It is time for churches to take action and prepare for the worst so they can avoid it if possible. Church shootings are the most well-known dangers that are probable, but many other dangers still plague churches. Below I list on some of the shootings in a church, but below that I will also give some additional information on other dangers and problem areas.
The following are quotes from various news sources.
The Charleston church shooting (also known as the Charleston church massacre) was a mass shooting, that took place at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in downtown Charleston, South Carolina, United States, on the evening of June 17, 2015. The Shooter was believed to have stopped at another church afterwards, possibly contemplating further violence.
– – – – – – – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charleston_church_shooting
NASHVILLE — The Tennessee man police say brazenly opened fire on a Nashville-area church Sunday morning, killing one and seriously injuring seven others, admitted to police he opened fire on the church, according to new court documents. The shooting occurred in the city of Antioch, at the Burnette Chapel Church of Christ.
– – – – – – – https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/09/25/nashville-church-shooting-suspect-cryptic-posts/699082001/
In April 2014, a gunman opened fire at a Jewish community center and a Jewish assisted living facility in a Kansas City suburb, killing three, including a 14-year-old boy. The suspect, an avowed white supremacist named Frazier Glenn Cross, aka Frazier Glenn Miller Jr., was charged with first-degree murder. None of the victims was Jewish. Cross, in failing health, said this past April that he would plead guilty to avoid a lengthy trial.
In August 2012, an attacker entered a kitchen at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in suburban Milwaukee before Sunday services and began shooting. He killed three people inside the house of worship and three people outside. The shooter, Wade Michael Page, an Army veteran, reportedly wounded a police officer before killing himself. He was known to have ties to hate groups, but the FBI could not completely clarify his motives.
In July 2008, a man walked into a children’s musical performance at Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, pulled out a shotgun and began shooting. Two people died and seven were wounded. Jim David Adkisson confessed to the attack in an affidavit, saying the church’s “liberal teachings” had compelled him to kill. In 2009, Adkisson was sentenced to life in prison.
In December 2007, 24-year-old Matthew J. Murray went on a killing spree at two locations 65 miles apart. After being told he could not spend the night, he shot up the Youth With A Mission training center in Arvada, Colorado, killing two people. He then killed two more at the New Life Church in Colorado Springs, where Youth With A Mission kept an office. He was reportedly shot by a congregant doubling as a security guard before he was said to have committed suicide. Forensic evidence led police to determine that Murray had committed both attacks.”
“In August 2007, a shooting in Neosho, Missouri, pierced the heart of the Micronesian community. Shouting “Liar, liar!” a man riddled the First Congregational Church with bullets. Three people died in the gunfire during the Micronesian service and five were wounded. Eiken Elam Saimon, also a member of the Micronesian community but not an active member of that church, later pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison, avoiding the death penalty.”
“In July 2006, a man barged through the security entrance of the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle and shot six women, killing one. The gunman, Naveed Haq, said he was angry at Israel. He received a life sentence in 2010.”
– – – – – – http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/18/shootings-places-of-worship_n_7612520.html
Besides the above information,
The report, “’Crimes against Christian Organizations in the United States -2010,’ which was independently compiled by the organization, shows that many crimes against churches increased between 2009 and 2010. Among the crimes that saw a sharp increase in 2010 were burglary, theft and internal theft, which combined costs churches nearly $20 million in damage. Though it only increased slightly in 2010, incidents of arson were also costly to churches nationwide, inflicting more than $3 million in damage, according to the report.”
The report, “Crimes against churches on the rise,” by Joel Griffin, assistant editor on Feb 17, 2011, detailed how bad the situation really is.
For more information go to: http://www.securityinfowatch.com/article/10489161/report-crimes-against-churches-on-the-rise.
Finally, I want to encourage all churches to get in touch with Kris P. Moloney at Sheepdog Church Security, He and his team will help you identify areas of concern, and will explain steps to resolve those issues. Their website is http://sheepdogchurchsecurity.net/index.html
