Man Shot at Cleveland Church, Drive By Shooting of MI Church
This week's news and intelligence for church security teams
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INTELLIGENCE/TERRORISM
Pro-Iran Group HAYI Claims Wave of Attacks on Jewish Sites — London, United Kingdom
Pro-Iran group Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia (HAYI) claimed responsibility for a coordinated series of attacks against Jewish, Israeli, and Iranian-dissident linked targets across London between April 15 and April 21, according to the UK Metropolitan Police. On April 15, two suspects threw bottles containing petrol at a synagogue in Finchley shortly after midnight; a 47-year-old woman and 46-year-old man were arrested in Watford and remanded to pretrial custody. On April 17, an arson attack targeted a building housing Volant Media, parent company of Persian-language outlet Iran International, leading to three arrests in Watford. On April 18, attackers threw an incendiary bomb through a window at Kenton United Synagogue citing its alleged “Zionist ideology,” and on April 21 a 17-year-old British national pled guilty to arson in connection with that attack. UK Counter Terrorism Policing is leading the investigations and characterizing the wave as potential “violence as a service” — where individuals with no ideological tie to the cause are hired to carry out attacks for money, mirroring Iran’s known use of criminal proxies.
🛡️ My thoughts: This group has been gaining significant steam. Watch how they operate as this is how it will happen here in the U.S. The next story is significant when it comes to their will to start in the U.S.
HAYI Issues Public Threats Against U.S. President and Family — United States
On April 20, the same pro-Iran group HAYI published a statement in English and Arabic threatening the U.S. President and his family, according to the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center. The group named the President’s daughter by implication before stating it had decided to “spare” her, and declared that “retribution will pursue you, and it will pursue your children and your sons-in-law.” The statement called on U.S. citizens, the Secret Service, and other U.S. security services to kill the President. The threat comes amid the group’s active attack campaign in the United Kingdom targeting Jewish and Israeli-linked sites, signaling that HAYI is projecting its messaging and targeting framework into the U.S. homeland.
🛡️ My thoughts: Obviously they have aspirations of conducting operations inside of the U.S. If your church openly supports Israel, then they have already said that is an open invitation for their attack upon you.
ISIS Weekly Newsletter Details Operations Across Africa, Pakistan, and Syria — al-Naba Issue #543
ISIS released issue #543 of its weekly Arabic-language newsletter al-Naba on Thursday, claiming 18 operations across five provinces during the week of 20–27 Shawwal (mid-to-late April). The lead story details a wave of coordinated attacks in Borno State, northern Nigeria, in which the group claims to have killed 22 Nigerian military personnel — including a brigade commander identified as General Ousseini Braima of the 25th Brigade — burned five camps and more than 40 vehicles, and seized four additional vehicles and 22 motorcycles. ISIS Sahel Province claimed three Nigerien soldiers killed in an ambush near Dosso and a militia fighter killed near Menaka, Mali. ISIS Pakistan Province claimed four Shia Muslims killed in a pistol attack on a three-wheeled vehicle in the Hazar Ganji district of Quetta, while ISIS Khorasan Province claimed the separate killings of a Pakistani intelligence informant and a Pakistani soldier in the Bajaur region near the Afghan border. The newsletter also featured a theological editorial titled “The Divine Patterns in the Destruction of the Wrongdoers,” continuing the group’s long-running effort to frame its operations as fulfillment of religious obligation.
🛡️ My thoughts: It is always good to read their newsletter if you can find it (it’s also in Arabic, so you’ll need a translator). If you are in Nigeria, it is a must. They telegraph what they are going to do. They show their TTP’s in the articles, which makes it easier for use to devise a plan to kill them before they try to attack Christians.
"He said to them, 'But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.'" — Luke 22:36 (NIV)
VIOLENT CRIME
Man Storms Pulpit at Mount Calvary Baptist, Later Carjacks Driver — Lanham, MD
Akmed Koroma, a 32-year-old Maryland man, disrupted a Sunday service at Mount Calvary Baptist Church on April 19 by approaching the altar and placing his arms around Bishop Charles Cato mid-sermon, according to Prince George’s County court records. Security ushered Koroma off the stage and he left the church. Later that same day, police say Koroma got into the driver’s seat of a vehicle in Lanham with a man still inside and drove off; the victim jumped from the moving car and suffered cuts and bruises before Koroma crashed into another vehicle. Koroma is charged with carjacking and kidnapping, and Judge Erik Nyce ordered him held without bond on Tuesday, April 21. His next court date is scheduled for May 20.
