As I look at recent events happening on a worldwide basis, it is becoming apparent that we must consider raising the security level for the near future.  When an active shooter event occurs, we frequently have a second or third copycat event. This week we had a shooting at Fort Hood, Texas followed by a office shooting in Florida the next day. I am concerned that an unstable individual might decide that it is time or commit a similar event at one of our churches. Please pay close attention for the next few week to any unusual circumstances.  The week’s shooting sprees include:

Fort Hood, Texas shooting spree

13 killed  and 38 wounded!

The Army psychiatrist suspected of being the lone gunman in a horrific massacre at Fort Hood in Texas took a “very calm and measured approach” to carrying out the mass shooting, the commanding general said Friday.

Survivors of the rampage that killed 13 and wounded 30 said the suspect, Major Nidal Malik Hasan, shouted “Allahu Akbar!” – “God is great!” in Arabic – before opening fire, base commander Lt. Gen. Robert Cone said.

Cone said officials had not yet confirmed that Hasan, 39, made the comment. Authorities searched his apartment early Friday for clues but haven’t yet been able to talk to Hasan, who survived the shootings and was hospitalized on a ventilator.

The shooter reportedly files over 100 rounds during the event. Only the quick response of a female first responder prevented the death toll from growing further.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,572448,00.html?sPage=fnc/us/crime

Orlando Office Shooting

A gunman killed one and injured five, police said, in a shooting Friday at the Orlando offices of an engineering firm where the suspect was let go more than two years ago.
The shooting set off an intense manhunt Friday afternoon until the alleged gunman, Jason Rodriguez, 40, was arrested without incident at his mother’s Florida apartment building, police said.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,572605,00.html

In 2008 we had multiple shooting incidents at churches in March, May and November. We do not know if any of these shooting provided an incentive to others to copycat the initial shooting from that month or year.

Also consider the difficult times that we are living in and the personal suffering that is being experienced by many such as the concern for the economy, job loss, losses in retirement savings, marital issues and family,

As I review the events, I am very concerned that we are not through with violent events. Past history indicates that as an incident occurs, other people looks at that issue and for some reason decide to replicate that event. With that in mind, we must be very vigilent for the next several weeks.

1. Put additional staff in te Sacctuary, one close to the front and one in the rear at minimum.

2. Do not allow unknown people to approach the podium or stage.

3. Keep security staff in the foyers and parking lots.

4. If you are not using radios for discrete communication, you need to start soon.

5. Be aware of your surroundings and the people in them.

6. Be on the look out for inappropriate conduct and suspicious activities such as people in unusual areas of the church, or sitting alone in a car in the church parking lot and surrounding streets.

7. Also, recognize the potential areas of concern such as the back parking lots, balconies, back stage areas or baptisteries.

8. Watch for people wearing unusual clothes that could hide weapons.

9. Watch for large packages such as duffle bags, music instrument cases that could hide a rifle or shotgun.

10. Watch for people that appear to be very emotional or distressed as well as displaying signs of unrest such as sweating or nervously glancing in all directions.

11. Watch for people entering after the start of the service.

12. Consider reducing the number of unlocked doors and funnel members and guests through one or two doors that are being watched by the greeters and security team members.

13. Make sure that you have medical staff available if possible.

Above All

Know that God will watch over us and trust that he puts one of us in place if a wolf decides to attack our church.

Plan for the worst possible situation

and

Pray for Gods best for the church.

For Christ Our Savior

Sincerely

Jack and Glen

I located a video from a local news station regarding the incident involving to men who were demonstrating public displays of affection. They were approached by church security and asked to stop and leave, when they became verbally abusive, they were handcuffed and the police were called. A few days later a “kiss-in” was held close to church property in protest. Below is a video and the SLCPD police report.

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Download the report by clicking here.

See a video where I talk about the incident on my Church Security Today blog.

Church Security Interview: First Baptist Church of Maryville experienced a horror nobody should ever have to experience. Captain Brad Wells, Chief Detective for the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, was on scene March 8, 2009 after Pastor Fred Wilson was shot while he preached from the pulpit. In this audio interview with Glen Evans, Captain Wells describes the challenges responding officers faced when the investigation began and some insights we who provide security for church can all learn from.
Read More…

Fox News Report at 1:42 on May 31, 2009

WICHITA, Kan. — DEVELOPING: Media outlets are reporting that late-term abortion doctor George Tiller has been shot and killed at his church in Wichita, Kan.

Anonymous police sources told The Wichita Eagle and other media that the 67-year-old doctor was killed Sunday morning at Reformation Lutheran Church.

Police spokesman Gordon Bassham would not confirm the victim’s identity pending notification of relatives but said a 67-year-old “high-profile individual in the community” was shot and killed.

Tiller has been among the few U.S. physicians performing late-term abortions. His clinic has repeatedly been the site of protests for about two decades and he was shot and wounded by a protester in 1993.

Additional news agencies are reporting he was shot in front of his church.  No suspect information has been released.

Church Shooting News Conference:

In America we have the right to protest what we deem as unjust, as long as the action is not disruptive or a violation of other citizen’s rights. A recent development within the United States has been disruption of church services by homosexual groups intent on drawing attention to their views.

