LSC is now focusing on new incidents, Changing Crime Trends. These are changes in pattern from historical incident activity. There is enough historical evidence presented for you to gain a good knowledge base.

Be AWARE... ASSESS... Have a PLAN

July 22, 2010 - Michigan, "FBI Warning to local churches mentions 'suspicious activity,' people asking questions about their church buildings"

This Warning is a great reason for CHURCH NETWORKING in a community.

Post-9/11 reported incidents on "flight training", mentions all the instructors thought it was odd that the students "only wanted to know how to take-off and fly the plane, not land it"? It never makes sense until after the fact. This FBI warning is based on Prevention and Safety, it is always better to be safe than sorry. p>

Possibilties for the current suspicious activity could be; terrorist activity, a radical organization wishing to make a "statement or protest" at a large gathering or even a criminial organization(s) planning on multiple robberies and knowing when the crouds will be greater!

THE ARTICLE: The FBI letter warns of several instances of people showing up at places of worship and asking detailed questions about building layout and where people usually congregate in the building. Suspicious people have also asked when worship centers would be populated and where Christians could be found in the building. The suspicious activity has been reported during the past several months, and the letter has been sent to churches of all denominations. A pastor states: "We have alerted our parishioners to report if they see anything strange or out of the ordinary. Other than that, I don't think there is much we can do other than to keep any eye on things and make sure everything seems safe."

June 24, 2010 Oklahoma City, OK "Woman attacked and raped at OKC church"

An Oklahoma City woman is attacked and raped at a local church. Luckily, within just a few hours, police were able to make an arrest. The crime took place at Britton Baptist Church. The suspect occasionally worked at the church doing odd jobs. Police say that made it easy for employees to ID him. The accused rapist is 30-year-old Antwine Walker. The alleged rape victim told police she was ambushed and assaulted just seconds after arriving for work early Tuesday. "The suspect actually followed her to the back of the building, threw some kind of rope around her neck and proceeded to choke her and rape and sodomize her in the building," said Sgt. Jennifer Wardlow. Walker has a lengthy criminal record, including convictions for burglary and violating a victim's protective order. The church pastor says he knew of Walker's criminal past but wanted to give him a chance to go straight.

Jan 7, 2010 Chino Hills, CA The arrest of an Ontario man accused of embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from church coffers has shocked and angered the Calvary Chapel Chino Hills community.

Police in late December arrested Farrukh Ahmed, 47, on suspicion of felony burglary and embezzlement charges. The FBI, which is investigating the theft, reported that between $720,000 and $960,000 was stolen over four years, Calvary Chapel pastor Jack Hibbs said. "He was actually caught by one of our staff members with cash in hand," Hibbs announced the loss on Dec. 27 to the congregation. "They were shocked and disheartened and they were very tearful," Hibbs said. "They felt very violated."

The Chino Police Department was initially contacted by Ahmed on April 17 about theft and embezzlement of church money. Hibbs said evidence included tithe envelopes that were found to have been opened. Hibbs on Dec. 8 notified the Police Department that Ahmed might have been responsible for the theft of church funds reported in April. Ahmed joined Calvary Chapel about 12 years ago and regularly attended services, Hibbs said. Ahmed, who was born and raised in Pakistan, was a Muslim who emigrated to the United States in the 1980s. He converted to Christianity at Calvary Chapel where he became a church administrator four years ago, Hibbs said. "On the surface, he was very diligent and very conscientious, and he was the kind of man that would quickly gain your trust," Hibbs said. "He was hardworking and always on the ball."

Church member Mike Goody of Chino said Calvary Chapel members are praying for justice. "As a Christian, we pray we forgive him for what he did … but ultimately we seek justice," Goody said. The Calvary Chapel Chino Hills, which is in Chino, has 7,000 adult members.

Historical listing of criminal incidents occuring within our faith community:

February 1991 to June 2009

June 24, 2009- Nationwide - Churches Targeted for Thefts:

Churches are being targeted for thefts of their air conditioning units. Copper tubing is also being stolen, in Raleigh County, NC; four churches were robbed of their AC units.

June 11, 2009-Phoenix, AZ- Baptist Foundation Fraud convicts' appeals denied by court:

The Arizona Court of Appeals has upheld the fraud convictions of two former executives of the Baptist Foundation of Arizona. In July 2006, a Maricopa County Superior Court jury found William Crotts and Thomas Grabinski guilty of fraud and racketeering related to the foundation's 1999 collapse. More than 11,000 investors, many of them elderly Baptists who thought their investments would yield high interest rates while helping to do the Lord's work, lost more than $550 million. Crotts, 64, the former president, was sentenced to eight years in prison. Grabinski, 49, its former legal counsel, got six years

June 3, 2009-Little Rock, AR- More Targets Found on Arkansas Shooting Suspect's Computer

A senior U.S. official tells that more targets were found on the computer of a man charged in the fatal shooting at a military recruiting center in Arkansas suggesting the accused gunman may have been part of a larger plot to attack military targets and may not have been acting alone. Officers found maps to Jewish organizations, a Baptist church, a child care center, a post office and military recruiting centers in the southeastern U.S., New York and Philadelphia, according to a joint FBI-Homeland Security intelligence assessment on a computer linked to the suspect.

Muhammad, 23, a Muslim convert who previously was known as Carlos Bledsoe, said he targeted soldiers "because of what they had done to Muslims in the past." Muhammad, a U.S. citizen, is accused of carrying out a targeted attack against U.S. forces because of "political and religious motives" and already had been under investigation. An FBI joint terrorism task force based in the southern U.S. reportedly had been tracking Muhammad after he traveled to Yemen and was arrested and jailed there for using a Somali passport. The probe had been in its early stages and based on Muhammad's trip to Yemen.

While there, Muhammad, who was born and raised in Tennessee, studied jihad with an Islamic scholar, according to Jihadwatch.org. He moved to Little Rock in April. Muhammad was not part of any organized terrorist group, nor was his attack part of a larger conspiracy, Little Rock Police Chief Stuart Thomas said on Tuesday. Interviews with police show that the suspect "probably had political and religious motives for the attack," Thomas said. "We believe that it's associated with his disagreement over the military operations.� Muhammad told authorities that he approached the recruiting center in Little Rock by car and started shooting at two soldiers in uniform Muhammad was arrested, an assault rifle and other weapons were found in Muhammad's car authorities said.

May 31, 2009-Wuchita, KS- Abortion Doctor shot to death in church?

George Tiller, the Wichita doctor who became a national lightning rod in the debate over abortion, was shot to death this morning in church services. An obsessed anti-abortion man who chose to take the Law and his personal opinion into his own hands shot him. Tiller, 67, was serving as an usher during morning services Sunday when he was shot in the foyer of Reformation Lutheran Church, police said. The gunman fired one shot at Tiller and threatened two other people who tried to stop him. Scott Roeder, 51, was returned to Wichita and was being booked without bail on one count of first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated assault.

May 29, 2009-Oakland, CA-Police identify man found stabbed to death outside Oakland church:

A man found stabbed to death Tuesday morning outside an East Oakland church, Koinonia Ministries Inc, has been identified as James F. Freeman Jr., 62, of Oakland, police said today. Police said Freeman used to live in that area but was more recently living in a board and care home a few miles away. Investigators have no motive for his killing and no arrests have been made.

May 29, 2009-New Orleans, LA-Teen's body found near steps of church after Uptown shooting:

A 16-year-old boy died after suffering from a gunshot wound to the head, according to police who said the victim, identified as Donlynn Lee, was pronounced dead on the scene. "We started to see a younger element that are engaged in this type of heinous and violent act, and certainly our responsibility is to go out and identify and to arrest those individuals," said NOPD Assistant Superintendent Marlon Defillo. Lee's body was found on the sidewalk near the footsteps of the First Baptist Church. Neighbors said they never have any problems with violent crime in the area, and the shooting came as a surprise. Defillo said police don't have a suspect, motive, or any witnesses.

May 28, 2009-San Diego, CA-San Diego County officials shut down home Bible study -County official interrogates pastor and his wife:

A San Diego pastor and his wife have been told they cannot have a Bible study in their home. The couple says they were interrogated by a San Diego County official, then threatened with ever increasing fines if they refuse to stop the Bible study. According to the couple's attorney, they were questioned about the Bible study. "'Do you have a regular meeting in your home?" The pastor's wife replied, "Yes." "Do you say 'amen'?" the official asked. "Yes," she replied. "Do you pray?" Again she said, "Yes." "Do you say 'praise the Lord'?" Another "Yes." The official told the pastor and his wife they were in violation of county rules. The Bible study usually has an average of about 15 people. A few days later they got a written warning that listed the home Bible study an "unlawful use of land." They were notified to "stop religious assembly or apply for a major use permit," which could cost them thousands of dollars.

