A Florida Man Planned a Church Attack: What Happened, What Churches Must Learn, and What the Bible Says About It
A Florida man who once attended Christ Fellowship Church was arrested after making explicit online threats and conducting pre-attack surveillance before a major church event, revealing critical lesson
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INCIDENT: WHAT HAPPENED IN THE CASE OF MICHAEL IABONI
The investigation into Michael Anthony Iaboni began when law enforcement received a crime-stopper tip about videos he had posted online. The tipster warned that Iaboni had recently been fired from his job and was becoming increasingly unstable. Investigators reviewed his Facebook account, “Michael A Iaboni,” and found videos that went beyond anger or frustration. The content showed targeted threats, simulated violence, and specific references to a local church he had ties to.
One of his videos, recorded around early November, showed him wearing a grey sweatshirt and identifying himself as “Michael Iaboni, from Florida.” His tone was angry and erratic. At one point he said he was “tired up,” then added “it’s all kill shot.” He lifted his hands as if holding a gun and made “pew pew” noises. These weren’t vague threats or metaphorical statements. They were act-based rehearsals directed at real-world targets.
He also said, “I would never take my own life, but I understand the people that I’m going to be going after could potentially be dangerous.” That statement signals a belief that he expected armed resistance. He wasn’t describing suicide. He was describing a violent confrontation he believed would end with his death. Offenders who talk this way often see themselves in a final, self-justified act.
Iaboni made his intentions clear. He said, “I’m going after mega churches. Christ Fellowship is on my list.” That direct naming of a specific church, paired with simulated shooting actions, gives investigators a strong indicator of true intent. He also said, “My end game is taking you out.” Later in the video, he described himself as one of “the quiet ones,” adding “I no longer fear death. I expect death to come fast and very violent. Hopefully I go out fast.” These are statements commonly seen in the pathway to targeted violence: grievance, fixation, identification with violence, and preparation.
IInvestigators learned that Iaboni had attended Christ Fellowship in the past, giving him a prior connection to the congregation. He also told investigators that his ex-boss had fired him, though he did not link that to the church in any way. Even without that connection, his past involvement with Christ Fellowship is meaningful. Most attacks against churches come from insider threats, where the offender has either a direct relationship with the church or some kind of brief or unresolved connection. Iaboni fit that profile.
Iaboni also posted alarming statements on November 7th, just two days before a major Christ Fellowship event expected to draw an extra 1,000 people on top of standard attendance. In that post he wrote, “If you give me the opportunity to defend myself, it’s gonna look like a genocide.” He also said, “Don’t f* my suicide.”** Then he referenced a “dead man’s switch” and wrote, “Operation murder the corruption will begin.” When offenders begin naming their plans and giving them titles, it shows deepening commitment to the violent fantasy.
The reports confirm that Iaboni conducted pre-attack surveillance. On November 2nd, he went to Christ Fellowship in person, spoke with staff, and attempted to gather information. Church staff also reported that he had been frequenting the church. Around the same time, he recorded threatening videos from inside his vehicle. Pre-attack surveillance is one of the strongest indicators of imminent violence because offenders often gather details about access points, patterns, and upcoming events before acting.
During his arrest, he claimed everything he posted was protected speech and said, “This is what freedom of speech gets me. I didn’t threaten anyone.” But Florida law is clear. People cannot issue written or electronic threats to kill, commit a mass shooting, or place others in fear of being harmed. The moment specific targets are named, violent acts are simulated, and the desire to carry them out is expressed, the statements are no longer protected speech.
Another concern identified in the report was that Iaboni is prohibited from possessing firearms because of a 2023 injunction. Despite that, he continued posting content centered around killing, violence, and mass casualty scenarios. Legal prohibitions don’t eliminate the threat. They simply change how an offender might plan.
When deputies transported him to jail, Iaboni said, “Come on, if you’re looking at my social media, I’m moving silent.” That comment suggests he believed he was transitioning away from visible threats into covert behavior. People rarely say that unless they are actively thinking about continued action.
Based on the videos, his prior connection to the church, the explicit threats, the timing before a major event, and his pre-attack reconnaissance, deputies determined that Iaboni posed a real and immediate threat to Christ Fellowship and its congregants. His statements reflected someone who had moved from grievance to preparation.
