CWT Church Crime Newsletter
Saturday, September 26, 2026
Draft prepared Thursday, September 24. Google Alerts window: September 18 through September 24.
BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT (BLUF)
An active shooter was stopped outside Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville, Ontario on Yom Kippur before he ever reached the door, and the officer who stopped him is still in the hospital. That is the top item this week and the details are below. German prosecutors also disclosed that an ISIS supporter arrested near Berlin had bought a gun and surveilled a church in Bremen as his intended first target. The rest of the week ran heavy on threats, with six separate American cases of people arrested or charged for threatening a congregation inside six days, so we consolidated them into one section rather than running six near-identical entries. Sex crimes again came down to access, with three men in three states charged over volunteer or staff roles that put them next to children, and a fourth man who confessed in writing two decades ago and has been working in metro Atlanta churches ever since. A 12-year-old girl was killed in a South Carolina church parking lot when a vehicle backed into her after a funeral. Two reader-submitted Suspicious Activity Reports came in, including a man who walked onto the stage, went back into the production area, and checked the exterior doors on his way out.
TERRORISM AND INTELLIGENCE
ISIS Supporter Bought a Gun and Surveilled a Church as His First Target — Bremen and Barnim District, Germany
German police arrested Iraqi national and ISIS supporter Gailan Al-M, 24, in Barnim District, Brandenburg, Germany on 17 September for planning a terrorist attack in support of ISIS. He faces charges of attempted establishment of a terrorist organization, preparation of a serious act of violence endangering the state, and violation of the Weapons Act. German prosecutors say that in the spring of 2025 Al-M planned to attack people he viewed as “infidels,” that he obtained a firearm, and that he surveilled a church in Bremen in preparation for the attack, making that congregation the group’s intended first target. He recruited one associate who is still unidentified, and further recruiting attempts failed. The Federal Court of Justice ordered him placed in pre-trial detention.
🛡️ My thoughts: Lone wolf actors continue to be the biggest threat to churches. We should watch how these cases evolve. Many are recruited online and encouraged to attack. When will they be encouraged to attack your church? The chances are slim, but it’s not zero.
Counter-Terrorism Police Say They Foiled Imminent Attack on Jewish Community — Manchester, United Kingdom
United Kingdom counter-terrorism police arrested two men in their 30s on Newton Street in Salford, Manchester on Sunday, September 20 under the Terrorism Act 2000, in an investigation the Metropolitan Police Service said related to a suspected terrorist plot targeting the Jewish community in the Manchester area. The men were transported to a London police station, and officers conducted searches at addresses on Newton Street and Lancaster Road in Salford and at an address on Epworth Street in Liverpool. On 22 September authorities obtained warrants of further detention allowing police to hold both suspects until 27 September. The Metropolitan Police Service stated there was no ongoing threat to the public related to the case. Police have not released details of the suspected plot or the intended target.
🛡️ My thoughts: Again, it is important to watch how these cases and see how the tactical planning laid out. Right now, most of the planned attacks center around multi faceted attacks using guns, knives, ramming, explosives and/or fire.
Teen’s Own Chatbot Turned Him In, Attack Plot Stopped — Győr, Hungary
Hungarian police arrested a 16-year-old at his home in Győr, Hungary on 15 September on suspicion of plotting a terrorist attack, and the tip that started it came from an artificial intelligence company. The teen used an AI chatbot to coordinate his plans, discussing acts of violence against groups and individuals and asking the chatbot about weapons suitable for the planned attack. The AI company notified the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and in mid-September the FBI notified the Hungarian National Bureau of Investigation that a user linked to Hungary had posted threats related to violent and life-threatening acts on a United States company’s online platform. In his conversations the teen said “there can be no mercy, and you have to be able to carry out what you have planned” and that “this will soon be a mass atrocity.” Police searched his home and seized his phone and computer, and no specific target has been publicly identified.
🛡️ My thoughts: Many church attacks happen from within our own walls. Think of the Covenant attack in TN a few years ago. We need to monitor our kids for radicalization or recruitment from Nihilist movements. This mainly rests with your youth minister, so keep an open communication with him and help him look for the signs.
