Chicago Church Shooting: Three Men Shot Outside Church

A look at post event violence, parking lot threats, and church outreach in high crime areas

Chicago Church Shooting: Three Men Shot Outside Church

On Sunday afternoon in Chicago’s Auburn Gresham neighborhood, three adult men were shot outside St. Sabina Church. The gunfire occurred just after 4:15 p.m. while the men were standing near the church following a Sunday basketball program held in the church gym. The victims, ages 30, 33, and 38, were transported to area hospitals with gunshot wounds and were listed in stable condition. The shooter fled the scene and no arrests have been made.

The shooting did not occur during worship and it did not happen inside the building. It took place outside the church after an activity had ended. That distinction is consistent with how violent incidents connected to churches most often unfold.

This is a FREE class to you. All of our training is FREE. We do this so you can secure your church and protect your congregation.

A Pattern Churches Need to Understand

Across the country, the majority of violent crimes connected to churches occur outside the building and after services or events have ended. Parking lots, sidewalks, and adjacent streets are where risk concentrates. These transitional spaces receive far less attention than sanctuaries or classrooms, yet they are where disputes surface and attackers find opportunity.

When organized activity ends, structure drops away. People linger, attention shifts, and supervision thins. In high crime neighborhoods, unresolved conflicts do not stop at the church door. They often follow people to it.

This incident fits that pattern closely.

The Great Commission Comes With Real Risk

The call to spread the gospel has never been limited to safe places. Jesus did not send His followers into comfortable environments. He sent them into the world as it is.

Matthew 28:19–20 (ESV)
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”

The cities the apostles entered were violent, corrupt, and hostile to the message they carried. Antioch, Corinth, Ephesus, and Rome were not orderly or secure places for Christians. They were the rough neighborhoods of the ancient world, marked by crime, political unrest, and persecution.

The early church did not avoid those places. They went anyway.

Modern churches face the same tension. Opening gyms, hosting outreach events, and welcoming people from high crime communities is part of obedience to Christ. It also means accepting that risk follows ministry into those spaces.

Scripture does not equate faithfulness with carelessness. It consistently pairs obedience with discernment.

What Prevention Looks Like in the Real World

Recognizing Suspicious Vehicle Behavior

From decades of investigating drive by shootings, vehicle behavior is one of the most reliable early indicators of impending violence. In high crime areas, slow moving vehicles with multiple occupants, repeated passes, sudden stops without purpose, or visible movement inside the car deserve immediate attention. Context matters. What appears normal in one neighborhood can signal danger in another.

Churches that host evening or weekend activities should treat vehicle observation as a core safety responsibility, not an afterthought.

Transitional Spaces and Lingering

Violence connected to churches rarely happens during structured activity. It emerges during transitions. Parking lots, sidewalks, and street frontage require active awareness before, during, and especially after events. Lingering increases vulnerability. A deliberate wind down, clear end times, lighting, and encouragement to leave rather than gather outside reduces opportunity for conflict.

Knowing Where Real Cover Exists

People should understand the difference between concealment and cover. Glass and drywall do not stop bullets. Brick walls, large planters, and engine blocks do. If gunfire occurs, survival depends on movement, distance, and using actual cover rather than freezing in place.

Accountability, Cameras, and Boundaries

A visible safety presence changes behavior and provides early warning. Cameras do not prevent every crime, but they document behavior before and after incidents, identify patterns, and support follow up investigations. Exterior camera coverage is essential for churches operating in high risk areas.

Churches can welcome people without allowing their property to be used for criminal activity. Hanging out after hours, carrying weapons, settling disputes, or using church grounds as cover cannot be tolerated. Clear expectations protect the congregation and the outreach itself.

Biblical Perspective on Risk, Mission, and Wisdom

Jesus never promised safety to those who follow Him. He warned His disciples plainly about danger and opposition.

Matthew 10:16 (ESV)
“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”

Wisdom and innocence are not in conflict. Awareness does not cancel faith. Scripture consistently affirms the responsibility to recognize danger and respond appropriately.

The book of Acts provides multiple examples of the apostles adjusting their behavior in response to credible threats while continuing their mission.

Acts 9:23–25 (ESV)
“When many days had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him, but their plot became known to Saul. They were watching the gates day and night in order to kill him, but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.”

Paul continued preaching the gospel. He also avoided a known ambush. Planning, timing, and assistance preserved his life so the mission could continue.

Scripture also places responsibility on leaders to protect those under their care.

Proverbs 22:3 (ESV)
“The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it.”

Churches are called to go into hard places. They are also called to shepherd wisely. Reaching people in violent neighborhoods does not require ignoring reality. It requires preparation, awareness, and clear boundaries.

The Great Commission has always involved risk. Faithfulness has never required blindness to danger.