered to allow trial verdicts to be released where they are settled before an accused person dies.

Justice Elizabeth Fullerton, who presided over his judge-alone trial, had settled on her verdict and finalised her written reasons but had not yet handed them down.

When Church died, the verdict was sealed and the legal proceedings were terminated in accordance with the laws of abatement.

Smith's family called for an exception to the laws in the instance a verdict has already been reached to prevent another family from suffering as they have done.

Grahame noted that sealing the outcome of Church's trial caused "deep distress" to Smith's family and the diligent police officers whose investigation came to an abrupt end.

The coroner recommended NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley refer the question to the law reform commission for consideration.

The lead detective in June said he believed Smith's body lay near Church's area of work.

"It's something that I think about all the time," he said, before addressing Smith's mother Sandi Harvey in the courtroom.

"I'm sorry I couldn't give you the ultimate answers that you really wanted … you deserve them.

"I've done my best and I'm sorry."

Smith's sister Jerildene Cane told the inquest of her last conversation with her sister, who shared bright plans for the future including a return to study.

"The only thing I wish I had done is hug her," Cane said.

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).

The venue has received multiple abatement notices and environmental fines.

Sky News Australia has axed its new program Freya Fires Up after six weeks on the air.

The network confirmed the After Dark show, hosted by Freya Leach, has been pulled from its line-up following an incident where a guest wore bacon rashers on his shoulders during a segment in which he made anti-Islam comments.

A spokesperson for News Corp Australia, which owns Sky News Australia, said Freya Fires Up will be cancelled after just six episodes.

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Leach, 22, will remain a co-host of The Late Debate on Sky.

"We have undertaken a thorough internal review, implemented its recommendations and taken appropriate action with everyone involved in this incident," a spokesperson told The Sydney Morning Herald.

"We took immediate action during the live broadcast to cut off the guest, our host promptly apologised, and we ensured the content was not published or republished to any of our digital platforms."

Scottish-born Ryan Williams, 33, appeared on the show on Sunday, September 21.

He was introduced by Leach as a "social media sensation", before Williams made disparaging remarks about Islam.

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The segment was pulled from the air just one minute into the live broadcast.

"I've just been told we have to apologise for what was just aired, those comments earlier," Leach told viewers shortly after.

Leach then apologised during The Late Debate the following Monday.

It was initially reported that Sky News Australia would pre-record Freya Fires Up after Williams' appearance.

"Sky News Australia apologises unreservedly for the deeply offensive comments made by a guest during a live broadcast on Sunday evening," Sky said last week.

"We recognise the harm such rhetoric can cause and take full responsibility for this failure in our editorial processes."

The show did not air last night.

9news.com.au has contacted News Corp and Leach for comment.

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Moments before another lengthy jail term, the "muscle for fire" arsonist who set the home of a popular YouTuber on fire has apologised from the "bottom of his heart".

Jordan Shanks – better known by his online alias of FriendlyJordies – had been making videos about colourful Sydney identities when arsonists set upon his Bondi residence in 2022.

The front verandah and door were destroyed, the bedroom and hallway damaged, and smoke damage occurred to the neighbour's property.

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Shanks was not at home at the time.

One of the men behind the November 23 attack, Tufi Junior Tauese-Auelua, was jailed for five years on Monday 

He expressed remorse during a sentence hearing at Coffs Harbour District Court.

"I would just like to apologise from the bottom of my heart," the 39-year-old said via video link from Nowra prison.

Telling the court he believed in God, he said he was over his life of crime after spending so much of his 20s and 30s behind bars.

"I'd rather die than return back to jail," he said.

The group used a stolen Mercedes with cloned plates for the arson attack and surveilled Shanks' home before pouring petrol at three separate locations.

The YouTuber later pulled down a video after saying people were "once again threatening dire consequences" if it remained online.

Police at the time of the attack suggested a southwest Sydney-based organised crime group, reported to be the Alameddine gang, were behind the attack.

"You win, we're taking down the video, congratulations, you run this city," Shanks said in February 2023.

The motive for the Shanks arson attack was not detailed in court, nor were any details released about what Tauese-Auelua personally gained from his involvement.

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Tauese-Auelua has not been accused of being an Alameddine gang member.

The 39-year-old pleaded guilty to destroying property by fire in company and reckless wounding in a separate for-hired attack in 2022.

In that matter, a man whose relationship with a property developer had broken down was set upon by Tauese-Auelua and others with baseball bats.

Judge McHugh jailed Tauese-Auelua for five years, noting the 39-year-old criminal history contained "lots of violence".

"He's being used as muscle for third parties to … harm others," Judge McHugh said.

The judge found Tauese-Auelua had a significant level of insight into his conduct but noted he had poor prospects of rehabilitation.

He has been diagnosed with intermittent explosive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and antisocial personality disorder.

Defence barrister Alex Cassels described his client's mental state as "a little boy in a very large body".

With 15 months in custody already served, Tauese-Auelua will be eligible for parole in July 2027.

Prosecutors on Friday dropped the case against a second man charged over the 2022 arson attack due to insufficient evidence.

At a bail hearing in October 2023, Andre Stepanyan's lawyer said there was nothing to show he was in the vehicle travelling to Shanks' home.

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