Could a small poetry club meet regularly in a home? Apparently, yes. What about a Cub Scout meeting? Evidently, yes. What if they meet regularly to watch Monday Night Football? Obviously, yes. Later following a review of the incident all charges were dismissed.

May 26 2009-Reidsville, NC-Rockingham Co. Pastor Charged with Sex Offenses:

A Rockingham County pastor faces several charges of sexual offense with a 15-year-old girl, the sheriff's office said.

May 19, 2009-PORTLAND, ME-Maine police arrest man with rifle outside church:

Remember that some Church Programs intended to help, sometimes bring additional issues, which can effect your house of Worship. A man arrested with a rifle outside a downtown church says he wanted to shoot two people before starting a new life. A shooting inside First Parish Church was averted when an officer arrested Herbert Jones outside the church. Jones faces charges including terrorizing, stalking and possession of a firearm by a felon. Jones says he wanted to shoot two men at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in the church one man he believed to be a pedophile and another man he believed was vying for the affections of a woman with whom Jones is charged with stalking. Jones states that he suffers from bipolar disorder.

May 13, 2009-Detroit, MI-Police investigate shooting outside church:

Police are investigating a shooting outside a church on the city's east side. Officers say a 19-year-old man was shot three times after he approached another man. It happened outside Greater Future Missionary Baptist Church shortly before noon, another gang shooting.

May 12, 2009-Dayton, OH-Gunman Arrested for Shooting at Mourners in Church Parking Lot:

Police at a relative's home arrested the gunman; he fired multiple shots at mourners exiting a funeral being held at St Paul's Global Outreach Ministry, missing his intended gang member target. The shooter's gun jammed and he was chased after by some of the mourners. There has been a series of retaliation shootings in the city. This has become a common incident nationwide, gang or ex-gang member funerals where retaliation is a motive for shootings.

Apr 26, 2009- Little Rock, AR-Homeless Man Arrested for Church Damages:

A homeless man in Little Rock, Arkansas, was arrested in connection with damaging a Pentecostal church.

The man allegedly caused $50,000 to $70,000 worth of damage in less than an hour on his vandalizing spree.

The First Pentecostal Church was familiar with the burglar, who claimed that he was a prophet and a devil worshiper. He had gone through an alcoholics program sponsored by the church.

Apr 14, 2009-Tracy, CA-Tracy suspect charged with murder, rape:

Prosecutors filed charges of murder, kidnapping and rape this morning against Melissa Huckaby of Tracy for allegedly killing an 8-year-old neighbor girl, stuffing her into a suitcase and trying to hide the body in a local irrigation pond. Melissa Huckaby was a teacher in a small church in the area and the victim was a student in her class and a friend of a her daughter.

Apr 8, 2009-LEESBURG, FL-Machete wielded in attack-

A man staying at a Leesburg church talked about "trying to get demons out" as he attacked a fellow transient with a machete and pocket knife Sunday night, Lake County Sheriff's investigators said. Deputies arrested Raymond K. Odum, 39, who was staying at Logos Christian Fellowship, on suspicion of attempted murder after he allegedly hacked at and stabbed a fellow homeless man staying at the church, sheriff's spokesman John Herrell said. Odum apparently chopped the unsuspecting man's head and neck while the two were inside the church building. The victim told investigators Odum continued to swing the blade at him and then tried to stab the victim with a pocketknife. The victim grabbed a knife from the church's kitchen to defend himself, according to the report. He then left the church building. It was not apparent to investigators why Odum attacked the victim, according to the report. The victim flagged down a car driving by, and the driver called police, according to the report. Odum talked about demons as he attacked the victim, the latter told investigators. Cpl. Timothy Beary, who arrived on the scene and arrested Odum, said Odum was mumbling about demons but did not address deputies. "He was acting bizarre and real strange," Beary said Monday. "He muttered about demons and then declined to talk to us."

Apr 7, 2009-Temecula, CA- KKOTTONGNAE CATHOLIC RETREAT CAMPGROUNDS- 1 killed 3 injured-

A 69 yr old male for unknown reasons shot and killed one person and injured 3 more beside himself, at a Korean Catholic Retreat east of Temecula, CA, shortly after 7pm Tuesday. The man, John Chong, a volunteer at the retreat, armed with a 32 cal. handgun entered one of the bungalows and shot a couple inside killing the wife and wounding her husband. Chong then entered another bungalow about 300 yards away and fired two more shots at another couple. Both Chong and the couple suffered injuries in what Riverside Sheriff Sgt. Michael Lujan described as a major struggle. It appears the second couple was able to subdue Chong and disarm him. A barbell may have been used to help subdue Chong. As of this writing police have not been able to question Chong about the incident because of his injuries.

Apr 6, 2009- Austin, TX -Missing Austin Priest Found Murdered-

The gruesome discovery was found yesterday afternoon outside of Nuevo Laredo city limits in the country area. According to Nuevo Laredo investigators, the body was already decomposing. They also said it looked like Father Jesse Euresti had been dead for four or five days already. Apparently from knife and machete wounds. The man believed to be behind the killing is now behind bars. Police say it was the caretaker of Euresti's home, Manuel Torres Saldana. According to Nuevo Laredo authorities, the suspect was caught after he contacted Father Euresti's family asking for money. In exchange, he said he would give information on where the body was located.

Apr 6th 2009 Brooklyn, NY Single mother shot and killed on her way to a Church Community meeting to end violence -

A single mother was identified Sunday as the victim shot to death outside a Brooklyn church during an anti-violence meeting, neighbors said. Francilyn Blake, 31, was walking across the street from her East Flatbush home Saturday night when a gunman riding in a dark SUV sprayed Linden Blvd. with bullets. Blake was hit five times. The sound of gunfire interrupted talks about an upcoming anti-violence rally inside God's Battalion of Prayer Church. "We were crying inside knowing that we're meeting to address these issues of violence and this woman was being shot right outside," said Ryan Jacobs, 31, a youth leader who phoned cops. Neighbors said Blake, originally from Jamaica, was a "nice lady" who took care of her daughter and mother. "It's going to be tough for them," said Marvin Angus, 31, Blake's ex-husband. "She was a good person."

April 6, 2009-Roanoak, VA- Roanoke shooting suspect arrested in Florida-

The suspect in last week's shooting outside a Northwest Roanoke church was arrested today in Florida, police said. The U.S. Marshals Service arrested Lamar Antonio Brown, 36, in Tampa, said Roanoke police spokesperson Aisha Johnson. Brown is accused of shooting the secretary at Central Baptist Church on Thursday as she left work in her car. The woman drove to a nearby fire station and sought help. The church's pastor, the Rev. Joseph Keaton, has said that Brown and the victim recently had broken up. Police are not releasing the victim's identity at her request. Brown is charged with malicious wounding, shooting into an occupied vehicle, shooting from a vehicle, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. In 2000, Brown was charged with shooting a different woman. Those charges were dropped because that woman decided not to prosecute.

Mar 26,2009-Costa Mesa, CA-The Arizona Republic: Poser tweets as televangelist Schuller:

Perhaps one reason for high-profile pastors to set up Twitter accounts is to see if someone isn't already out there pretending to be them. This was the case for Robert Schuller, the high-profile leader of the Crystal Cathedral and host of the television ministry "Hour of Power". Schuller tried to set up his own Twitter account as 'Robert Schuller' only to discover that someone was impersonating him and had been tweeting as him for two weeks. The impostor used copyrighted images of Schuller and Crystal Cathedral to pass himself off at Schuller. The impostor also wrote things that sounded logical for Schuller to say. Schuller now has control over that screen name and account and is using Twitter regularly. Other well-followed fake celebrities on Twitter include Stephen Colbert and Tina Fey, though those have not been shut down and deleted.

Mar 24, 2009-Turlock, CA -

Police quell anxiety over church shooting, Suspect still at large- Amid rumors of gang initiations and fears about recent fatal church shootings, the Turlock Police Department met with community members to answer questions regarding a shooting outside Turlock Covenant Church on Sunday and offer their reassurances. Approximately 50 parishioners, parents, and residents of the neighborhood gathered at the church Tuesday night to voice their concerns and apprehensions about Sunday's shooting. Officers recovered six .25-caliber shell casings from the scene, Lt. Jeff Lopes said. The shooter was approximately 25 yards away when he opened fire, Lopes said. The victim said he did not recognize the attacker and has no idea why anyone would shoot at him. "There are no signs as of yet that he (the victim) was specifically targeted," Lopes said. The only description of the suspect is that he is a Hispanic man in his 20s, and was wearing a white T-shirt at the time of the shooting. Langston said they have been talking to witnesses and have developed a few leads they are investigating further. The victim does not have any known gang affiliations and the incident does not have any similarities to recent church shootings in other states that have resulted in fatalities, Langston said. One parishioner asked if the rumors going around about "gang initiation week" had any connection to the shooting. "We don't believe there could be that much coordination within the gangs to carry off something like that," Langston said. Residents who live around the church said they have had several problems in the neighborhood recently, including arson. Lopes confirmed there have been a number of minor arson fires in the area and they are currently under investigation by the Turlock City Fire Department. We as a church want to continue to partner with our neighbors and continue to make this a safer community," he said. The Turlock Covenant Church has been a part of Turlock since the early 1900s. It offers day-care service and preschool classes, and ESL classes. It sponsors a Neighborhood Watch program and partners with the Hispanic church Iglesia Del Pacto Evangelico.

