Tragedy struck in Grand Blanc, Michigan, on Sunday, Sept. 28.

During a church service at the local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a gunman drove a pickup truck into the building and opened fire on the congregation. The shooter was killed in a confrontation with law enforcement, but four people died, and several others were injured in the gunfire and blaze that burned down the chapel.

The aftermath of the attack led to investigations by local law enforcement, including the FBI and ATF, as well as statements by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and President Donald Trump.

Despite being hundreds of miles from Grand Blanc, the effects of an attack on a Latter-day Saint community were felt in Rexburg.

Avery West, a freshman from Canton, a suburb of Ann Arbor, Michigan, expressed shock at what happened, especially in the wake of the Sept. 10 assassination of Charlie Kirk in Orem, Utah and the passing of President Russell M. Nelson Saturday night.

“I was kind of shocked, because it's so close to my home, and right after President Nelson died, the whole UVU shooting,” said West. “I couldn't really wrap my head around it at first, and then when I realized how close it was to my home, then I was like, ‘Oh, wow, this is serious.’”

Sophie Hathon, a sophomore from Detroit, had a similar reaction.

“At first, I kind of didn’t believe it, because I knew the church and I’d been there,” said Hathon. “And then I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is actually a serious thing.’ And then I saw it burned down, and I couldn’t think anything for a few seconds because I was so surprised and shocked.”

Hathon said her family used to live in the area before she was born, and they moved to Detroit. She didn’t know anyone who was hurt or killed, but she did say her friend’s uncle was injured.

“My parents, when they got married, they had their reception at that church,” Hathon said. “My brother had his baby blessing there. Then they moved, and then I was born, but my parents are still friends with people in that ward.”

West’s hometown of Canton is about an hour away from Grand Blanc, but she said the shooting led to the cancellation of her parents’ ward.

They said that they were getting ready to leave for church when the news came out, and then they immediately got the email that church canceled for the day,” West said.

West’s family was fine, which alleviated her and her roommate’s concerns.

“I think the family took it pretty much in stride. But my roommates were coming to my room, and they're like, ‘Did you hear about this? It happened in Michigan,'” West said. “They were just like, so, so concerned.”

Even though Hathon didn’t grow up in Grand Blanc, she was familiar with the ward and the building.

“It’s really sad that it was that ward because they were really, really nice, they were all really welcoming people,” Hathon said. “There was a really nice sense of community there.”

Donations for both the victim's families as well as the family of the shooter are now up.