🛡️ My thoughts
Man Shot in Front of St. Peter Catholic Church — Cleveland, OH
Cleveland police are investigating a shooting that occurred around 4:45 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22 in front of St. Peter Catholic Church on East 17th Street between Superior and Payne Avenues in downtown Cleveland. According to investigators, the 46-year-old victim and the suspect were engaged in some type of “game” when the suspect shot him for unknown reasons. First responders transported the victim to University Hospital, where he is listed in stable condition. No arrest has been announced and the investigation is ongoing.
🛡️ My thoughts: Although the church isn’t the victim, it is the scene of the crime. That means your people could become involved, or the police may ask for video or witness statements. Worst case, you may have people in your church when this goes down and you’ll have to lock the church down and protect the people inside. You may also consider if you want to help defend the man or give medical aid.
Deacon, 77, Beaten at Greater Abyssinia Baptist Church — Cleveland, OH
Cleveland police say 77-year-old Deacon Ronald Kisner was brutally beaten on Sunday, March 22 after he intervened in an argument outside Greater Abyssinia Baptist Church in the Glenville neighborhood. According to investigators, 33-year-old Anthony Elijah Malcolm Primm Mango was harassing a woman outside the church when Kisner stepped in, pushed Kisner through a side door, threw him down a flight of stairs, and continued the assault inside the building. Kisner suffered multiple facial fractures, brain bleeding, and swelling to his optic nerve. Mango was arrested at the scene the same day and has since been indicted on charges including attempted murder and felonious assault. The congregation held a rally for peace on Wednesday, April 22, one month after the attack, with faith leaders from across Cleveland calling for an end to violence against elders.
🛡️ My thoughts: We reported on this previously, but the Deacon’s condition is worsening. We will continue to monitor this situation and report back to you if there are any significant changes.
Man Charged After Shooting at God’s Grace Missionary Baptist Church — Royal Oak Township, MI
Michigan State Police responded to a shots-fired call at God’s Grace Missionary Baptist Church on Thursday, April 16, finding bullet holes in the church entryway and a shell casing nearby. Surveillance video led investigators to 23-year-old Michael Tyrone Bowers III of Detroit, who was arrested the same day and arraigned Saturday in Oak Park’s 45th District Court. Bowers was charged with discharging a firearm from a vehicle, discharging a firearm in or at a building, and two counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony. The church was unoccupied at the time and no one was injured. A judge set bond at $150,000 and barred Bowers from any contact with the church as a condition of release.
🛡️ My thoughts: We reported on this last week, but there has been an arrest since we reported it. Michigan has seen a significant cluster of church violence in the past 3 years. Michigan churches should consider raising their security level, since I don’t believe it is in line with the national level we have been posting.
Armed Man Breaks Into Church of the Gesu on Easter Sunday — Milwaukee, WI
A 50-year-old Green Bay man used an axe to force entry into Marquette University’s Church of the Gesu on Easter Sunday, April 5, before being confronted by officers who found him seated at the altar holding the axe. According to a criminal complaint, Aron Ferris told officers he was “God” and that he “created everyone,” and refused initial commands before being taken into custody. A search uncovered an axe, two knives, a multitool, a loaded rifle, and extra ammunition; a loaded handgun was also found in his vehicle. Ferris told investigators he brought the gun “so he could get attention and draw the media” and chose Easter because he expected people to be there to hear his story. He was charged April 11 with felony criminal damage to religious property and disorderly conduct with use of a dangerous weapon; damage to the church is estimated at $50,000.
🛡️ My thoughts: Stories have been slow to creep out about violence that happened on Resurrection Day. It is obvious that more violent crime happened on that day than other Sundays. We need to remember that for our operational planning for Christmas.
SEXUAL ASSAULT
Bellevue Baptist Employee Accused of Abusing 15-Year-Old Boy — Cordova, TN
Bellevue Baptist Church’s executive pastor Jason Pyron sent a letter to the congregation on Monday, April 20 disclosing that a 19-year-old male part-time, hourly employee had been accused of sexually abusing a 15-year-old male church member. The alleged abuse is reported to have occurred when the minor was 15 years old, according to the church. The employee was terminated, and church leadership said they immediately reported the matter to authorities and are cooperating with the investigation. As of publication, no arrest has been made and the investigation is ongoing. Bellevue, one of the largest churches in the Mid-South, previously faced litigation after a 43-year-old paid volunteer coordinator, James Hook, pleaded guilty to sexual battery by an authority figure involving a 15-year-old girl who volunteered at the church.
🛡️ My thoughts: It appears this church does not have a solid policy on protecting children, or it’s possible they aren’t following it. I recommend you get a modern, up to date policy that protects your children and that you follow it.