Mar 22, 2009-Turlock, CA - Gunman opens fire in church, no one hurt in attack-

Police are trying to determine a gunman's motive for shooting inside a Turlock church over the weekend, but are relieved that all the shots he fired missed his intended victim. Investigators say the gunman opened fire in the exterior hallway of Turlock Covenant Church when a 57-year-old Turlock man arrived for a prayer meeting early Sunday morning. None of the six shots fired from his handgun hit the intended victim. The shooter fled the scene through back yards surrounding church property, the suspect is still at large.

Mar 17, 2009-Suffolk, VA-Men sought in robbery of Suffolk pastor in church-

A church pastor working late in his office was robbed at gunpoint last night, the city says. The pastor was working about 9:45 p.m. in an office at New Life Suffolk Church in the 500 block of East Constance Road when two men walked into and one of them pulled out a handgun, according to a city news release. The men took a CD duplicator and four laptop computers before forcing the pastor into a back room and leaving, the release says. The pastor wasn't hurt, reporting that both men were wearing dark, hooded sweatshirts and gloves.

March 13, 2009-Keokuk, IA-

Man charged with 7 fires, Travis Thrush accused of setting fire at two churches, five other locations- The 20-year-old man accused of setting fire to a home garage and 105 bales of hay outside a grocery store in January. Now he is being accused of intentionally setting most of the fires, including two churches, here last year. Thrush is the accused that he started the fire at First Baptist Church on Blondeau Street May 18 of last year. The education building at the church went up in flames very early that Sunday morning, just a few hours before a church service. Prosecutors also allege the man charred a historic section of the 151-year-old Bethany Baptist Church, 227 N. Sixth St., four months after the First Baptist Church.

Mar 10, 2009-Vinton, VA-

Vinton's New Beginning Baptist Church fire ruled arson-Agents from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives inspect a vehicle belonging to Tony St. Clair, the pastor of New Beginning Baptist Church in Vinton. Investigators have determined that a fire at the church Tuesday night was set intentionally. When firefighters responded to a fire at New Beginning Baptist Church in Vinton on Tuesday night, they found the pastor injured and lying outside. A Vinton church fire that injured the pastor and did an estimated $100,000 in damage Tuesday night was intentionally set, fire officials said Wednesday.

Mar 10, 2009-Maryville, IL-

Follow-up-Church shooting suspect planned 'day of death,' prosecutor says-The suspect accused of killing a minister at an Illinois church had marked the day of the attack as a "day of death" or "death day" in a planning book, a prosecutor said Tuesday. There were "words to those effect," written in a day planner belonging to Terry J. Sedlacek, the man accused in Sunday's attack at the First Baptist Church. "When he was tackled by two of the members, we don't know whether he fell on the knife, injuring himself at the time, or whether [his injury] was self-inflicted during the struggle," said State Police Director Larry Trent.

Mar 10, 2009- San Luis, CO-LDS Church issues apology in missionary vandalism-

Photos that had been posted on the Internet showed three LDS missionaries mocking a Catholic shrine and holding the broken head of a statue of a saint there, a Catholic official said. Olsen, an LDS leader, called the missionaries' actions "inexcusable" and said respect for other faiths is a "cardinal tenet" of the LDS Church, The church expresses its profound regret and sincere apologies to the members of the Roman Catholic faith. Charges are pending.

Mar 7, 2009- Maryville, IL- Baptist pastor murdered during Sunday morning service-

A lone mentally disturbed gunman walked down the aisle of an Illinois church during a service and killed the pastor, stabbed himself and slashed two other people as congregants wrestled him to the ground, authorities said. The pastor was shot to death during a service Sunday in front of horrified parishioners who then tackled the gunman, state police said. Fred Winters, the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Maryville, was shot and killed during the 8 a.m. service, and the attacker and two parishioners suffered knife wounds in the attack. The gunman walked in during the service and walked up to the pulpit, opening fire when he was met by Pastor Winters, the pastor was shot three times. The suspect then pulled out a knife and wounded himself; the knife also injured two worshippers who were attempting to detain him. One was dead on arrival at the hospital, the second was in an operating room and the third was the suspect. The suspect's condition was not immediately available. Maryville is about 10 miles east of St. Louis, Missouri.

Mar 4, 2009-Cincinnati, OH-Shop Owner Shot Twice In College Hill Double-Shooting-Second Victim Suffers Gunshot to Leg, Runs into Church-

Two people were injured during a robbery along Hamilton Avenue. Church services were just getting underway, when the violence at store came right across the street to the House of Joy and right inside. "They ran in and somebody said somebody's been shot out here," Rev. Theodore Freeman said. "A young man had kind of crawled in the door and was sitting in a chair and we immediately began to do first aid." As police collected evidence, the church services went on and Freeman said he looked for solutions for the neighborhood -- Officers said they're hunting for three teens who were ran from the scene.

Mar 4, 2009- Lincoln, NE-

Man in armored guard uniform rips off church-Police say a man posing as an armored car guard made off with more than $145,000 from a church. A man dressed as a guard walked into the financial office of the Berean Church on Tuesday and told an employee he was there to pick up the weekly deposit. The employee said the man appeared to know what he was doing, so she gave him the deposit of more than $145,000 in cash and checks. The real armored car and driver arrived about 15 minutes later and church employees realized they had been robbed.

Mar 2, 2009- Bronx, NY-Bronx Church Shooting, security guard wounded-

Sherrod Dixon is being sought by authorities for the shooting in Holy Temple Church in East Tremont. The victim was a long-time security guard who lived on the premises. The suspect shouted, "Oh no I just shot my bother in the head", was a mentally unstable and had threatened other family members.

Mar 1, 2009- Paso Robles, CA- Church bus set on fire

The Friday night fire destroyed the school bus and a church member's SUV at Living Waters Christian Fellowship. The fire caused about $50,000 worth of damage. Cal Fire law enforcement arrested 21-year-old Dereck Bruenecke; he had been drinking before the incident. Bruenecke said, "That he was sorry to light the fire and that it wasn't his intention to burn the bus down. He was playing with a lighter, he said." "We prayed and forgave him for what he did and that's a good lesson", Pastor Boggan said, whether or not the legal system will give that same forgiveness is still unknown. Cal Fire investigators say the suspect actually went back to the scene of the crime to take video of it. That made investigators suspicious of Bruenecke. Pastor Boggan hopes they can buy a new bus, but they say at this point, insurance will not help cover the cost.

Feb 27, 2009-Pacific, WA - Man dead in shooting at Wash. community center-

A 20-year-old man is dead in a shooting at a church-sponsored event in the small south King County city community center. Detectives have arrested the shooter and two other people, the motive may have been a gesture made by the victim.

Feb 23, 2009- SILVER SPRING, MD- Woman Fatally Shot Outside Church-

The shooting happened at 11:30 a.m. Sunday at the People's Community Baptist Church. Kevin Kelly had reportedly gone to the church to meet with his wife. Officers said it is believed that the fatal shooting is a result of his anger that she was trying to establish a life without him.

Feb 18, 2009- GARDEN GROVE, CA- Man kills himself in Schuller's Crystal Cathedral-

A man shot and killed himself in front of a cross, he handed a note and his driver's license to two ushers, walked to the cross and then shot himself in the head as he appeared to be praying, Senior Pastor Juan Carlos Ortiz said.

Feb 8, 2009-Salt Lake City, UT-Feds arrest man they say plotted S. Jordan temple shooting, man planned to kill at least a dozen people-

Gregory Hopkins, a BATF agent, wrote in court papers that Speakman told an officer he was planning to go to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Jordan River Temple to shoot others and then himself. "Benjamin Speakman told the officer he was planning to go into an LDS temple and start shooting people in the temple with his AK-47 and then shoot himself with the shotgun."

Feb 8, 2009-Laotians fearful after gang shootings- Its effect on local Churches

Two weeks after someone wildly fired shots at a Wichita home while a wake was being held, killing two men and injuring eight others, some members of the city's Laotian community say they are afraid to exercise a basic freedom. They say they fear gathering -- or meeting for very long -- because they are concerned that more innocent people will be caught in indiscriminate gunfire.

Police have made no arrests in the Jan. 24 shooting, which happened in the 2900 block of East Dunham, near 31st South and Hillside. Police say the violence involves rival Asian gangs. The shooting appears to be having a wide impact in the Laotian community. Weddings and parties have been postponed, said one woman, who asked that her name not be used because she is afraid. Police have said they think the target was the son of the middle-aged woman for whom the wake was being held. She had died of heart complications, police said.