READ THE ARREST REPORTS
WHAT CHURCHES CAN DO TO PREVENT AN ATTACK LIKE THIS
Understanding the Insider Threat
Cases like Michael Iaboni’s show that these attacks rarely come from strangers who pick a church at random. Most church shootings involve someone with a direct or short-term connection to the congregation. Iaboni attended Christ Fellowship in the past and believed his firing was tied to his involvement with the church. When a person carries that kind of grievance, the church becomes the symbol of everything they feel they lost. Churches need to track individuals who show resentment, anger, or unresolved conflict tied to the congregation.
Recognizing What He Did Before The Planned Day
The documents lay out several actions that line up with known pre-attack behavior.
Investigators note that Christ Fellowship was planning a large volunteer event on November 9, 2025. The theme was “Make a Meal, Make an Impact,” and the church expected about one thousand extra people on top of their normal attendance. In the days leading up to that event, Iaboni:
Posted a video in which he said he was “going after mega churches, Christ Fellowship is on my list to hit also,” and described his “end game” as “taking you out.”
Talked about expecting death to come “fast and very violent,” and said he hoped he would “go out fast.”
Posted again on November 7, saying that if he was given the opportunity to defend himself it was “gonna look like a genocide,” and that a “dead man’s switch has been chosen.”
Signed up for a church program called “The Journey” on November 2, where he was “attempting to find out more information about the church.” Staff later told police they had seen him frequenting the church recently.
All of that happened before the scheduled volunteer event. He did not just talk online. He made contact with the church and showed interest in their programs. That is exactly the kind of pattern a safety ministry needs to watch for.
Spotting Pre-Attack Indicators In Words And Behavior
The reports show several indicators that should always raise concern:
Leakage of intent, he talked openly about going after mega churches, named Christ Fellowship, and said his end game was taking people out.
Obsession with death, he said he no longer feared death and expected it to come fast and violent.
Mass casualty language, he claimed that an encounter would “look like a genocide” and mentioned a “dead man’s switch.”
Grievance and anger, he described being recently fired and expressed rage at powerful people and “corruption.”
When someone moves from general anger to specific violent language and names a target, church leaders cannot treat it as venting. That is the moment to document, report, and act.
Teaching your team what these statements look like, with real examples from cases like this one, helps them know when to escalate a concern instead of shrugging it off.
Watching Social Media And Open Sources
Every statement that triggered this investigation came from public social media. The videos were posted to a Facebook account in his real name. The written threats were on his profile where anyone could see them. Another police agency received an anonymous complaint about his posts and forwarded the material.
That is open-source intelligence. It did not require a warrant or a special tool. Someone simply watched what he chose to publish about himself.
Churches should consider designating a trusted person on the safety team as an intelligence officer. This isn’t someone running covert operations. It’s a trained volunteer who understands how to use open-source intelligence tools, monitors publicly available social media, and tracks individuals who pose a concern. Their responsibilities can include:
Tracking people who make concerning statements about the church.
Saving screenshots or links when threats or violent language appear.
Watching for changes in tone, like escalating anger, talk about weapons, or talk about death.
Sharing that information with the safety leader and the pastor when needed.
This is not spying. It is paying attention to what people make public. In Iaboni’s case, that is what allowed law enforcement to act before the church’s volunteer event.
Tracking High-Risk Individuals After Release
The report notes that Iaboni violated Florida’s law on written threats of mass shooting and that an arrest warrant was approved. It also notes that in 2023 he had an injunction that affected his ability to possess firearms. Even with that, the concern does not end at the arrest.
People with this level of grievance and fantasy often come back to the same targets after they are released. Churches should plan for that reality. When a known threat is arrested:
Enroll in victim or offender notification systems offered by your state, so you know when the person is released.
Keep a file with screenshots of the threats, police report numbers, and any communication with law enforcement.
Update your safety team briefings so volunteers know the name and face of the person involved.
Once they are out, continue to check their public social media occasionally for renewed fixation or new threats.
For a church in the position of Christ Fellowship, that would mean tracking when Iaboni is released and continuing to monitor his public statements, especially if he talks again about the church.
Learning The Basics Of OSINT For Ministry
Open-source intelligence, often shortened to OSINT, sounds technical, but the foundation is simple. It is the practice of using publicly available information to assess potential threats. A volunteer can learn the basics:
Searching for a person’s public profiles by name, email, or username.
Reading their posts for direct threats, references to weapons, or fantasies about violence.
Saving evidence in an organized way so it can be quickly shared with police.
Churches do not need to become professional investigators. They do need at least one person who understands how to find what a person is already shouting into the public square.
Building A Layered Safety Ministry
An incident like this shows how close a congregation can come to a mass casualty event without even realizing it. Christ Fellowship had a large event scheduled, with an extra thousand people expected. A man who lived nearby, who used to attend the church, was making explicit threats and talking about genocide and dead man’s switches. Thankfully, law enforcement intervened first.
