ATTENTION WARRIORS!
This week I am combining the weekly news bulletin with the roll call bulletin. I’m doing this to reduce the number of emails you are getting from me. Please take the poll, below, so I can get your input.
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TERROR AND INTELLIGENCE
ISIS Claims It Burned 17 Churches in the First Half of 2026
On July 6, the ISIS-linked Amaq News Agency published an infographic summarizing the group’s operations for the first six months of 2026. ISIS claimed 587 attacks that killed or wounded 2,529 people. The bulk of the attacks were in Africa: 138 attacks in the Democratic Republic of Congo that killed 769, 250 attacks in Nigeria that killed 696, and 39 attacks in Niger that killed 290. In the same period the group claimed it burned 1,484 houses, 380 vehicles, 84 military sites, and 17 churches. It also claimed it seized 56 vehicles and destroyed eight aircraft. These are the group’s own numbers, published for propaganda purposes, and are not independently verified.
Morocco Disrupts ISIS-Sahel Cell Preparing Vehicle Attack
On July 6, Morocco’s Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations arrested ten suspected ISIS-Sahel members and disrupted several attack plots across multiple cities. Searches of the suspects’ homes turned up bladed weapons, military-style clothing, extremist writings, digital devices, and video showing pledges of allegiance to ISIS along with threats to carry out attacks inside Morocco. Investigators said the cell had received direct instructions from ISIS leadership to stay in Morocco and attack there rather than travel abroad. The members had already identified targets, conducted surveillance on them, and acquired materials. Authorities also located a vehicle prepared for use in either a suicide bombing or a ramming attack. All ten were remanded into custody.
UK Man Sentenced After Scouting Places of Worship as Attack Targets
On July 3, the Central Criminal Court in London sentenced 19-year-old Muhammad Billal to 13 years and six months for planning a terrorist attack and attempting to travel to Somalia to join ISIS. Beginning in February 2024, Billal researched potential attack locations across the United Kingdom, including shopping centers, train stations, stadiums, and places of worship, and tried to buy an illegal firearm. He purchased airline tickets and arranged a visa to reach Somalia by way of Ethiopia. Police arrested him on November 20, 2024, as he tried to board his flight. He pled guilty in July 2025.
Al-Qa’ida Affiliate Launches Weekly Newsletter Modeled on ISIS Publication
On July 3, the pro-AQAP media group Al-Yaqin published the first issue of a weekly newsletter called al-Bayan. The nine-page issue closely copies the design, layout, and content of the ISIS weekly al-Naba’, down to an infographic summarizing the previous week’s attack statistics. The first issue focused on the conflict in Gaza and on the al-Qa’ida affiliates Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin and al-Shabaab, which it rebranded as al-Qa’ida in West Africa and al-Qa’ida in East Africa. AQAP said it plans to publish al-Bayan every Friday.
Netherlands Holds Threat Level at Four of Five
On June 30, the Dutch National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security published its semiannual threat assessment. The report kept the national terrorist threat level at four out of five and said the threat of jihadist attacks in the Netherlands and across Europe remains high because jihadists view the country as a target. The assessment tied an increased chance of attack in the Netherlands and Europe to developments involving Iran. It found that while the threat from organized ISIS networks has diminished, online radicalization of young people and the volume of jihadist material online remain significant drivers.
Dates to Watch
The NCTC calendar lists the following in the coming weeks: the FIFA World Cup Final in East Rutherford, New Jersey on July 19; Tisha B’Av, a Jewish observance, on July 22 and 23; the SAIL 250 tall ships and international air and naval review in Boston, July 11 to 16; the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow beginning July 23; and the MLS All-Star Game in Charlotte on July 29. July 7 marked the anniversary of the 2005 al-Qa’ida bombings in London that killed 52 people, and July 13 marks the anniversary of the 2018 ISIS suicide bombing at a pre-election rally in Mastung, Pakistan, that killed at least 149.