Most recently, a group identified as Bash Back disrupted a Michigan church where they yelled, disrupted the service, handed out pamphlets and kissed each other.

As upsetting as this may be to church members, it is important your church security team responds to this disruption appropriately and within the law. The problem initially is determining the threat level posed to church members. Physical attacks, where the safety of innocent church members is in jeopardy, should be stopped as soon as someone can intervene. However, the groups targeting churches at this time do not outwardly physically attack (not that this could not change) people. There have been reports of spitting upon Chrisitans, but this has occurred outside the church environment.
Read More…

Church Security Incident, Temecula, CA- A Korean church camp/retreat center, Kkottongnae Retreat Camp, came under fire in Temecula, CA on Tuesday, April 7, 2009 late in the evening. Authorities believe a man entered the retreat center and shot a female relative, possibly his spouse.

It is unknown whether the suspect used a rifle or handgun.

Read More…

Video interview of man who subdued church shooter in Maryville, Illinois church shooting.

Most active shooter incidents are solved by a spontaneous hero who quickly recognize what is happening and then make split second decisions to initiate action. Afterwards, many call these people heroes, and indeed they are heroes.

Keith Melton, 51, a First Baptist Church member, watched the incident happen and took action. He and another member, Terry Bullard, 39, rushed the stage and took control of the suspect. Melton was stabbed in the chest and Bullard was injured and remains in critical care.

Below you can watch an interview with Melton. He says many things that are indicative of those involved in critical incidents. Pray for Melton’s and Bullard’s recovery. If it was not for their quick thinking and action, more innocent people may have died.

The church shooter has been charged with murder.

Excuse the brief add, video from 3rd party source.

First Baptist Church of Maryville – Shooting Site-Excuse the Ad-Video is from Fox News

We have had another church shooting today. The details are very sketchy at this time. One person has died and the condition of four of the victims is not known at this time. the gunman stepped on the stage and opened fire hitting five, including the pastor. The shooter was overpowered by members of the church and detained for the police. Here is the initial report from CNN. We will post additional details as they are known

CNN:The pastor of a Maryville, Illinois, church was shot to death during a service Sunday in front of horrified parishioners who then tackled the gunman, state police said.

Fred Winters, the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Maryville, was shot and killed during the 8 a.m. service, and the attacker and two parishioners suffered knife wounds in the attack, said Illinois state police spokesman Ralph Timmins.

The gunman walked in during the service and walked up to the pulpit, opening fire when he was met by Winters, Timmins said. A police dispatcher in Maryville, about 10 miles east of St. Louis, Missouri, told CNN the pastor was shot three times.

Timmins said the gunman’s .45-caliber pistol jammed after he shot Winters. The shooter then pulled out a knife and turned it on himself before being tackled by some of the roughly 150 worshippers attending the church.

Two of those who went after the attacker suffered non-life-threatening injuries, while the suspect’s injuries are “very serious,” Timmins said.

Witness Claudia Bohley told CNN affiliate KSDK she was in the church’s foyer waiting for the service to begin when she heard “pop, pop, pop. … We just couldn’t imagine what had happened.”

She said she ran into the sanctuary and saw what looked like paper scattered on the pulpit. She said she was later told that the bullet hit Winters’ Bible.

“It was like confetti. It went everywhere,” she said. “People were down on their knees and on the floor, screaming and praying.”

She described Winters — who is pictured on the church’s Web site along with his wife and two children — as “such a pleasant pastor.”

St. Louis University Hospital spokeswoman Laura Keller told CNN three males, including the suspect, were brought to the hospital. One was dead on arrival, she said, but the hospital was not releasing names and ages. She said the second was in an operating room and the third was the suspect, whose condition was not immediately available.

Phone calls to the church office from CNN rang unanswered Sunday. A posting on the church’s Web site said a prayer vigil would be held at 6 p.m. at Metro Community Church in Edwardsville, Illinois, about six miles north of Maryville.

First Baptist Church is fairly large, with about 1,000 members, KSDK reported. The church holds four Sunday services.

Timmins said many of the people attending the service remained for hours afterward, as police were conducting interviews.

The Illinois shooting is believed to be the nation’s first in a church since July, when a 58-year-old man opened fire in a Knoxville, Tennessee, church during a children’s play. Two people were killed and six wounded in that shooting at Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church.

In the Tennessee case, Jim Adkisson told police he targeted the church because of its “liberal teachings,” according to court papers. Adkisson pleaded guilty last month in a deal that allowed him to avoid the death penalty and will face life in prison without parole, court officials said

Link to Story

An Additional Report – Associated Press

MARYVILLE, Ill. — A gunman walked down the aisle of a sprawling suburban St. Louis church during a Sunday service and killed the pastor before stabbing himself and slashing two others as parishioners wrestled him to the ground, authorities said.

A suburban St. Louis pastor shot and killed during his Sunday sermon deflected the first of the gunman’s four rounds with a Bible, sending a confetti-like spray of paper into the air in a horrifying scene parishioners at first thought was a skit, police said.

