BURTON, MI — The gunman who killed at least four worshippers at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township on Sunday unleashed an unprovoked, bitter critique of the Mormon faith just days before the deadly assault.

Burton City Council candidate Kris Johns said he met Thomas Jacob Sanford, who police identified as the gunman, while campaigning door to door on East Atherton Road near Center Road on Sept. 22.

The Michigan State Police Bomb Squad was in the same area on Sunday, searching for clues from Sanford’s home about what led him to carry out the mass shooting that also injured eight others. Sanford was also killed after exchanging gunfire with authorities, police said.

After a few minutes of introductions, Johns said, Sanford steered the conversation directly to the Mormon church and did not turn back, repeatedly telling him that “the Mormons are the anti-Christ.”

“Religion is not a (regular) topic on the doorstep,” Johns said of the encounter, which began with Sanford acting outgoing — almost jovial — before his conversation became “unhinged” about the church.

“He asked me what (I knew) about Mormons,” said Johns, who said he’s been interviewed about the encounter by Michigan State Police and the FBI.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday, Sept. 29, that investigators are looking into how Sanford’s feelings about the Latter-day Saints tied into Sunday’s attack.

“From what I understand, based on my conversations with the FBI director, all they know right now is this was an individual who hated people of the Mormon faith,” she said during an interview on Fox News Channel’s “Fox and Friends.”

Johns said Sanford told him members of the church “wanted him to get rid of his tattoos” and talked about the various tenets of the faith, including “sealing,” a process that Mormons believe binds a husband, a wife, and their children to each other for eternity. According to the church website, members are not supposed to tattoo their bodies.

According to the Latter-day Saints, sealing can be performed only in a temple by a man who has the priesthood or the authority from God. It means family relationships will endure after death if the individuals live according to the teachings of Jesus Christ, according to the LDS website.

Johns described Sanford’s comments as unusual and said he was able to follow some of them because he has friends who are members of the Latter-day Saints. It is unclear what Sanford’s involvement was with the Mormon church.

Johns said he was visiting homes in the city where someone in the household had voted in the primary City Council election in August.

The candidate said Sanford’s name wasn’t the one that triggered his visit, but he was outside the home when John’s abruptly pulled over when I noticed the address.

“He engaged with me because he thought something was wrong with my car,” Johns said. “I pulled over quickly, and he was in the driveway … In this 20-minute conversation, there was no political talk.

“It was entirely based on religion,” he said. “He had an extreme issue with the church.”