🛡️ My thoughts
VIOLENT CRIME
Church Security Calls In Suspicious Man, Officer-Involved Shooting Follows — Effingham, IL
Security at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Effingham called the Effingham Police Department at about 9:27 a.m. on Sunday, July 5, to report a suspicious vehicle in the lot and a suspicious man inside the building who was asking to speak with the pastor. No service was underway at the time. Effingham officers and Effingham County deputies located the man a short time later and determined the vehicle he arrived in had been reported stolen out of Marion County. Illinois State Police said officers from both agencies tried to restrain the man, and during the struggle he produced a firearm that discharged, striking him. He was taken to a local hospital and flown to a regional hospital with life-threatening injuries. State Police later identified him as Allen O. Gattino, 36, of St. Charles, Missouri. No one else was hurt, and the church canceled its 10:30 service.
🛡️ My thoughts
Man Arrested After Throwing Molotov Cocktails at Two Congregations — Queens, NY
Police arrested a 36-year-old man after he allegedly threw incendiary devices at two religious buildings in Queens late Wednesday night, July 8. Officers responded just before midnight to Iglesia Bautista El Mesias, a Baptist church on 75th Street in Ozone Park, after a 911 caller reported a man throwing a Molotov cocktail at the front door. The device bounced off the door, exploded on the ground, and started a small fire on the sidewalk without damaging the building. The same man then walked about a half mile to the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses on 78th Street in Woodhaven and threw a second device at that door, which also bounced off and exploded on the ground. Firefighters extinguished both fires. Police located and arrested him nearby and recovered two additional Molotov cocktails from his bag. No injuries were reported. Charges are pending, and investigators are working to determine why the two locations were targeted.
🛡️ My thoughts
Elderly Man Assaulted and Dragged Inside Church After Refusing Entry — Columbus, OH
Columbus police are searching for a man who assaulted and robbed an elderly victim outside a downtown church around 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 5, in the 500 block of North High Street. Investigators said the victim was sitting outside the closed church when the suspect approached and asked to be let inside. The victim refused. The suspect assaulted him and took his set of keys, then used the keys to unlock the building. Once inside, police said the suspect assaulted the victim a second time and dragged him around the building by his ankles. The suspect then forced the victim to unlock his apartment and took an undetermined amount of cash. Police described the suspect as a Black man in his fifties, about five feet ten inches tall, thin, with a full gray-and-black mustache. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Columbus Division of Police.
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Four Shot Near Church Campus After Fourth of July Party — Grand Rapids, MI
Grand Rapids police were called to the 1400 block of Madison Avenue SE at about 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 5, for reports of shots fired. Officers found two women with minor injuries in a parking lot and a man nearby with what police described as a significant injury; he was listed in critical condition after surgery. A fourth victim later arrived at a hospital with a lower leg injury. Three of the four were adults and one was 16 years old. Police said the shooting began within a large crowd and stretched across an area running from Prospect Avenue SE to Madison Avenue SE, near the Square Campus of Madison Church. Neighbors said the crowd had gathered for a Fourth of July block party and that they heard roughly 15 shots, after which people ran through yards and broke fences trying to escape. Bullet holes were found in nearby homes and vehicles. No suspect information has been released.
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Man Shot in Church Parking Lot During Funeral — Houston, TX
Houston police responded to St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church at 8301 Brandon Street in the Sunnyside neighborhood at about noon on Friday, July 3, for a report of shots fired. Investigators determined an argument started in the church parking lot during a funeral service and two groups exchanged gunfire. Officers received a report that one person was struck and driven away from the scene in a private vehicle. Police checked area hospitals and had not located the victim. Detectives recovered shell casings at the scene and are reviewing surveillance video. Witnesses told reporters the funeral was for a man who had been shot and killed after a fight at a party. No suspects have been identified.