The son, who police said is a documented gang member, was at the home when the shooting occurred but was not hit by the gunshots. Allred noted that the shooting was recklessly carried out. It occurred shortly before 9:30 p.m. on a Saturday. The shots came from the street, possibly from more than one gun, and were fired at a home where up to 100 people -- including children -- had gathered. The victims were standing in or near a garage beside the house. It's Impact on church. Lao Baptist Church has been directly affected, said senior pastor Lang Sengvilay. The church sits on South Hillside near where the shooting occurred, and at least three church members were wounded in the attack, Sengvilay said. Attendance has been down since the incident.

It was the second time since 2006 that a shooting has claimed a life at a large Laotian gathering. In 2006, someone shot and fatally wounded a 19-year-old man in the parking lot of the Mid-America All-Indian Center while about 500 people attended a wedding reception inside. The shooting remains unsolved. Police think that the latest shooting was retaliation for the 2006 shooting.

Feb 6, 2009- PONTIAC, MI -17-year-old to face trial after killing teen in church shooting

A 17-year-old is headed to trial in the shooting death of a 14-year-old from Alabama outside a Pontiac church. District Judge Michael Martinez today bound James Cecil Willis of Pontiac over to circuit court for trial on charges of open murder and felony firearm.

Police say Willis is a member of the Goon Squad gang and was involved in crashing a birthday party at a Pontiac church. Willis is accused of firing into a crowd outside the church, killing Dawan Allan-France Roberson of Akron, Ala.

Feb 1, 2009 - Ministers billed for thousands now face lawsuits- Fraud targets Churches.

At least 24 churches in southeast Michigan and 176 nationwide are victims of what their lawyers said is a multimillion-dollar scam that promised educational video terminals at no cost but instead drained several churches' treasuries and now threatens some with the loss of their buildings.

In the alleged scam, the ministers said they signed papers they thought were shipping receipts for receiving the terminals. But the papers actually were lease agreements obligating them to 48 months of payments totaling as much as $40,000.

The Michigan promoter of the free terminal deal -- a man whose business card calls him Bishop Henry Washington, chief advocate of a Southfield organization called the Office of the Ecclesiastical Council -- told the Free Press on Friday that the machines were worth only about $1,800 each. He denied any knowledge of a scam and said if there was, he was taken, too.

"This has been devastating," said the Rev. James Whitehead, pastor of Whitehead Memorial Church in Belleville. "Here we are in a recession -- our offerings are down, our heating bills are up -- and you get a bill that you owe $40,000." On Feb. 13, lawyers for the ministers plan to ask a Wayne County Circuit judge to put 16 of the churches into a single case to defend a lawsuit filed by a Wisconsin leasing firm that's demanding immediate and full payment of the terminal leases.

United Leasing Associates of America in Waukesha, Wis., one of several lease firms involved in the dispute, contends that the 16 Michigan churches and others nationwide owe it $1.4 million for failing to make the monthly lease payments.

Calls to the chief operating officer of United Leasing and to the firm's Michigan lawyers in Lansing weren't returned. In a separate lawsuit filed in October, seven of the Michigan churches sued United Leasing and two faith-oriented marketing firms in Washington for more than $700,000 in damages, charging them with fraud and illegal collection methods. The rest of the Michigan churches are expected to join this suit. In legal filings, United Leasing said it knew nothing of promises made by faith-oriented marketers to provide the terminals at no cost to churches in Detroit, Ferndale, Inkster, Ypsilanti and other cities. The terminals, with touch screens inside polished wood cabinets, were to show educational videos mixed with infomercials.

A dozen of the pastors gathered this week at an Inkster church to share worries that also burden ministers in Flint, Port Huron and Saginaw. They held promotional literature that in bold type promised the terminal installations at no cost and also said churches would earn commissions from sponsors of infomercials. But the commissions never materialized, Huntington Woods lawyer Willard Ducharme said. Instead, United and other leasing firms are demanding full payment of $27,000 to $40,000 on 48-month leases with interest rates at nearly 16%. And they have illegally raided some church bank accounts for tens of thousands of dollars, Ducharme said.

The ministers "feel betrayed, but they shouldn't lose their churches over this, and some of them might," he said. "On top of everything, the machines never worked right. They'd turn on, but that's about it," the churches' other lawyer, Rod Johnson of Livonia, said. Many of the ministers said they first heard about the free terminals from Washington, whose Office of the Ecclesiastical Council Web site offers financial advice to black churches. Washington "came to our services. He said he wanted to help us. We thought he was from a charity," said the Rev. Robert Starghill, pastor of Samaritan Baptist Church in Detroit. Contacted by the Free Press on Friday, Washington said he was unaware that providing the terminals involved lease agreements and made no money on the deals. He said each terminal's cabinet cost about $1,600 and the electronics, all secondhand, "less than $200." Washington said he was the Michigan representative for the terminals' marketers -- Washington-based TVBO, or Television Broadcasting Online, and its subsidiary, Urban Interfaith Network. TVBO President Michael Morris did not return a phone call last week. Willie Perkins of TVBO said Wednesday his lawyer would call back. The two men and their business entities have been sued separately by the Michigan churches and by United Leasing.

A spokesman for the Michigan Attorney General's Office said they had received complaint letters from ministers who said they were scammed and that the office had requested details from Urban Interfaith Network and United Leasing. "We can't say more than that at this point," spokesman Matt Frendewey said Friday. Many pastors said they haven't told their parishioners of their financial straits and lawsuits. "I've been so embarrassed," said the Rev. Isaac King Jr., pastor of Inkster's Pentacostal Temple Church of God in Christ. "I've been taking money from out of my personal account to pay the attorneys. "I feel that by going into my pocket, if anything, I will learn the lesson -- if something seems too good to be true, it probably is."

Jan 17, 2009 -The Arizona Republic -Operator of Christian non-profit indicted in fraud Chandler man accused of running Ponzi scheme

Edward Purvis, the man who promised churchgoing investors in Arizona and 12 other states he could make them wealthy while funding Christian causes, was indicted Friday on 43 counts of fraud and theft. Authorities accuse the 40-year-old Chandler man of operating a multimillion Ponzi-scheme through Nakami Chi Group Ministries International.

The indictment comes on the heels of an $11 million restitution order imposed last month on Purvis and his partner Gregg Wolfe and their wives by the Arizona Corporation Commission, which regulates the sale of securities in the state.

Authorities said that while Purvis promised investors 24 percent annual returns, Purvis was dipping into their money to buy cars and jewelry, to make a down payment on an $800,000 home and to pay gambling debts and other personal expenses.

A Ponzi, or pyramid, scheme is an investment scam that uses money from new investors to pay old investors. Nakami's investors included at least one pastor, church elders and members of Chandler Christian Church and Vineyard Church in Avondale, many of whom continue to defend Purvis and Wolfe.

Purvis and Wolfe told investors that their company was worth $170 billion and it controlled assets around the world, including gold mines, Australian developments, telecom firms, banks and a Phoenix technology company.

An Arizona Republic investigation in 2006 raised questions about the size and holdings of Nakami, which used a Scottsdale post-office box as its company business address.

State records showed Purvis was a licensed practical nurse and Wolfe is a former roofing contractor. Records also show Purvis and Wolfe do not have licenses to be brokers, lenders or bankers.

Goddard said his office takes fraud cases very seriously and compared Purvis to some of the worst offenders for his aggressive style of marketing.

"These people act without conscience and their victims are often the aged who invest on trust rather than knowledge," Goddard said, adding that fraud destroys lives no differently than other crimes.

Neither Purvis nor Wolfe could be reached for comment Friday. Purvis is currently serving an 18-month prison sentence for bribing a Chandler police officer and filing a series of bogus legal claims against public officials in an attempt to thwart the Corporation Commission's investigation.

Purvis and Wolfe filed so-called admiralty claims against two attorneys, a judge in the case and the clerk of Maricopa County Superior Court. They also filed liens and lawsuits against a reporter and a financial adviser who alerted authorities to their scheme.

Admiralty law concerns ships and commerce on navigable waters, but groups with roots in militia movements have used it to suggest that it supersedes the Constitution.

Jan 14th, 2009- Mesa man charged with 2 church fires

A Mesa man has been arrested as a suspect in a burglary and a fire at two Valley churches. Marcus Taylor, 19, was arrested Tuesday by Chandler police detectives. Taylor is accused of breaking into the Greater Phoenix Chinese Christian Church last Nov. 23 and stealing a cymbal, snare and a pedal for a bass drum. Shortly after that, he allegedly broke into the Epiphany Lutheran Church, set a fire and left behind the stolen instruments.