Update: Pittsburgh ISIS Suspect Had Already Been Adjudicated for a Mass Casualty Plot as a Juvenile — Valencia, Pennsylvania
We covered the arrest last week. The federal charging documents add detail worth having. The Department of Justice announced on 15 September that Jonathan Hunter Kramer, 21, of Valencia, Pennsylvania was charged with obtaining a firearm and ammunition to carry out an attack on behalf of ISIS, having acquired a semiautomatic rifle, five magazines, and roughly 190 rounds. As a minor Kramer had already been charged and adjudicated in Pennsylvania for his role in a plot to commit a mass casualty attack, and he was released from a juvenile detention facility in March 2026. The FBI says he then adopted the online persona “Hamza Al Rashid,” claimed ISIS affiliation, offered to share explosive manuals, and said he only required a weapon to prepare for his “mission.” On 12 September officers observed him taking a rideshare to buy a disposable phone, collecting a long black bag from a vehicle trunk, paying cash for a hotel room, and visiting the gun counter at a sporting goods store, and he was arrested on his return to the hotel. Search warrants recovered a rifle bipod and scope, pepper spray, roughly 30 knives, and an entrenching tool, and the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh said afterward that “countless lives” were saved.
Source · NYPD Open Source Intelligence Reporting, 9-20-26
SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY REPORTS
Reader-submitted suspicious activity at U.S. churches. If you see something similar in your area, submit your own report at alert.christianwarriortraining.com.
Greenwood, Indiana — Subject Walked the Stage, Production Area, and Exterior Doors On Saturday, September 19, 2026, a reporting party at a church in Greenwood, Indiana observed a man walk onto the stage and continue back into the production area before leaving the building. On his way out he checked the exterior doors. Police and the county sheriff’s office were both notified, and no law enforcement case number was provided to the reporting party.
Kissimmee, Florida — Bicycle Stolen From Under Church Portico, Recorded on Camera On Sunday, September 20, 2026, a bicycle was stolen from under the portico at a church in Kissimmee, Florida. The theft was captured on the church’s camera system. The victim declined to file a police report, so no law enforcement case number exists for the incident.
🛡️ My thoughts: Please continue to input your SAR’s to intel.christianwarriortraining.com. Your SAR’s have stopped major incidents. Please keep it up!
VIOLENT CRIME
Gunfire at Our Lady of Grace Church During Teen Basketball Game — Edina, Minnesota
Someone fired shots in the parking lot of Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church at 5071 Eden Avenue in Edina, Minnesota around 8 p.m. on Tuesday, September 22, while teenagers were playing basketball on the church lot. No injuries were reported. Edina police are asking the public for tips and for any video recorded in the area that night. Investigators have not said whether the shooting was directed at the group on the court or whether the church property was incidental to a dispute that began elsewhere. No arrests have been announced.
🛡️ My thoughts: We need to continue monitoring the area around the church. Often times, we are too concerned with the parking lot and the inside of the building, when most of the time the incident will start beyond our border. At some point, the incident outside our border will spill into our territory and we will need to be prepared to take action. This extra vigilance will save lives.
Rifle Fired Near Kahaluu Church, Attempted Murder Charge — Kahaluu, Hawaii
Honolulu police arrested a man on Thursday, September 17 on suspicion of attempted murder in the second degree after he allegedly fired a rifle at another man near a church in Kahaluu, Hawaii. Officers took the suspect into custody without incident. Police have not released the name of the church or said whether services or church activities were underway at the time. No injuries were reported from the gunfire. The investigation is ongoing.
🛡️ My thoughts: I can’t tell how close to the church this was, but it is worth repeating. Keep an extra eye outside the border of the church. These incidents can cause stray gunfire hitting congregants or staff.
Man, 87, Confesses Roommate’s Killing to His Pastor — Frederick, Maryland
An 87-year-old Frederick, Maryland man is charged with murder after allegedly shooting his roommate multiple times in the torso while the roommate was in the shower early on Sunday, September 20. Investigators say the man then went to his church and confessed to the pastor. The pastor called police, and according to court documents the confession is what led authorities to the murder scene. The victim was a man in his 60s. The case is charged in Frederick County.
🛡️ My thoughts: This happens more than you think. It is worth having a discussion with your pastor about what you would do if this were to happen at your church. Some key things here: Acknowledge what he said and thank him for coming forward. Have someone call 911 IMMEDIATELY. Ask him if he is armed. If he is armed, ask him to disarm himself. Then counsel him until the police arrive. Prayer would be a good thing to do here. Keeping him in prayer will make him bow his head and close his eyes (plus, we should be praying for him anyways). But, don’t YOU close your eyes! Keep your eyes open and head up and wait for the police.
Person Shot Outside Trinity CME Church — Indianapolis, Indiana
A person was shot on Tuesday, September 22 in front of Trinity Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME) Church near Dr. Andrew J. Brown Avenue and North 23rd Street in northeast Indianapolis. Police have not released the victim’s condition or a motive. No arrests have been announced. Investigators have not said whether the shooting was connected to church activity or whether the church frontage was simply where the dispute ended up. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department is investigating.
🛡️ My thoughts: We now have our third case of shots fired outside of a church that could impact the church itself.
