A day before a shooter killed four people and set fire to a church in Michigan, students at a football game in Colorado chanted vulgar anti-Mormon slurs against the same religious organization.
The two events spurred sweeping conversations about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and lingering anti-Mormonism against its members.
The University of Colorado's chancellor and athletic director quickly condemned the students' behavior, but it was at least the third time in the past year when chanting by student fans at college ball games with Brigham Young University took on a darker tone against members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which owns and operates BYU.
Less than 24 hours later, police say Thomas Jacob Sanford drove his silver pickup truck into the wall of a large room in the Michigan meetinghouse where more than 100 members had gathered for Sunday services. The church's members are often called Mormons, or Latter-day Saints.
Eyewitnesses told authorities Sanford got out of his truck shooting at members with an assault rifle then set off an inferno as terrified members rushed to get everyone out of the building. The assault left four members dead and numerous others physically injured, some from gunshots, others by smoke inhalation and still others gashed and bleeding from shrapnel and shards of glass.