Jan 16, 2009 Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN - Two teens accused of murder plots at schools and churches - Had stockpile of stolen rifles

The University of Manitoba was one of several targets in an alleged plot to kill staff and students at several local schools and churches. Countless lives were saved and a colossal tragedy averted by Winnipeg police officers who foiled two teens alleged plot to commit mass murder at Manitoba's largest university, two high schools and a church. The suspects, a boy and girl, both 17, allegedly had a stockpile of stolen rifles and planned to kill one person in particular and shoot others at random, said Const. Jacqueline Chaput, a police spokesperson. This included students, adults, church parishioners and pretty much anybody who got in their way, Chaput said Friday. In my career I'e never heard of anything to this extent being planned by anyone (in Winnipeg). It' almost surreal.

Dec 30, 2008-Chicago, IL-Chicago synagogue firebombed; police probe possible link to Gaza violence-

A bottle of flammable liquid was hurled at one of Chicago's oldest synagogues, catching fire but not causing major damage. No one was injured in the incident early Monday at Temple Sholom of Chicago. Chicago police and the Chicago fire department are investigating the arson as a hate crime.

Dec 20, 2008-Peoria, AZ - Vandals Ransack West Valley Church Robbers Pry Open Safe, Flee With $3,000

A west Valley church is cleaning up after vandals ransacked and stole items, including electronics and money, days before Christmas.Peoria police said they found no forced entry at the Lighthouse Assembly of God in Peoria and church staffers said all of the doors were locked. "Your first reaction is you're disappointed," said Pastor Paul Ownes. "Then you get angry, and then you realize it could've been worse."Police said vandals trashed offices, closets and the sanctuary. Robbers stole television sets from the lobby and video cameras and computer drives from the offices, investigators said. Also missing were media equipment, such as microphones, amplifiers and a keyboard. Owens said, "First thing you think is, 'Why would they do this? What happened?'" Vandals used a crow bar to open a safe and steal about $3,000, investigators said. Total damage estimated is at about $40,000."I think it's sad or desperate that they'd feel like they'd have to come into a church or house of God to try to take things that aren't theirs," said Fred Sanchez, facilities manager. Police said the criminals took a Holy Bible off a shelf and left it in the middle of the doorway. Officers dusted for fingerprints and said they found a footprint in the kitchen where thieves stopped to drink orange juice stolen out of the pantry.The church still plans to have Services on Sunday at 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., except there will be no sound system.

Dec23, 2008- Coventry, VT - There's been a fifth shooting in Orleans County

Officials say the Grace Brethren Church on the Irasburg-Coventry town line was hit by 11 rounds on Friday evening. On Dec. 12 and 13 two churches in the Derby area were also hit by gunfire. Two homes have also been hit. There have been no injuries. Police say all the shootings occurred at supper time or in the early evening and the shooter used a .40-caliber handgun. None of the churches was occupied at the time of the shootings, but 1 of the homes was occupied. Pastor Scott Libby of the Grace Brethren Church says the congregation is praying for the person who fired the shots.

Dec 18, 2008 Portland, OR Follow up - Portland man sought in fatal church shooting

Police have identified a 30-year-old as the gunman who squeezed off four shots inside a North Portland church Friday, killing a rival gang member after borrowing a firearm from another man attending the same funeral. A judge Wednesday signed a warrant for the arrest of Latwan Brown on one count of murder in the death of Darshawn L. Cross, 31. Police are still searching for Brown and have not identified the person who provided the weapon. About 150 people were in the main sanctuary of the New Hope Missionary Baptist Church when gunfire erupted near the end of the Friday service.

"There's a concern because of the gravity and the egregious nature of violating the sanctity of the house of God of one of our churches," said Bishop A.A. Wells, founder of Emmanuel Temple Full Gospel Pentecostal Church in North Portland.

Friday's noon-hour shooting at the New Hope Missionary Baptist Church apparently stemmed from a long-simmering dispute between Cross and Brown, members of two rival sets within the Crips gang, authorities said. Four months ago, on Aug. 3, Cross was shot in the stomach in the 4700 block of North Mississippi Street. No arrest was made in that case. Cross was attending Friday's funeral service for 51-year-old Sharon Lynn Kemp, a family friend, when he and another man started to fight at the back of the church. Church leaders said people tried to separate the two men, taking Cross to a receiving room beside the sanctuary and the other man to the lobby. But the men continued to fight.

The Rev. Robert C. Jointer, New Hope's pastor, who was in his study at the time, said he heard a loud commotion and saw people running. He heard someone shout, "He has a gun!" He and other witnesses saw a silhouette of a man run down the church stairs.

Dec 16, 2008- Follow-up on Sarah Palin's Church Fire by BATF

An accelerant was poured around the exterior of Gov. Sarah Palin's church before fire heavily damaged the building, federal investigators said Monday. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said the accelerant was poured at several locations around the church, including entrances. The few adults and 2 children inside escaped through a window because both exits were blocked by fire. Lab tests will determine the type of substance involved. Possibilities include gasoline, kerosene, diesel fuel or even lamp oil, Agent Nick Starcevic said. The blaze was set Friday night at the main entrance of the Wasilla Bible Church while a small group, including two children, were inside. No one was injured. Fire authorities were called to the scene at 9:40 p.m., unusually early for many arson fires, Starcevic said. "It's kind of odd to do in the evening hours," he said. "I can tell you that most of the arson fires I've worked on are late nighttime, usually when no one is there." Wasilla Deputy Police Chief Greg Wood said authorities had no immediate suspects or motive.

Dec 14, 2008 - ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Palin's church severely damaged by arson -

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's home church was badly damaged by arson, leading the governor to apologize Saturday if the fire was connected to "undeserved negative attention" from her campaign as the Republican vice presidential nominee. Damage to the Wasilla Bible Church was estimated at $1 million, authorities said. No one was injured in the fire, which was set Friday night while a handful of people, including two children, were inside, according to James Steele, the Central Mat-Su fire chief. He said the blaze was being investigated as an arson. Steele said he didn't know of any recent threats to the church, and authorities did not know whether Palin's connection to the church was relevant to the fire. "It's hard to say at this point. Everything is just speculation," he said. Pastor Larry Kroon declined to say whether the church had received any recent threats.

The fire was set at the entrance of the church and moved inward as a small group of women worked on crafts, Steele said. The group was alerted to the blaze by a fire alarm.

Dec 06, 2008 - DOYLESTOWN, Pa. - Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church -Mary Jane Fonder sentenced to life for Rhonda Smith's murder in the church. (See Jan 2008)

(January 24, 2008 - Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church -Shooting in the church 1 killed)

Mary Jane Fonder's life sentence issued Friday brought some satisfaction to the victim's family, Rhonda Smith's mother said. Fonder, 66, again asserted her innocence during her sentencing in Bucks County Court. She was convicted Oct. 30 of first-degree murder for the shooting death of Rhonda Smith, 42, of Hellertown in January 2008. Authorities say Fonder was jealous of the attention Smith received from their pastor Rev. Gregory Shreaves and fellow congregants at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Springfield Township, Bucks County, where the Jan. 23 shooting occurred.

Dec 3, 2008-US-Isreal-India Jewish Missionary in Mumbai and others killed by terrorists

Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg was dressed for prayer the moment he was shot, next to a book on terrorism on his bedside table. The Holtzbergs had lived in Israel and Brooklyn before they moved to Mumbai in 2003. Rabbi Holtzberg, 29, also had US citizenship. As Israel mourned the murdered rabbi, his pregnant wife (who was six months pregnant) and four other Jews yesterday, a family friend described how he found the bodies amid the carnage of Mumbai. Rabbi Dov Goldberg, who was the first civilian to enter the Chabad centre in Mumbai after its two-day siege, told The Times. Thousands of Orthodox mourners prayed and wept before the shrouded bodies of six Jewish victims at a ceremony broadcast live on television and attended by Israeli leaders, including President Peres. Moshe, the Holtzbergs two-year-old son, was not at the procession held at Kfar Chabad. The child escaped from the gunmen with his Indian nanny when the terrorists burst into Mumbai Chabad compound.

Rabbi Goldberg revealed that the couple knew their killers. Some of the terrorists had visited the centre on a reconnaissance mission before the attack, and had been given a meal by Rivka Holtzberg, the murdered Rabbi's 28-year old wife.

