Five people have been killed and at least eight others injured after a mass shooting and fire at a Mormon church in Michigan.

Axar.az informs, citing Sky news, the incident took place at around 10.25am local time on Sunday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, about 50 miles north of Detroit.

The suspect - identified as Thomas Jacob Sanford, 40, from the nearby city of Burton - was shot dead by police officers.

He served in the Marines from June 2004 to June 2008 and was deployed in Iraq.

Sanford drove a vehicle through the front doors of the church before opening fire with an assault rifle, police said.

He then exited the vehicle and began firing rounds at people who were attending Sunday service, before deliberately starting the blaze, police added.

The blaze has been extinguished but authorities believe they will find additional victims in the charred building.