🛡️ My thoughts
SEX CRIMES
Church Childcare Volunteer Arrested After Years-Long Abuse Investigation — Portland, OR
U.S. Marshals arrested Daniel R. Eggleston, 61, of Boring, Oregon, on Wednesday, July 1, in Gresham on a warrant issued after a Multnomah County grand jury indicted him on June 26. The Portland Police Bureau opened the investigation in July 2021 after an adult woman reported Eggleston had sexually abused her repeatedly between the ages of three and twelve. Detectives identified two additional girls who said they were also assaulted. Eggleston was booked on ten counts of first-degree sex abuse along with charges of first-degree rape, first-degree sodomy, first-degree unlawful sexual penetration, and first-degree mistreatment, and additional charges were filed after new tips came in. Police said Eggleston volunteered for more than a decade with a childcare program at Mannahouse Church, formerly City Bible Church, at 9200 NE Fremont Street. Investigators emphasized that none of the known victims were connected to him through the church and there are no current allegations that he committed crimes there. Detectives are asking parents whose children were in the church’s care to speak with them, and the church is cooperating.
🛡️ My thoughts
Senior Pastor Arrested on Continuous Child Sexual Abuse Charges — Kenefick, TX
Liberty County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested George Finney, 52, senior pastor of New Life Kenefick, at his home in Dayton on Monday, June 29. The investigation began June 19 after a juvenile made an outcry to an adult who went directly to authorities. Finney is charged with continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, indecency with a child by exposure, and assault of a family member by impeding breath. Court records allege the abuse occurred between January and October 2024. Bond was set at $50,000 per charge, for a total of $150,000. The church said it relieved Finney of his duties as soon as it learned of the allegations and is cooperating with law enforcement. The sheriff’s office said it is not aware of additional victims but believes there may be more.
🛡️ My thoughts
Church Facilities Coordinator Arrested on Child Exploitation Charge — Nashville, TN
Metro Nashville police arrested Jason Douglas Ford, 34, at his Donelson home on Tuesday, July 7, on a charge of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor. The Internet Crimes Against Children Unit opened a seven-month investigation in January after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children sent a cybertip about child sexual abuse material shared in Davidson County through the Kik app. Investigators subpoenaed internet providers and determined that Ford’s email address created the Kik account used to share the file, and that the IP address in the cybertip was registered to his residence. Ford is the facilities coordinator at Midtown Fellowship, where he is listed on the church website. His bond was set at $75,000. Police are asking anyone with information or concerns about his interactions with children to contact detectives at 615-862-7540.
🛡️ My thoughts
Former Youth Volunteer Charged With Offenses Against Teenage Girl — Arlington, VA
The Arlington County Police Department’s Special Victims Unit arrested Jeremy Mishler, 42, of Arlington on Monday, July 6. He is charged with two counts of taking indecent liberties with a child by a person in a supervisory or custodial relationship, assault and battery, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Detectives opened the investigation on June 5 after receiving information that Mishler had several inappropriate contacts in May with a teenage girl who knew him. Police said Mishler previously volunteered with youth at Cherrydale Baptist Church. The church’s elder council said it is not aware of any misconduct that occurred on church property or at a church event involving Mishler, that it has complied with Virginia reporting law, and that it has directed anyone in the congregation with knowledge of misconduct to report it to police. Detectives believe there could be additional victims.
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Southern Baptist Pastor Arrested on Sexual Exploitation Charge — Cayce, SC
Daniel Rabon, 62, pastor of Taylor Street Baptist Church in Cayce, was arrested June 30 and charged with third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor. According to an arrest warrant from the South Carolina Attorney General’s office, investigators found 26 or more image and video files on Rabon’s cell phone depicting morphed images of identifiable minors in sexual activity or sexually explicit nudity. Records show he was released on a $125,000 bond on July 1. Taylor Street Baptist is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention through the Lexington Baptist Association. The church said it is cooperating fully with the investigation and asked for prayer for the victims and their families. The church’s Facebook page has since been taken down.
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ARSON AND SUSPICIOUS FIRES
Three-Alarm Fire Destroys Former Church, Squatter Taken Into Custody — Pittsburgh, PA
Fire tore through the former Grandview United Presbyterian Church in the 300 block of Grandview Avenue in Pittsburgh’s Mount Washington neighborhood at about 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 7. The three-alarm blaze collapsed the roof and sent smoke visible across the Pittsburgh skyline and from PNC Park. One firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion. Firefighters do not believe anyone was inside when the fire started. Police arrested Colton Normand at the scene after officers said he ran from the crowd of onlookers, through the hose lines, to a window of the burning building, telling them he wanted to look at the fire. According to the criminal complaint, Normand gave officers a false first name and was already wanted on an assault warrant out of Idaho. Police said Normand had been squatting at the church and had been ordered off the property for trespassing on July 2. He is charged with defiant trespass, obstructing emergency services, and providing false identification to law enforcement. Police said an arson investigation will follow. Normand has not been charged in connection with the fire.