Dec 13, 2008, Portland, OR Suspect at large in N. Portland church shooting

Police were still pursuing a suspect who burst into a North Portland church during a funeral and shot a man. Gunfire erupted during a funeral service at the New Hope Missionary Baptist Church on Friday afternoon, wounding a 31-year-old man with a history of gang activity, and sending other mourners fleeing. The victim was identified as Darshawn Lavone Cross, 31. Cross was reportedly attending his grandmother's funeral. Cross remained hospitalized Saturday afternoon at a Portland hospital. Sgt. Brian Schmautz, Portland Police Bureau spokesman, said the wounded man was "well known" to the force and had a criminal history of gang-related activity. Although the neighborhood has been gentrifying in recent years, it has in the past been the scene of gang violence. Schmautz said the shooter was still on the loose. Cross was taken to Emanuel Legacy Hospital with life-threatening injuries. Rev. Robert C. Jointer has been pastor at New Hope Missionary Baptist Church for 16 years, according to his children. Jointer's 26-year-old son, Charles Jointer, said he was in his father's study in the church when shots were fired. He says he had stopped by the church and was planning to leave with his 2-year-old son when he heard commotion. "All I really saw was a lot of people panicking, running, and that gave me the instinct that there was a gun somewhere," he said. "Everything was so fast." He said he swept his son into his arms, ran back to his father's office and locked the doors. Jointer said he later learned that there was a fight between the victim and the shooter before the funeral.

Nov 29, 2008 Chicago, IL- Man Held Without Bond In Humboldt Park Church Shooting

A West Side man accused of fatally shooting a River Forest man outside a Humboldt Park Church was ordered held without bond Saturday. Juan Garcia, 19, of the 4100 block of West Potomac Avenue, was charged Friday morning with one count each of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder, police News Affairs Officer Laura Kubiak reported. Cook County Judge Ramon Ocasio ordered Garcia held without bond during a Saturday hearing, the Cook County Circuit Court's office said. Raul Valez, 37, of 1406 N. Harlem Ave. in River Forest, was shot at 1719 N. Karlov Ave. and was pronounced dead at 1:14 p.m. Wednesday at Mount Sinai Hospital. A Friday autopsy determined Valez died of multiple gunshot wounds and the death was ruled a homicide, the Cook County Medical Examiner's office said. A car approached Valez, who was standing on the sidewalk outside his church, and the passenger got out and shot him several times about 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, police said. Another person with Valez was not injured. Juan Garcia, 19, was ordered held without bond in the fatal shooting of Raul Velez outside a church in the Humboldt Park neighborhood.

Nov 23, 2008 - CLIFTON, N.J.-Wife and Church member Fatally Shot During Services at New Jersey Church

A gunman drove across the country to confront his estranged wife, then killed her in a church vestibule as Sunday services let out, authorities said. Two other people were injured in the attack, which sent churchgoers scrambling for safety. The gunman fled, and police were searching for him and warned people that he was believed to be armed. About 200 people were attending services inside St. Thomas Syrian Orthodox Knanaya Church in Clifton when the gunman opened fire before noon. Churchgoers described bedlam after the shots rang out.

"Kids were crying. People were screaming," Suja Alummoottil told The Record of Bergen County. "It was chaotic." Police Detective Capt. Robert Rowan identified the slain woman as 24-year-old Reshma James and the gunman as 27-year-old Joseph M. Pallipurath of Sacramento, Calif. Police identified the other two victims as Dennis John Mallosseril 25 years old who expired later at the hospital and James� cousin Silvy Perincheril 48 years old, who was in critical condition but Rowan told The Star-Ledger of Newark that all three were shot in the head. Alummoottil, 40, said Pallipurath appeared angry when he confronted James in the vestibule as the service was concluding. Alummoottil said she went to get help and, a few seconds later, heard three shots. Rowan said James had recently moved from California to New Jersey to escape an abusive marriage and had filed a restraining order against Pallipurath.The suspect was arrested 36 hours later in a motel in Georgia and had a history of violence against his wife and father and there were restraining orders against him.

Nov 18, 2008- NYC Priest Detains Person Wanted In Connection With Mugging Inside Church Of St. Joseph-NEW YORK

It's supposed to be a place of worship, but a church on the Upper East Side turned into a crime scene when a woman was mugged inside. The last time the Church of St. Joseph made news was when Pope Benedict XVI paid a visit last spring. Now, the church is making news because a woman who goes to daily mass got mugged. And surprisingly, the pastor nabbed the female suspect. It happened Friday morning before the 7 a.m. service. A 55-year-old woman who attends daily mass, and who came in early, was followed in by a woman who pushed her to the floor. "Soon after she came in, this other person attacked her, took her purse," Rev. Boniface Ramsey said. The victim, who was frightened but not injured, lost $400 and credit cards. She didn't see the attacker, but someone else did. "There was a witness who saw the perpetrator run out of the church. As he was just coming in," Rev. Ramsey said. There was only a vague description: a chunky, black woman. However, after mass Tuesday morning, just such a woman showed up at the rectory, wanting to see a priest, the woman appeared mentally unstable. "She was all over the lot; talked about the Civil War, persecuted, wanted to go to the Vatican, talk to the pope. You know, that sort of thing," Rev. Ramsey said. The quick-thinking cleric detained her and called police. The witness ID'd her, and she was taken to the nearby stationhouse for questioning. It was just another crime-fighting day in the life of Boniface Ramsey, Catholic priest. The suspect, who police believe is homeless, had been seen around the church many times during the past week.

Nov 18, 2008 LAKELAND, FL -Sheriff's Stepmother a Victim, Man Arrested in Robbery of Church

Detectives late Monday arrested Harold S. Williams, 28, 1635 Goodyear Ave. in Lakeland, and charged him with taking Sunday's offering from Crystal Lake Baptist Church, 1000 Mount Airy Ave. in Lakeland. He's accused of snatching the $100 in tithes and offerings from the hand of Sheriff' Grady Judd's stepmother, Shirley Judd, who is the church treasurer. Williams is charged with robbery by sudden snatching, a third-degree felony, and disrupting a religious assembly, a second-degree misdemeanor. Within minutes of the 11:30 a.m. robbery, deputies, K-9 units and the Polk County Sheriff's Office helicopter swarmed the scene, searching for the man. "Thank the Lord I wasn't hurt or injured," said Shirley Judd. After church ushers gathered the morning offering from the nearly 70 members, they took the money to a vestibule near the church's front entrance for Judd to count, Judd had seen the man sitting in the back row. He was a newcomer, his second week at the church. The man followed the ushers to the back of the church, witnesses said. As he approached Judd, he had his wallet out, as if looking to make a donation, she said. But he didn't have any money, she said. "He said, 'I thought I had some change, but I don't.'" "I think it was kind of a ploy," Judd said. An ushers told him not to worry and to enjoy the service. Instead, the man followed Judd when she left the vestibule, money in hand, walking to the church office. "He came from behind and snatched it and took off," she said. "I'm just glad he didn't pull a weapon or try to knock me down." Judd told church officials what had happened and immediately called 911. The Sunday before the robbery the man had filled out a visitor card with the name Harold, along with a phone number and address, neither of which checked out with detectives, Weatherford said. "We had sent him a welcome letter. I guess that will come back, won't it?�

Nov 14, 2008, Massachusetts - Bail set at $25,000 for man accused in church thefts, Allegedly stole in Quincy

A 44-year-old convicted felon is being held on $25,000 cash bail after pleading innocent to stealing a wallet and assaulting a woman while fleeing from a Quincy church. Leon Hatfield of Everett is also a suspect in similar recent thefts at South Shore churches. In one of those, less than $50 in pennies was stolen from a Braintree church that was collecting money to feed the homeless. Hatfield, who has already served time for stealing from churches, pleaded innocent Thursday in Quincy District Court. He is charged with unarmed robbery, assault and battery, receiving a stolen motor vehicle, receiving a stolen motor vehicle as a subsequent offense, operating a motor vehicle without a license as a subsequent offense, failure to yield, failure to stop for a police officer, operating a motor vehicle negligently, speeding, and a marked-lanes violation. The charges involve thefts in Quincy, Braintree and Cohasset. Prosecutor Paul Sullivan, who requested $50,000 cash bail, said Hatfield, who also uses the alias James OBrien, has a lengthy criminal record for larceny, and a history of failing to show up for court appearances. Boston police arrested Hatfield on outstanding warrants on Oct. 3. Sullivan said Hatfield was at the Covenant Congregational Church on Whitwell Street in Quincy on Sept. 28 when he stole a wallet from a purse and then hit a woman with his elbow when she tried to stop him. Two days later, Hatfield allegedly refused to stop for a police officer and then drove off in a stolen gray Honda Civic. Police pursued Hatfield, who reached speeds of more than 100 mph before the chase was called off. Although Hatfield has not been charged in the theft of a purse from a woman at the Seventh Day Adventist Church on Washington Street in Braintree on Sept. 22, police allege that he drove off in a stolen car after asking the churchs pastor for money to pay for food and gas. While the pastor was talking with Hatfield, a church member jotted down the license plate number of Hatfields brown Toyota Camry. Police later learned that the car had been stolen in Quincy. A purse containing $180 in cash, credit cards and other items taken from the womans jacket at the Braintree church was later found in bushes at the East Congregational Church in Milton, according to a police report filed in court. Meanwhile, the Braintree church pastor was shown photos and identified Hatfield as the man he had spoken with at the time of the purse theft. Since September, thefts have also been reported in Quincy at St. Joseph Church and Wollaston Congregational Church and at a Weymouth church. In the Wollaston case, a car belonging to the churchs pastor was stolen. In addition, Braintree police investigated the Sept. 11 theft of a wallet from a womans office at the First Congregational Church preschool on Elm Street and money from the church collection box.