THREATS AGAINST CONGREGATIONS
Six separate threat cases against American congregations came through the alerts in six days. None of them ended in violence, and every one of them ended in an arrest or a charge, which is the part worth noticing. Here is the short version of each.
Bleckley County, Georgia. The Bleckley County Sheriff’s Office said a juvenile charged over a threatened school shooting also expressed plans to attack a church, and investigators described the church portion as an “active event” rather than idle talk. The juvenile is in a youth detention center and the targeted church has not been identified. Source
Gettysburg, South Dakota. Russell Luke Bauer, 41, is charged with a class 5 felony terroristic threat over threats made against Sacred Heart Catholic Church on September 9 and 10. Prosecutors say it is the second time in nine months Bauer has been accused of threatening churches. Source
Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Buckingham Township police charged a Point Pleasant man with ethnic intimidation after he allegedly sent text messages containing threats and racial and ethnic slurs to a leader at a Baptist church he had recently been attending. Source
Sacramento, California. The Sacramento Police Department arrested a man on September 23 after investigators alleged he made online threats of violence against a local church. Police have not named the church or released the content of the threats. Source
Monroe, Michigan. Monroe police arrested a man on September 23 after threats were made against a church in the city. The nature of the threats and the name of the church have not been released. Source
Sarasota and Jacksonville, Florida. Duncan Fraser MacDonald is federally charged with interstate transmission of a threat to injure after allegedly posting Instagram videos saying he would hunt Jews. An FBI affidavit says the Jacksonville Joint Terrorism Task Force learned of the threats on September 17 from the Community Security Director for the Jewish Federation and Foundation of Northeast Florida, meaning the report came from a congregation’s own security professional. Source
🛡️ My thoughts: This is an unprecedented amount of threats against churches for one week. I cannot put my finger on one single event. However, we need to look at each case individually and see what we can do to protect our church. If someone makes a threat, you need to take it seriously. You can forgive them, but call the police, document it (and after, please log it at our SAR site), and consider a restraining order. It is just a piece of paper, but it lays the groundwork if your team has to use force to defend the church against this person.
SEX CRIMES
Church Volunteer Accused of Sex Acts With Three Juvenile Girls — Fresno, California
Fresno police arrested church volunteer Benjamin Mora on September 4 on suspicion of sexually assaulting three juvenile girls, with the alleged offenses beginning in 2025. Members of the Fresno church alerted church leaders that Mora had possibly assaulted children, and that internal report is what brought the case to detectives. Mora was booked into the Fresno County Jail on sexual assault charges. The arrest became public this week when the Fresno Police Department released details. He is due in court on the pending charges.
🛡️ My thoughts: Pedophiles will volunteer at churches to get easy access to a large pool of victims. You need to have a strong policy and you need to have background checks that are continuous and ongoing.
Youth Pastor Charged With Grooming Underage Teen — Ocala, Florida
Ocala police charged Caleb Fischer Ray, 27, a youth pastor at Connection Church in Ocala, Florida with committing sexual acts with a child between the ages of 13 and 17. Investigators allege Ray groomed the victim for years, beginning when the child was younger, before any contact occurred. The arrest was announced on September 22. Police have not said whether additional victims are being sought. The church has not publicly addressed the charges.
🛡️ My thoughts: This sounds like a model case of grooming. You can learn more about this and how pedophiles operate by taking the training below.
Former Baptist Youth Leader Charged With 11 Counts of Sexual Abuse — Ypsilanti, Michigan
Zachary Radcliff of Ypsilanti, Michigan, a former Baptist youth leader with ties to Liberty University, has been charged with 11 counts of sexual abuse crimes, according to the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office. New civil lawsuits filed this week allege the abuse and further allege that the church covered it up rather than reporting it. The criminal charges and the lawsuits both became public during this reporting window. Radcliff held a youth leadership role at the congregation at the time of the alleged conduct. The criminal case is pending in Washtenaw County.
Worship Leader Who Confessed in Writing Kept Working in Churches for Two Decades — Atlanta, Georgia
A metro Atlanta worship leader put a confession to molesting children in writing more than twenty years ago and has continued moving from church to church across the Atlanta area ever since, according to reporting published September 24 by The Roys Report. No criminal charge has been filed against him. The written confession did not follow him between congregations, and the churches that hired him after the confession was made did not surface it. The reporting names the churches involved and traces the hiring chain. This one is in the newsletter because of the screening failure, not because of a new arrest.
ARSON AND SUSPICIOUS FIRES
Woman Set Fires Around Vineyard Church After Being Told to Stay Away — Augusta, Georgia
A woman set multiple fires around a Vineyard church campus in Augusta, Georgia after church leadership had already told her not to return. Church leaders said they had attempted to work with her and that she was not receptive to those efforts, which is why she was trespassed from the property. A church representative identified as LeRoy said leadership regretted having to bar her but considered it necessary. She was arrested in connection with the fires. The campus sustained fire damage in several places.
