South African woman Thelma Armstrong among victims in deadly US church mass shooting
A South African woman, Thelma Rina Armstrong, was among four worshippers killed in a mass shooting at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township, in the US in September.
The gunman rammed his truck into the chapel, opened fire on congregants, and set the building ablaze before being fatally shot by responding officers.
Armstrong, 54, born in Klerksdorp, South Africa, had lived in the US for several years and was deeply involved in her local church.
Her obituary remembers her as someone who was: “Known for her loyalty to her work, the kindness she showed to her customers, and the extra time she always took to listen to anyone in need of a friend. To Thelma, everyone was family.”
Police Chief William Renye condemned the assault.
“It was an evil act that does not define Grand Blanc… Police officers acted swiftly and with great courage under extreme pressure to prevent further loss of life,” Renye said.
Armstrong was a Quality Technician at American Axle, remembered by colleagues for her warmth and professionalism.
“She eventually found herself working as a Quality Technician at American Axle, where she always looked her best, greeted everyone with a smile, and remembered everyone’s name,” her obituary reads.
She was also a devoted teacher within her congregation, guiding five-year-old pupils in Sunday classes and ensuring everyone felt included. “She loved her ward family so much and wanted everyone to feel loved,”
So far in 2025, the US has recorded 341 mass shootings, with 331 people killed and another 1,499 wounded, according to a running tally compiled by the Gun Violence Archive.
These figures rest on the definition of a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more people (excluding the perpetrator) are shot in one location in a short span of time.
IOL News