Nov 13, 2008 NEW YORK Officer shoots man wielding chair at NY church

A man who lunged at a police officer with a wooden folding chair when she caught him trying to break into a car in a church's parking lot was shot and killed Thursday, police said. The man was shot once in the chest and was taken to a Brooklyn hospital, where he died. The man, in his 20s, wasn't carrying identification, and police were trying to identify him. The incident occurred at the Coney Island Gospel Assembly, which runs a truancy center in its basement for children caught skipping school. Officer Dawn Ortiz was assigned there for the day and was told by a custodian that a man in the parking lot was trying to break into a car. Ortiz and another officer said they approached the man and yelled twice for him to put down the chair, which had been left outside the church with other trash to be thrown away. The man got about a foot from Ortiz with the chair before she fired, police said. Ortiz, 33, was taken to a hospital for treatment of trauma after the shooting. Results from her mandatory alcohol test came back negative, police said. The church's pastor, Connie Hulla, said there's been a lot of crime in the area. "We've had robberies," she said.

Nov 11, 2008 - Lansing, MI - Homosexualist Anarchists Storm Michigan Church During Sunday Service

On Sunday, November 9, a band of about 30 homosexuals stormed a church in Lansing, Michigan. Some were well dressed and were stationed inside Mount Hope Church, where they pretended to be normal Sunday worshippers; others were outside dressed in pink and black. The group of self-described homosexual anarchists, Bash Back!, claims the evangelical church is guilty of transphobia and homophobia.The group says that it fights for "liberation," opposes "all forms of state power," and urges members not to condemn certain methods of promoting their cause "on the grounds that the State deems it to be illegal." During the service, the protesters outside the church were beating on buckets, shouting Jesus was a homo on a megaphone and carrying an upside-down pink cross. They distributed fliers to passersby. When the signal was given the protesters inside the church rose from their seats and began loudly to disrupt the service. The fire alarm was pulled inside the church, protesters stormed the pulpit and a huge rainbow-colored flag was unfurled with the inscription, IT'sOKAY TO BE GAY! BASH BACK! The church was vandalized, obscenities were shouted and worshippers were confronted. According to Right Michigan, the protestors in their demonstration also used condoms, glitter, confetti, and pink fabric. A video camera wielded by the homosexualists attempted to capture violent reactions from members of the congregation, of which there were none. Right Michigan also reports that approximately an hour after the demonstration two of the demonstrators were found by security in a public restroom in the church together. There were no arrests. p>

Bash Back!s actions in Michigan follow several days of homosexualist demonstrations outside California churches, protesting the passage of Proposition 8.

Nov 10, 2008 - LAYTON, OK -Fourth LDS church found vandalized in Layton

Damage to another LDS church was discovered early Monday morning, the latest in a string of vandalism targeting churches throughout the city. The incident is the fourth of its kind in Layton within the past three days. Local law enforcement officials are investigating and say they cannot yet say there is any connection between the vandalism and the recent passage of Proposition 8, the controversial California State ballot that overturned the Supreme Court decision recognizing same-sex marriage in the state as a fundamental right. "We aren't making that connection yet." Vandalism has also been reported at a few churches in Weber County. The vandalism is mostly just broken window or glass doors. Layton police reported Sunday that they believed a BB gun or a pellet gun was used to break the glass in doors at three churches hit there.

Nov 4, 2008 Chula Vista, CA - Chula Vista Tackles Hates Crimes

The city of Chula Vista is trying to do something about the hate messages that have appeared in the city in the past few months. Monday night, police officers and Chula Vista councilman Rudy Ramirez held a town hall meeting at a church that was vandalized back on August 1st. On that day, six other places were marred with graffiti of swastikas and hate messages. Police are hoping these meetings can produce some leads to catch the suspects.

Nov 2, 2008 -COVINGTON, KY - Minister Attending Church Funeral Shot Dead In KY -

A gunman fatally shot a Cincinnati minister and wounded a church deacon just after the two men arrived at a northern Kentucky church to attend a funeral, police said. Court records in Hamilton County, Ohio, revealed a yearlong dispute between the accused gunman and the minister, the Rev. Donald Fairbanks Sr. Fairbanks and Dowdell Cobb were shot just before 11 a.m. Saturday, police said. The gunman chased one of the men to a nearby park, where he shot the man a second time, said Lee Russo, the police chief in Covington, Ky. It was unclear which of the men was shot in the park. Frederick L. Davis, of Covington, quickly surrendered to police and was charged with murder, first degree assault, criminal mischief and violating an emergency protection order. He was being held without bail and is scheduled to appear in court on Monday. A Kenton County, Ky., jail representative said Davis had no attorney listed. Fairbanks, pastor of Cincinnati's New St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church, died later Saturday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Covington, authorities said. Cobb, a deacon at the church, was treated at University Hospital in Cincinnati. A hospital spokesman declined to release information on Cobb's condition.

In June 2007, Fairbanks filed a complaint accusing Davis of making a threatening phone call to his wife, records showed. Davis, 40, pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in October 2007, and a judge sentenced him to a year probation and ordered him to stay away from Fairbanks and New St. Paul Baptist Church. Fairbanks and Cobb had hoped to attend the funeral of a 71-year-old woman who was related to a member of New St. Paul's congregation. Officials at Covington's Ninth Street Baptist Church went ahead with an abbreviated service for the woman after the shooting.

Oct 23, 2008 - Wedding thief accused in other robberies in Mobile, AL-

The same woman accused of stealing a Mobile bride's purse at her wedding on Saturday has been linked to two other wedding robberies, Mobile police said Wednesday. The thief, who has not been identified, stole Tomasene Stevenson's purse, passport and her bridesmaids' money during Stevenson's wedding on Saturday at Christ Temple Apostolic Church, police said. The thief sneaked into a changing room during the wedding ceremony to steal the items, police spokesman Sgt. Marcus Young said. Police believe the same woman stole personal items from a wedding ceremony on June 7 at the Gospel Lighthouse church and from a June 28 wedding at the Mount Hebron Zion Church. Young said that the thief is described as black, in her early 20s, about 5-feet 7-inches and with a medium build. Anyone with information about any of these robberies is asked to call Mobile police. "It's a shame that things are not even safe these days in a church," Stevenson�s mother, Mabelenia Stevenson said Monday.

Oct 6, 2008 -AUSTIN, Texas - Man claims to leave bomb at Texas mosque --

Police blew up what a man claimed was a bomb inside a backpack left at the North Austin Muslim Community Center at 11900 North Lamar Blvd. The threat shut down the stretch of North Lamar for hours until police decided to play it safe, detonating the suspicious package. Azzam Baytie, 46, left the backpack on the ground early Sunday afternoon after having an argument with members of the Muslim center who had asked him to leave. "He just got very angry and agitated, and he began to parade around with a backpack and what appeared to be a palm pilot saying, 'I have a bomb, I have a bomb,'" said Islam Mossaad, Imam at the North Austin Muslim Community Center. A criminal trespass warning had been placed on Baytie by members of the Muslim center after he began acting erratically and causing problems. Baytie had been sleeping inside the mosque at the center and using it as a place to reside....Baytie was charged with criminal trespass and making terroristic threats.

Aug 25, 2008-San Antonio, TX-Armed man arrested at St. Matthew's Catholic school-

Police had to use a Taser to subdue an armed man Monday morning on the campus of St. Matthew's Catholic School. The man, who had attended a 6 a.m. Mass, had a gun, a knife and a baseball bat. The man, in his 50s, had walked out of the church after Mass and was watching cross-country athletes train. Some parents were watching their children practice soccer on campus around 7 a.m. when the armed man walked near one of those parents. The parent confronted the man and asked him if the pistol was real, asking him why he was carrying it. The man replied that he had it for a sport. An off-duty Bexar County Sheriff's deputy was directing traffic near the school and approached the suspect. He was asked if he had any kids attending the school and he said that he did not. When a San Antonio Police officer walked up to the man, he started swinging the bat. The officer used a Taser on him once and the suspect dropped the bat but then pulled the gun. Police used the Taser multiple times before he was subdued. "We had a lot of people that called in, we are very fortunate that parents were very observant," SAPD Sgt. Gabe Trevino said. Trevino said the suspect had four more knives in his car along with empty ammunition boxes for a weapon he did not have with him.

Aug 14, 2008-Little Rock, AR- The Chairman of the Arkansas Democratic Party was shot and killed Wednesday by a man who barged into his Little Rock office.-

The suspect fled, apparently to the Arkansas Baptist State Convention about six blocks down the street, where he threatened a security guard who denied him entry. When he left there, sheriff's deputies gave chase and shot him after a 30-minute pursuit, authorities said. He later died. Police identified the gunman as Timothy Dale Johnson, 50, of Searcy, the Associated Press reported. Johnson's motive remained a mystery.

