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A List of Active Killer Incidents at Houses of Worship and Religious Schools

Photo credit: David von Diemar, https://unsplash.com/@davidvondiemar 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 ]

• Undisclosed church, Venice, Florida, Aug. 11, 2026
A 19-year-old male, with a grievance against a local church, was planning to take hostages during an active killing at the facility. He was arrested and charged with making written threats to kill, threats to bomb or conduct a mass shooting, and unlawful use of a two-way communication device to commit a felony.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Checklist: Questions to Ask During a Bomb Threat Call ]

• St. John’s Lutheran Church, Effingham, Illinois, July 5, 2026
Sunday morning before the worship service, a 36-year-old man from St. Charles, Missouri, entered the church and asked to speak with the pastor. Church security personnel called police to communicate their suspicions about the man and his vehicle in the church parking lot. Law enforcement responded and discovered that the vehicle had been reported stolen. During the struggle, when police attempted to restrain the man, he produced a firearm, which discharged, and he was struck. He died the next day.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Prepare for Teams of Terrorists, Says Gabe Suarez ]

• 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.”

Counterterrorism Guide: Situational Awareness to Hinder An Attack

The Joint Counterterrorism Assessment Team (JCAT) is a US interagency collaboration based at the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), which is aligned under the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI).

[ Bookmark the SemperVerus CHURCH SECURITY INTELLIGENCE CLIPBOARD ]

Working with intelligence analysts from NCTC, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), JCAT’s primary mission is to improve counterterrorism information sharing between federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial government agencies and the private sector. The latter is where that information is adaptable for personal self-defense and church security teams in being situationally aware to pre-indicators of criminal and terroristic attacks.

[ Read SemperVerus articles on the topic of SITUATIONAL AWARENESS ]

One resource is JCAT’s Counterterrorism Guide For Public Safety Personnel, offering content to assist self-defenders and church safety volunteers in:

Enroll in the Sheepdog Church Security Academy Safety Member Certification Program

Church security teams usually consist of every-day volunteers: men and women who are passionate about doing all they can to protect their congregation from natural and man-made threats, but who are not professionally trained in law enforcement, military defense, or medical emergency skills.

[ Bookmark the SemperVerus CHURCH SECURITY INTELLIGENCE CLIPBOARD ]

SemperVerus highly recommends the Sheepdog Church Security Academy Safety Member Certification program as an excellent online training curriculum that prepares volunteers to handle the full spectrum of threats churches face today—emergency response, disruptive persons, violent intruders, and abuse. Students gain practical skills rooted in legal clarity, real-world tactics, and biblical values.

Church Security Demands a Higher Standard Than Mere Every Day Carry

Volunteering during worship services and church events as an armed security team member is not the same as being a cursory, every day, concealed firearm carrier for your own self-defense. It requires a higher level of commitment. If you’re going to carry a weapon to protect congregants, you need to approach shooting as a professional skill.

[ Bookmark the SemperVerus CHURCH SECURITY INTELLIGENCE CLIPBOARD ]

So says Keith Graves, retired police sergeant and founder/trainer of Christian Warrior Training, in his article, Holding Armed Church Security to a Higher Standard.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Interview with Keith Graves of Christian Warrior Training ]

He writes, “The responsibility of protecting the flock requires more than occasional practice and casual familiarity with your gun. You need to train as if one day you may face the unthinkable—an armed threat during a service. The odds may be slim, but they are not zero.”

Church Greeters and Ushers: Eyes and Ears for Security

Church greeters and ushers are hospitality volunteers—whether standing outside of entrance doors or inside by tabletops, kiosks, and auditorium doors or walking people down worship service aisles—who provide a warm first impression for visitors and members, acting as welcoming ambassadors for the church by offering a smile, a sincere greeting, and assistance. Their roles include directing guests, answering questions about ministries or services, providing directions to restrooms and classrooms, and ensuring everyone feels comfortable and connected to the church community. Effective greeters are friendly, informed about the church’s activities, and can quickly assess visitors’ needs to make them feel valued and at ease.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Interview With Lori Morrison, Private Investigator ]

Retired licensed private investigator and member of her church’s safety team, Lori Morrison, says greeters should also act as eyes and ears for overall security during church events. In her Worship Facility article, “Training Our First Line of Defense: 4 Critical Issues for Church Greeters and Parking Attendants,” she writes, “With proper training, our greeters and parking attendants can become watchful sentinels who protect while they welcome.”