For your church, the answer is not one security volunteer standing at a door. You need a layered ministry:
Greeters and ushers who are trained to watch behavior, not just hand out bulletins.
Parking lot volunteers who pay attention to people circling, filming, or behaving oddly.
A core safety team that understands pre-attack indicators and knows when to contact police.
Medical volunteers ready to treat injuries if the worst happens.
An intelligence volunteer who watches for the kind of online leakage that Michael Iaboni displayed.
When these roles work together, your church is far more likely to spot a threat while it is still in the planning stage, before it becomes an attack on a Sunday morning or during a special event.
THE BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE ON THREATS AGAINST THE CHURCH
When you look at a case like Michael Iaboni’s, the spiritual weight of it becomes clear. This wasn’t just a security incident. It was a reminder of what Jesus said would happen to His people. What stands out in the report is that during his arrest, Iaboni told deputies that his religion was Christianity. At the same time, his posts talked about killing members of a Christian church, bringing violent death, and carrying out “genocide.” You don’t have to stretch Scripture to see the conflict. The Bible has always warned that not everyone who claims the name of Christ is a follower of Christ.
Not Everyone Who Says “Lord, Lord” Belongs to Him
Jesus said plainly in Matthew 7:21 that “not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven.” Some will claim faith while acting against everything God commands. Violence against the church by someone claiming to be Christian is not new. Judas walked beside Christ for years and still betrayed Him from inside the group. The early church faced enemies who came from within as often as from outside. Scripture prepares us for the painful truth that betrayal sometimes comes wrapped in familiar language.
Jesus Warned the Church About Persecution
Christ told His disciples in John 16:33 that they would have trouble in the world. He said in Matthew 5:11 that believers would be insulted, lied about, and attacked because of Him. None of this is surprising when you read the New Testament. The church has endured persecution since its first days. It shows up in different forms depending on the culture, but the root is the same. People oppose Christ, and when they do, they oppose the people who follow Him.
The modern church shouldn’t treat threats as strange or unexpected. Jesus told us what to expect so we would stand firm, not panic. When a man plans harm against a congregation, it is part of the spiritual reality Christ already explained. Awareness isn’t fear. It’s obedience.
Persecution Sometimes Comes From Those Who Know Us
When Jesus taught His disciples about coming hardship, He said in Matthew 10:36 that “a man’s enemies will be members of his own household.” That wasn’t limited to family. It was a broader warning that those closest to believers can sometimes become the source of harm. The early Christians saw this when former synagogue members turned on new followers of Christ. Churches today see it when former members become hostile or unstable. Iaboni attended Christ Fellowship in the past. He lived nearby. He knew the layout. The threat came from someone familiar with the congregation.
Churches need to understand this spiritually as well as practically. The most dangerous threats are often those who know the rhythms of worship and the weak points of the campus. Scripture teaches us not to be naïve about that reality.
Prepare Your Heart Without Adopting a Fearful Mindset
The point of talking about persecution isn’t to create a bunker mentality. It’s to keep the church rooted in Scripture so we respond with clarity instead of fear. Jesus didn’t tell His followers about persecution so they would withdraw. He told them so they would stand, serve, and remain faithful.
A violent attack is an earthly danger, but fear is a spiritual danger. Churches should prepare their safety ministries, train their teams, and use wisdom. At the same time, the congregation should remain focused on Christ. Safety is part of shepherding. It isn’t a distraction from worship. It protects the ability to gather and glorify God.
Why The Church Must Stay Alert
The threat Iaboni posed reinforces something Scripture already teaches: the church must be watchful. First Peter 5:8 warns believers to stay sober-minded and alert because the enemy seeks to destroy. That alertness includes spiritual discernment and practical awareness. In today’s world, that awareness also involves understanding pre-attack indicators, recognizing concerning behavior, and knowing when to contact law enforcement.
The Bible doesn’t tell us to ignore danger. It tells us not to be surprised by it, and not to let it stop us from serving Christ faithfully. Christians face hostility because they bear His name, and yet they are called to stand firm and continue gathering. Preparing for physical threats is part of honoring that call.
TRAINING YOU SHOULD TAKE
Wow! Excellent research work by the people involved.
Now this is the kind of evidence that should be necessary for executing the so-called red flag laws - not just that someone "kind-a," "sort-a" FEELS that someone might be dangerous, and using that as a basis for government taking away his god-given second amendment rights.
Thanks for all you do Keith!