Profiling Church Shooters (2009)

[GSG]

I found this little gem here (http://www.churchsecurityservices.com/blog.htm), and thought it was interesting enough to share.

Profiling Church Shooters (2009)

I decided to update my church shooter's profile after this last shooting in Illinois. I have a 2008 version of this profile at CSSresources as an awareness resource for those registered at our free church security resource site. We will have this profile available there as well.

There have been 22 major church shootings since 1998 (as of March 2009). The average age of the shooter was 42.2 years.

Injuries- Average killed per incident 2.4

Average wounded per incident 2.0

Average congregants injured per incident 4.4

Types of Weapons used:
High powered rifles 3

.22 rifle 1

Shotguns 3

Handguns 14

Sword/knife* 2 * Multiple use




Resolution
Committed Suicide 8

Killed by Police/Security 2

Surrendered/captured 12



Motives

Unknown 6
Domestic/family issues 7

Revenge 2

Depression
/Mental issues 2

Hate Crime 5



Member/congregant was shooter 3


Had made prior threats 4


Occurred during services 15



The average profile for the shooter would be of someone who is in their late twenties or early fifties in age. He is not a congregant. He has not made a prior threat. He will attack during the church service. During the attack he will seriously injure or kill 4.4 congregants. He will use a handgun and be captured. He will have committed this attack because of family/domestic problems or for some unknown reason. Police will not be able to intervene until the shooter has already done his damage in 100% of the incidents..




Key points for churches -
If a church receives a threat it is imperative that all security steps possible are implemented (even to the point of canceling services). Police should be notified of the threat. Churches may be liable for these types of acts if they are “reasonably foreseeable “and no action is taken.

A church may be held accountable if incompetent security guards are hired.


Posted by Church Security Services Blog at 3/29/2009 8:52 PM

Does this affect how any of the pistol packing churchgoers here view active shooter scenarios in church?

 

[USMA-82]

I'm the Chairman of the Safety and Security Committee at my church - an organization that I created with the support of the pastor. I am well-aware of the growing threat to churches, and make a point of being prepared for uninvited intruders.

Anyone who blissfully sits in church each week thinking, "there's no way it could happen here" is just fooling themselves. My committee and I have plans to address not "if" it happens, but "when" it happens. Failure to plan is planning to fail.

*

 

[Lignum Vitea]

Very interesting info, I believe most churches are unprepared to handle a shooter.

I know of three others in my church that pack during service, sure would be nice if we had a coordinated plan.

I sit right rear isle seat and watch comings and goings through the rear doors.

 

[USMA-82]

I sit right rear isle seat and watch comings and goings through the rear doors.

Yup - left rear aisle seat for me. I try to get in a little early to MAKE SURE I get that seat.

*

 

[2 Bear Arms]

I'm the Chairman of the Safety and Security Committee at my church - an organization that I created with the support of the pastor. I am well-aware of the growing threat to churches, and make a point of being prepared for uninvited intruders.

Anyone who blissfully sits in church each week thinking, "there's no way it could happen here" is just fooling themselves. My committee and I have plans to address not "if" it happens, but "when" it happens. Failure to plan is planning to fail.

*

What are the laws in your area regarding establishing your own armed security force or even an unarmed security force? I have been trying to find the answer to these questions in my area. I thought I had heard that the members of this force must be licensed specifically for this task. In CT that would mean they must have a Security Guard Firearms Permit. And I thought I had heard that the church had to be licensed the same as a security company does.

 

[RichM]

It would seem that there are some additional simple security measures that can be easily employed:

Ushers should make a walk through the building shortly after the start of the service;
They should lock the exterior doors once the service has begun;
Late arrivals should be met at the door by one of the ushers or members of the security team;
The "offering" should be locked up as soon as the collection is completed (and blessed), and it should be secured by at least two persons;
Later during the service, an usher (or better yet, a team of ushers) should walk through the building checking for unsecured doors or intruders (or kids looking for some trouble!).

All of these measures can be implemented without scaring the "sheepier" congregants. Many of these measures have been implemented in our childrens' schools, with good success.

 

[GSG]

Very interesting info, I believe most churches are unprepared to handle a shooter.

Agreed. I also think that most churches are unprepared for any kind of major event (fire alarm, mentally disturbed person, domestic disputes, etc. which are much more common than mass shootings), which is why I think that it's very important to plan and prepare.