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FATAL INCIDENTS
Body Found on Vacant Church Property Identified — Roseville, MI
Authorities identified a man found dead on the grounds of the vacant former Sacred Heart Church in Roseville. Police said the closed church building had served for years as an unofficial shelter for some of the area’s unhoused population. No cause of death has been released and no criminal act has been alleged. The investigation is ongoing.
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INTERNATIONAL
Fifteen Worshippers Freed After 67 Days in Captivity, One Dies — Eda Oniyo, Nigeria
Ekiti State police said worshippers abducted from a Christ Apostolic Church open-air crusade at Eda Oniyo were rescued and returned home around midnight on Friday, July 3. Gunmen had stormed the church’s prayer mountain on Tuesday, April 28, shooting and killing the officiating pastor and marching 15 worshippers into the forest. Most were women, along with two young boys and children between the ages of two and four. One of the captives died during the 67 days in captivity. Police Public Relations Officer SP Sunday Abutu said the rescue followed sustained intelligence-led operations involving the police, the military, the Amotekun Corps, local hunters, and the Ekiti State Government. The abductors initially demanded a one billion naira ransom before lowering the figure; community sources said a ransom of 25.5 million naira plus fuel and food was paid before the release. The freed victims are being treated at Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital in Ado-Ekiti at state expense. Police said efforts to arrest the abductors are ongoing.
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Gunmen Abduct Pastor and Two Congregants From Church Residence — Andyar, Nigeria
Armed men broke into the residence of Rev. Dr. Samuel Gbinde on the grounds of NKST Church in Andyar, Ishan Classis, Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, in the early hours of Tuesday, June 30. The gunmen fired shots to scatter residents before taking Gbinde and two members of his congregation to an unknown destination. Gbinde is a senior pastor with the Universal Reformed Christian Church, known locally as NKST. General Secretary Rev. Dr. T. A. Targba confirmed the abduction in a statement and called on security agencies and the Benue State and federal governments to act to secure the victims’ release and arrest those responsible. A community source said Andyar is isolated and sits close to Logo Local Government Area, an area known for banditry and armed herdsmen attacks. The Benue State Police Command had not issued a statement as of publication.
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Catholic Priest Shot Dead Returning to His Parish Residence — Zemio, Central African Republic
Fr. Crepin Martial Monga, vicar of St. John the Baptist Parish in Zemio, Haut-Mbomou Prefecture, was shot and killed by gunmen at about 6:43 p.m. on Monday, June 29. According to diocesan sources, the attack happened on the road linking a Central African Armed Forces checkpoint to the parish residence. Monga was struck in the head and died instantly. A woman from his parish traveling with him was shot in the neck and remains in critical condition. Monga coordinated the Local Committee for Peace and Reconciliation in Zemio and had spent years mediating between armed groups and local authorities. Bishop Aurelio Gazzera of Bangassou said the parish had at times sheltered more than 3,000 displaced people. Church sources believe the killing was deliberate and connected to his mediation work. No group has claimed responsibility, and authorities have not identified those responsible. The day before he was killed, Monga baptized 175 people, including 160 displaced Christians.
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I forgot to include the download. I'm sorry. It is up now at the website. Just go here: https://www.christianwarriortraining.com/p/nyc-churches-firebombed-weekly-intelligence
Keith: I just wanted to take moment to let you know how much I, and many of the folks on my team, appreciate your ministry and what you provide as actionable information. We are an all volunteer group in a rural settling that works regularly to assure the safety and security of our church family, and the information you provide (both events, insights, plans and protocols) have given us a framework for preparation that would have been much more difficult to obtain otherwise. Plus, your regular reminders to keep Christ central to our efforts has been one of the keys to our success thus far. Your ministry has truly helped us in our ministry, thank you.