Minnesota Pastor Charged With Sexually Abusing Child Under 13 — Hennepin County, Minnesota
A Minnesota pastor has been charged with sexually abusing a child under the age of 13, according to Hennepin-area prosecutors. The abuse is alleged to have occurred over a period of months inside a residential setting connected to the church’s youth ministry. The pastor was booked this week and released on conditional bond pending a preliminary hearing. Charges were filed after investigators developed the case through interviews with the victim and church personnel. The preliminary hearing date has not yet been announced.
🛡️ My thoughts: There will be more victims. Please check to see if this guy has worked at your church before. If he has, then start looking for victims.
Pasco County Pastor and Former School Resource Deputy Charged With Molesting Four Girls — Pasco County, Florida
Angelo Musicaro, a pastor at Worship Life Church and a former school resource deputy, was arrested earlier this month and charged with molesting four girls dozens of times. Investigators say the abuse spanned years and involved victims connected to the church. Musicaro’s dual role as a former SRO and current pastor is drawing scrutiny of background-check and oversight gaps. The case was built through multiple victim interviews and corroborating evidence gathered by Pasco County detectives. Additional victims may come forward as the investigation continues.
ARSON AND SUSPICIOUS FIRES
Man Convicted of Murder and Arson in 2024 Church Fire — McMinn County, Tennessee
A McMinn County, Tennessee man was convicted on April 13, 2026 of murder and arson tied to an August 2024 church fire in which a victim was killed. Prosecutors proved the defendant set the church ablaze to conceal the homicide. The verdict closes one of East Tennessee’s longest-running church-arson prosecutions. Evidence presented at trial included forensic fire analysis and witness testimony establishing the timeline between the killing and the fire. Sentencing is expected in the coming weeks.
🛡️ My thoughts: I usually only put fresh cases in this bulletin, but this deserves to be published.
Woman Arrested After Fire at New Dimensions Ministries — Oklahoma City, OK
Oklahoma City fire crews were called to a reported fire at New Dimensions Ministries Church in the 200 block of S.E. 45th Street on Sunday morning, April 19, and arrived to find smoke coming from the basement and upper floors. Firefighters contained the blaze, which caused approximately $8,000 in damage. A woman was arrested at the scene on a complaint of first-degree arson. Further details about the suspect and a motive were not released by fire officials.
🛡️ My thoughts: This is your weekly reminder that you need a fire alarm, a burglar alarm and a 4k video system. You need that before you do anything else to secure your church.
Homeless Man Charged with Arson at Northern Lakes Community Church — Cumberland, WI
Cumberland police and fire responded to a smoke alarm at Northern Lakes Community Church on Wednesday evening, April 1, and found a small fire in a storage area near a rear garage door; investigators detected lighter fluid and determined the fire had been intentionally set. The suspect remained at large until April 15, when 43-year-old Kyle J. Alfonse, described as homeless, emailed a city employee saying “come arrest me … I forgot to mention that I started the church on fire.” Officers located Alfonse at a nearby food pantry parking lot, and he admitted starting the fire with lighter fluid during the interview and again the following day at the Barron County Jail. He was charged April 17 in Barron County Circuit Court with felony arson and felony criminal damage to religious property, and is being held on a $2,500 cash bond.
INTERNATIONAL
Russian Bomb Destroys Baptist Church During Prayer Meeting — Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine
Russia struck House of the Gospel Baptist Church in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine on Thursday, April 16, during an evening prayer meeting, killing minister Ruslan Utyuzh and wounding at least eight others. The Embassy of Ukraine in the United States called the strike a deliberate attack on people of faith who had gathered peacefully to pray, and identified the munition used as a laser-guided precision bomb. Utyuzh leaves behind a wife and two children. Roughly 300 people had called the building their spiritual home, and former Ukrainian parliamentarian Pavel Unguryan said several church leaders were inside at the time, many gathered to celebrate Easter. Religious freedom advocates say Russia has now damaged or destroyed more than 700 churches and killed at least 58 priests and pastors since the start of the war.
Eight Christians Killed in Coordinated Overnight Attacks — Plateau State, Nigeria
At least eight Christians were killed and 10 others injured in coordinated overnight attacks across Bassa, Barkin Ladi, and Riyom local government areas of Plateau State, Nigeria on Saturday, April 18, according to the International Christian Concern and local community leaders. The first attack came around 8 p.m. in Kpasho, Kwall District, when armed men ambushed four youth traveling on a motorcycle, killing one at the scene and a second later at the hospital. About two hours later, attackers stormed the Hurum Gashish NTV community in Barkin Ladi and opened fire on residents, killing four and wounding five. Rwang Tenglong of the Berom Youth Moulders Association confirmed the attacks and said the affected communities were mourning their dead and caring for the wounded. Plateau State authorities reported arresting four suspects described as terrorists, which triggered a protest and road blockade by residents demanding their release and an end to the killings.