A List of Active Killer Incidents at Houses of Worship and Religious Schools
Some people in leadership at churches still question why it’s necessary to have an armed and trained church security/safety team as part of their dedicated ministry efforts.
[ Read the SemperVerus article, Active Killer Advice Compendium ]
The following list should be reason enough:
[ Bookmark the SemperVerus CHURCH SECURITY INTELLIGENCE CLIPBOARD ]
• Wesley Memorial Church, High Point, North Carolina, June 28, 2026
An armed 44-year-old man wearing camouflage clothing and body armor sat in his truck in the parking lot during the morning service. An observant person called 911, and an off-duty officer working at the church immediately responded to the parking lot. Additional officers arrived, disarmed the man, and took him into custody without incident. Upon searching his truck, officers found 2 flamethrowers, 2 crossbows, 3 knives, 500+ rounds of ammunition, a CO2-powered launcher, designed to resemble a handgun, rolls of black duct tape, oxycodone pills, and a notebook containing the addresses of churches, schools, and public buildings. The man, who authorities say has experience with bombs, also had two radios with police scanners, GPS coordinates, handcuffs and keys, and a copy of the North Carolina Tactical Interoperability Guide marked public safety sensitive.
[ Read the SemperVerus article, Interview With Active Shooter Incident Expert, Lt. Col. Ed Monk ]
• Islamic Center of San Diego, San Diego, California, May 18, 2026
Just before noon on the first day of Dhul Hijjah, a sacred period in the Islamic year, two males, 17 and 18 years old, wearing camouflage clothing, fatally shot a security guard and two staff members outside the largest mosque in San Diego, which includes a pre-K through 3rd-grade Islamic school. Both killers were found in a car a few blocks away, dead from self-inflicted gunshots.
[ Read the SemperVerus article, Interview With Police Trainer, Ron Borsch, on Church Security Teams Stopping Active Killer Incidents ]
• Congregation Beth Israel synagogue, Houston, Texas, Apr. 23, 2026
A juvenile and an 18-year-old female were arrested in Lexington, North Carolina, after allegedly planning a mass casualty attack on a Jewish day school in Houston, Texas. Court documents show that the conspiracy the female was allegedly planning was to “kill as many Jews as possible by driving through a congregation at a synagogue.”
[ Read the SemperVerus article, The Increasing Threat of Drones to Church Security ]
• Eden Church, Houston, Texas, Mar. 15, 2026
A 23-year-old man wearing a backpack and armed with a loaded gun and more than 100 rounds of ammunition was tackled by a security guard inside the church before he could open fire. While on the ground, he allegedly shouted, “I’m going to kill [the pastor], who is a fake prophet. I am a prophet called Warlock.” The security team and members of the church assisted the guard in restraining the man. He was charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
[ Read the SemperVerus article, The Biblical Case for Being a Christian AND a Warrior ]
• Temple Israel Synagogue, West Bloomfield Township, Michigan, Mar. 12, 2026
After waiting in the Temple Israel parking lot for more than two hours, a 41-year-old man, in a Hezbollah-inspired act of terror, rammed his pickup truck through the front doors of this 3,500-member family / 12,000-member Reform Jewish congregation, drove down a hall, opened fire through the windshield with a rifle after striking the congregation’s director of security, knocking him unconscious, and after which the vehicle burst into flames, engulfing the structure. The attacker exchanged fire with armed synagogue security personnel, then killed himself during the gunfight. Large quantities of commercial-grade fireworks and 35 gallons of gasoline were found in the back of the truck. All 140 students in its early childhood center, along with staff and teachers, were unharmed. At least 63 law enforcement officers were taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation.