I know of three others in my church that pack during service, sure would be nice if we had a coordinated plan.

Also a very good idea, which I've expanded on below.

What are the laws in your area regarding establishing your own armed security force or even an unarmed security force? I have been trying to find the answer to these questions in my area. I thought I had heard that the members of this force must be licensed specifically for this task. In CT that would mean they must have a Security Guard Firearms Permit. And I thought I had heard that the church had to be licensed the same as a security company does.

The laws in every state are different.

It would seem that there are some additional simple security measures that can be easily employed:

Ushers should make a walk through the building shortly after the start of the service;
They should lock the exterior doors once the service has begun;
Late arrivals should be met at the door by one of the ushers or members of the security team;
The "offering" should be locked up as soon as the collection is completed (and blessed), and it should be secured by at least two persons;
Later during the service, an usher (or better yet, a team of ushers) should walk through the building checking for unsecured doors or intruders (or kids looking for some trouble!).

All of these measures can be implemented without scaring the "sheepier" congregants. Many of these measures have been implemented in our childrens' schools, with good success.

I think those are some excellant points as well. A few more that I've been mulling over:

Pick a designated 911 caller or two. Someone who works in the sound booth (whatever it's called, where they control the mics/music/etc.) could be good for this, since they're probably scheduled to be there and they're probably in a position where they can see the whole room. Practicing 911 calls would be a great idea too, since most people have never called 911 before. The faster LE/EMS/Fire get the call, the sooner they can get there.

Do drills/dry runs in the building or on the grounds when no one else is around, to give you an idea of what to expect from the building, and to keep from scaring any of the more sheep-like people.

Possibly designated un-armed staff/volunteers to go hands on and escort out unruly people with discreet backup from armed staff/volunteers so that the danger of losing a concealed firearm in a fight is minimized. This could also work well for other things such as medical emergencies or other incidents where a concealed firearm could become exposed while providing care or moving around when everyone's eyes are on you.

In 2/3's of the shootings this guy references, the gun used was a handgun, which is easily concealed. While you'll probably see someone with a rifle or shotgun before they're even near the building, if they have any concealment skills you won't see the handgun until they bring it out, most likely while shooting it. This means that any of the good guys in the church who might be shooting back (LTC holders or armed staff) are going to need to be able to shoot very quickly and very accurately. Train, practice, and take care of your equipment.

Coordinating armed staff and parishioners...I think that this is a very good idea, to prevent shooting the wrong people, but ultimately there's only so much that can be done. Chances are your church is open to the public, which means cops, criminals or law abiding citizens could be carrying inside without wearing a sign to advertise that they are. If anyone has ideas on how to make an announcement or something similar I'm all ears, since I can't think of a way to make this happen in some environments.

Another thing, keep the gun laws in mind. There's a few states that I know of off hand that prohibit guns in churches or other houses of worship (Illegal for sure in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, probably other states too), but other issues could come up as well. Does the church house a private school? There's also some churches that borrow the local high school gym for services, or that have a daycare on the property, and I even went to one that used the function hall of a bar on Sunday mornings. Any and all of this could come into play if it's illegal to have guns in bars, schools, churches, etc. in your home state, so learn the laws. I'd also imagine that some states might have exemptions for armed security in places where guns aren't allowed, but that doesn't help the LTC holder who wants to make it through Sunday service alive. I posted a thread that touches on this subject awhile back in the Mass. Gun Laws section of the forum, about the legality of carrying in a church that has a pre-school inside. Here's the link: Guns allowed in preschool/kindergarten?

Any other ideas, or concerns/criticisms for mine?

 

[stoneypete]

I know of two pistols in each service I attend. Mine and one of the ladies who has asked my input when she chose her carry pistol. I may have to speak with the elders about what is being done whilst the services are going on.

 

[60 buckscash]

One option to find out who shoots in the congregattion is with the Pastor's approval a church shooting club. It will let you know who is interested and their level of awereness, without asking directly.

 

[Finalygotabeltfed]

Now we know why so many cling to their Bible's AND their guns.

 

[GSG]

One option to find out who shoots in the congregattion is with the Pastor's approval a church shooting club. It will let you know who is interested and their level of awereness, without asking directly.

That's a great idea!

Now we know why so many cling to their Bible's AND their guns.

Yup, every Sunday, holiday and church function.