The gunman strode down the aisle of the sprawling brick First Baptist Church shortly after 8 a.m., exchanged words with the Rev. Fred Winters and began firing a .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol until the gun jammed and parishioners wrestled him to the ground, said Illinois State Police Director Larry Trent.

“We thought it was part of a drama skit…when he shot, what you saw was confetti,” said parishioner Linda Cunningham, whose husband is a minister of adult education at the church. “We just sat there waiting for what comes next not realizing that he had wounded the pastor.”

Two parishioners then tackled the gunman as he brandished a four-inch knife, and all three suffered stab wounds, Trent said. The gunman and one victim were flown to a St. Louis hospital, where both underwent surgery. The other victim was treated for slash wounds and released.

“Things like this just don’t happen in Maryville,” Mayor Larry Gulledge said. “We’ve lost one the pillars of our community, one of our leaders.”

Authorities didn’t know whether Winters, a married father of two who had led the church for nearly 22 years, and the gunman knew each other, though no one at the church seemed to recognize him. Police described the gunman as a 27-year-old from nearby Troy but would not release his name pending possible charges.

“We don’t know the relationship (between the gunman and pastor), why he’s here or what the circumstances came about that caused him in the first place to be here,” said Illinois State Police Master Trooper Ralph Timmins.

The Rev. Mark Jones, another First Baptist pastor, said he briefly saw the gunman before a weapon was pulled. Jones then walked to an adjacent room and did not see the shooting, though he heard a sound like miniature fire crackers.

“We have no idea what this guy’s motives were,” Jones said outside the church. “We don’t know if we’ll ever know that.”

Trent did not have details of Winters’ conversation with the gunman.

“Right now all we know is that the suspect said something to the pastor and the pastor said something back,” he said.

Winters was pronounced dead on arrival at Anderson Hospital in Maryville, said hospital spokeswoman Natalie Head.

The gunman and one stabbing victim, 39-year-old Terry Bullard, were treated at St. Louis University Hospital, said spokeswoman Laura Keller. Bullard underwent surgery for stab wounds and was in serious condition Sunday, she said.

Keller said the gunman underwent surgery Sunday afternoon but could not provide his name or detail his condition or injuries.

The other victim, Keith Melton, was treated and released from Gateway Regional Medical Center, said spokeswoman Kate Allaria. A man who answered the phone at a listing for Keith Melton in Troy identified himself as Melton’s stepson and said Melton had been stabbed but was going to be fine.

First Baptist had an average attendance of 32 people when Winters became senior pastor in 1987; it now has about 1,200 members, according to the church’s Web site. Winters also was former president of the Illinois Baptist State Association and an adjunct professor for Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, according to the site.

“Our great God is not surprised by this, or anything,” Nate Adams, executive director of the Illinois Baptist State Association, said in a statement. “That He allows evil and free will to have their way in tragedies like this is a mystery in many ways.”

The church sits along a busy two-lane highway on the east side of Maryville, a fast-growing village of more than 7,000 about 20 miles northeast of St. Louis. A farm sits directly across from church, but subdivisions of newer homes can been easily seen from every side.

Parishioner Sharla Dryden, 62, pulled into the church parking lot for a 9:30 a.m. service Sunday to see “just a lot of chaos, lot of police, fire, and people just devastated.”

“They just said there had been a shooting,” Dryden said. “I would have been devastated if anyone had been shot, but to hear it was the pastor was terrible. You just never expect this to happen at a church.”

Last month, a man shot and killed himself in front of a cross inside televangelist Robert H. Schuller’s Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, Calif. In November, a gunman killed his estranged wife in a New Jersey church vestibule as Sunday services let out.

The church said on its Web site that there would be prayer service at 6 p.m. tonight at Metro Community Church in Edwardsville.

– Associated Press

Lincoln, Nebraska-Police are looking for a brazen thief who went to Lincoln’s Berean Church dressed as an armored service guard — and walked away with nearly $145,000. A man who appeared to be a guard with an armored car service walked into the church’s financial office Tuesday morning and told a woman he was there to pick up the deposit. When the church employee mentioned he was early, he gave a plausible excuse of why he was there.

The thief’s take was just shy of $145,000 in cash and checks. The thief was wearing a dark hat, uniform shirt, and uniform pants with a security emblem. He was able to fool the church staff, who handed the money over to the fake guard who left in an unknown vehicle.

The white male was said to be in his late twenties. The total take in cash was about $4,000, and the rest was said to be in checks.

The church has advised it’s membership to cancel any checks submitted for the offering this past weekend.

See Lincoln Star Story

Excuse the Ad-This isn’t our video.

Glen of Church Security Alliance was recently quoted on a CNN article on Armed Church Security Teams.

This is a topic of conversation at many churches as they decide how to handle the increase in violent incidents at churches.

Story Highlights

• Churches nationwide turning to parishioners to join volunteer security teams
• Many volunteers are retired and off-duty officers who carry concealed weapons
• Congregants say the armed security presence provides peace of mind
• Consultants encourage using armed guards who are trained in weapons handling

(CNN) — Lori Davis remembers a time when the doors were always open at her church — and not guarded.

Read More…