🛡️ My thoughts: This is your weekly reminder that you need a burglar alarm, a fire alarm and a 4k video system.
VEHICLE COLLISIONS
Girl, 12, Killed When SUV Backed Into Her in Church Parking Lot — Horry County, South Carolina
A 12-year-old girl died after a 2026 Nissan Rogue backed into her in the parking lot of Cedar Branch Missionary Baptist Church in Horry County, South Carolina on the night of Wednesday, September 16. The South Carolina Highway Patrol said the crash happened as people were leaving, hours after the girl had attended a funeral at the church. The victim was identified as Kantori Chestnut. The crash happened at night, in a full lot, as vehicles were backing out. No charges were announced in the initial reporting.
🛡️ My thoughts: Watch my video breakdown of this incident below:
Pickup Truck Crashes Into Church Front on Capital Boulevard — Raleigh, North Carolina
A pickup truck crashed into the front of Iglesia de Dios at Ashton Square, a church in a shopping plaza off Capital Boulevard in Raleigh, North Carolina, early on the morning of Friday, September 18. Raleigh police and emergency medical services responded. The church was not occupied at the time and no injuries inside the building were reported. The front of the structure was damaged. Police have not released the cause of the crash.
🛡️ My thoughts: I’ve been including crashes in the newsletter due to the increase of major injuries and fatalities due to collisions and churches with no thought of pedestrian safety. You have a duty, both biblically and by man’s law, to safeguard the pedestrians at your church. Look at your parking lot right now. Do you have bollards? How about clear paths for pedestrians to walk? What about proper lighting?
Driver Cited for Impaired Driving After Crashing Into Church Property — Westlake, Ohio
The Westlake Police Department in Ohio arrested and cited a 20-year-old Fairview Park man for operating a vehicle while impaired (OVI) after he crashed into bushes on the grounds of St. Ladislas church on Bassett Road. Police responded Sunday after a report of a vehicle driving away from the church property. When officers asked the driver how much he had consumed, he answered “just a little bit.” No injuries were reported. The vehicle stopped short of the building.
INTERNATIONAL
Yom Kippur Shooting at Sons of Jacob Synagogue — Belleville, Ontario, Canada
Sean Ward, 29, of Quinte West, Ontario arrived outside Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville on September 20, during Yom Kippur, armed with a shotgun and opened fire on Belleville Police Constable Jeff Smith, who was assigned to synagogue security. Smith exchanged gunfire with Ward and multiple rounds struck the synagogue, including its stained-glass windows. Ward died of his injuries on the night of Monday, September 21, according to Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU), the independent civilian agency that investigates police shootings. Constable Smith remains hospitalized in critical but stable condition. Ontario Solicitor General Michael Kerzner has publicly called the shooting an antisemitic attack and said police prevented what he described as a “massacre in the making,” and Global News reported, citing multiple Canadian military sources, that Ward expressed antisemitic conspiracy theories while serving with Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry from 2017 to 2022. Belleville Police have not yet formally announced their determination on motive or on whether Ward intended to enter the building and attack worshippers.
Baptist Pastor and Eight Others Killed in Coordinated Attacks — Plateau State, Nigeria
Gunmen killed a Baptist pastor, a church employee, and seven other people in coordinated attacks 30 to 40 kilometers south of Jos in Plateau State, Nigeria on Saturday, September 19. Local accounts say the pastor was on his way to church when he was attacked and killed. Five of the other victims were laborers traveling to work in Barkin Ladi and were shot in a separate attack nearby. Bulus Dabit, national president of a local Christian association, and community leader Kara Dakup both attributed the attacks to terrorists operating in the region. Nigerian church leaders have renewed their call for the creation of state police forces, arguing federal coverage is not reaching these communities.
Another Baptist Pastor Shot Dead by Military — Chin State, Myanmar
The Myanmar military is accused of killing another Baptist pastor, identified as Pastor Tuang, amid ongoing violence against Christian communities. His death follows the reported killing of Rev. William and another Chin pastor. Christian advocacy groups are urging the United States government to take action. Violence against Christians, churches, and civilians in Myanmar has intensified over the reporting period. Local church leaders have asked for prayer that the church remain united and encouraged during the ongoing conflict.
We have often discussed the LDS policy on firearms, and that is what is is today. Regarding crimes against children, the enforced policy of the Church is that every adult contact with a child requires two adults to be present. I’m posting this simply as a thought others might consider. Peace and safety to you all.