July 27, 2008- Knoxville, Tenn. - Two Dead In Tenn. Unitarian Church Shooting Six Others Injured As Man Blasts Shotgun During Children's Play -

A gunman opened fire at the church youth performance Sunday, killing two people, including Greg McKendry 60 years old, a man witnesses called a hero for shielding others from a shotgun blast and church member Linda Kraeger 61 years old. Churchgoers tackled the shooter Jim Adkisson a 58 year old unemployed truck driver and mechanic. Six other adults were also injured but no children were harmed at the church. Members said they dove under pews or ran from the building when the shooting started. Adkisson was apparently upset over the churches liberal views.

July 7, 2008-Chicago, IL- Dice Game at Church Turns Violent, 2 Teens Charged:

16-year-old boy charged in the shooting of another teen at a church that also provides shelter to girls and young women. The shooting occurred after a dice game in the rectory of the Saint Margaret of Scotland. They took the boy's money and cell phone, Sephus allegedly shot the victim in the hand and thigh.

July 02, 2008- Kingston- 39 US missionaries from Georgia-based Adventures in Missions robbed in Jamaica

A U.S. Christian group said Tuesday it will find a new location for its goodwill trips to Jamaica after 39 young missionaries were robbed at gunpoint. The American missionaries from the Georgia-based Adventures in Missions were robbed. Monday by two gunmen who broke into a Salvation Army school for the blind where they were volunteering, said school official Major Ward Matthews.

June 2008, Santa Maria, CA -A Santa Maria gang-member has been sentenced to 80 years to life behind bars.

27-year-old Ivan Moreno Hernandez opened fire at a church dance last year. According to The Tribune, Hernandez shot 19 year old Kevin Lopez and 21-year-old Rafael Lainez in front of Saint John Neumann Catholic Church on the 900 block of Orchard Street in Santa Maria. Both men survived the shooting. Hernandez was charged with two counts of attempted murder and related gun and gang allegations.

May 17, 2008 Granada Hills, CA - Man with rifle shoots and wounds 3 outside So-Cal church festival

St. John Baptist de la Salle Catholic Church - A man with a semiautomatic rifle opened fire at a church festival Saturday, wounding his ex-wife and two bystanders before festival-goers grabbed him and held him for police, authorities and a church official said. Authorities say the man opened fire a few minutes before 11 a.m. Saturday during a school festival at St. John Baptist de la Salle Catholic Church in Granada Hills.

Mar 12, 2008 - LONG BEACH, CA - Gang link suspected in NLB shooting

A 19-year-old Long Beach man was shot and wounded on a busy boulevard between a church and two schools in North Long Beach Tuesday afternoon in what police said was a gang-related incident.

They found the victim lying on Artesia between Starr King Elementary School and Greater Open Door Church of God in Christ, which houses a private elementary school for children in preschool through third grade. The teen suffered several gunshot wounds in the back. Witnesses told police the shooter was walking along the sidewalk near the church and private school when a dark SUV pulled up alongside him and the victim got out of the vehicle, Pratt said. An argument erupted between the two, and as the shooter continued to walk down the sidewalk he pulled out a gun and opened fire, shooting multiple rounds and striking the victim, Pratt said. The suspect fled on foot and was described as a male black in his teens or early 20s, Pratt said. "We are treating this as a gang crime," Pratt said.

To protect the children in the area, Starr King Elementary and the private school at the church locked their facilities down as police searched the area and questioned possible witnesses Tuesday afternoon. The victim's clothing and shoes were lying on a blood-splattered spot in the road, directly in front of a small school bus and had to stop to avoid running over the victim. There were no children aboard the bus at the time, witnesses said.

A staff member of the Pentecostal private school briefly confirmed all the children were safe Tuesday morning. She said the school was keeping everyone inside and calling parents to come and get their children at about 11:30 a.m. None of the children or staff at Starr King Elementary, a public K-8 school at 145 E. Artesia Blvd., was hurt but school officials also locked down its campus as a safety precaution. Annette Cooper, an employee at Starr King, said she was getting off at a bus stop to go to work when she saw the victim, described as a young black male, lying in the street before police arrived. Cooper said she heard someone crying, "They shot my homie in the back!" Cooper said the incident was particularly disturbing to her because her son was shot and killed in 1990. "There's just too much stuff going on with our young people," she said. Garon Harden Jr., a chef at Greater Open Door Church, said he was working when he heard five gunshots. "They were so loud we thought it was right in our front yard," he said. Harden said he rushed outside and saw the victim lying in the street with multiple gunshot wounds. He said the victim's friend told him the shooting was an act of retaliation between two Long Beach gangs. Harden, a reformed gang member, says he now spends most of his time working in the church. His father, Garon Harden Sr., is founder of Greater Open Door and president of the Long Beach Ministerial Alliance. Harden said he's seen his share of violence and urged young gang members to get out while they can. Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to call Gang Enforcement Detective Greg Crabbe.

Feb 27, 2008-Los Angeles, CA - Reward grows in apparent hate crime

They snuck around under the cover of darkness last week and lobbed a Molotov cocktail at a West Valley Jewish center. Less than an hour later, someone threw another firebomb at the home of a Jewish family and ripped a sacred mezuza from the doorframe.

Although the first attack was caught on tape, police have yet to find the perpetrators. So Wednesday, city announced a $95,000 reward for information leading to whoever did it, calling the attacks cowardly acts of intimidation. "What were the criminals in this case trying to do? They were trying to intimidate Jews," said Los Angeles City Councilman Jack Weiss, whose own office was vandalized with anti-Semitic slurs and swastikas in May 2007.

Feb 20, 2008 Lexington, KY - Lexington Theological Seminary Attack -

Lexington Police are investigating after an alarming attack reported near the University of Kentucky campus. Police say a cleaning woman working at the Lexington Theological Seminary on South Limestone was threatened by a man with a knife. The woman ripped her shirt while she tried to get away from the man. She ran to a library on the seminary's campus to call 911. Police say the woman didn't get a good look at the man's face and noticed he was wearing a stocking cap.

Jan 24, 2008 - EL SOBRANTE, CA - Fatal Shooting At Sikh Temple/Religious leader killed -worshipers hold suspect for cops

-- A man upset that he was not allowed to address a Sikh congregation opened fire with an assault rifle inside an El Sobrante temple yesterday, killing a temple founder and injuring another man before being subdued. Malhi, the temple secretary and a math teacher at Skyline High School in Oakland and the father of three, was shot in the head after he told Sandher that he could not address the worshipers because of time constraints.

Sandher, a limousine driver who is not part of the congregation but has been a member of the Sikh faith, also shot a man in the leg during a struggle for the gun, described as an AR-15 rifle. Authorities said the suspect "claimed that the victim had no right to deny him the opportunity to speak today and he needed to correct the victim's wrongdoing." In 1985, a Sikh at the El Sobrante temple shot another man for knocking off his turban, considered the ultimate insult by members of the faith. In 1996, a brawl between two factions at a Fremont Sikh temple led to nine arrests. Sikhism, founded in the 16th century, is estimated to have as many as 20 million followers in India and other countries.

Jan 6, 2008 Lehi, UT - Woman shot to death outside Mormon Church -

The couple were in the middle of a divorce, and the husband apparently waited for his wife to come to church Sunday. Jaide was at the church and said, "Everyone was freaking out because they didn't know where the guy was and were thinking he was going to come into the church. And so everyone was scared and trying to get out of there." The shooter was the victim's husband, 35-year-old David Ragsdale. He used a 9mm handgun; he shot his wife several times at very close range in his moment of rage in the parking lot.

Dec 8, 9, 2007-Arvada and Colorado Springs, CO- WYAM - New Life Church Shooting Spree-

Matthew Murray killed two people at a Youth With A Mission missionary training center in Arvada, Colo.- early Sunday morning, then apparently posted some ranting on the Internet, and drove to the New Life Church in Colorado Springs where he killed two teen girls twelve hours later. He also wounded half a dozen others before he was confronted by a church member volunteering as a security guard, and was shot and soon died.

LATER: Report details New Life church shooting - It mentions a letter to God written by the gunman in the deadly Dec. 9 rampage. Article Last Updated: 03/19/2008

A 460-page Colorado Springs police report released Wednesday details how Matthew Murray walked authoritatively into New Life Church, spraying gunfire into doors and the hallway and causing congregants to scramble into rest rooms, under desks and under the stage in the sanctuary for cover.

The report chronicles the days leading up to Dec. 9, when Murray, 24, who had written anti-Christian messages on numerous websites, apparently chose sisters Stephanie, 18, and Rachel Works, 16, at random and killed them in the church parking lot. Murray later killed himself.

The report says police knew within 90 minutes of the shooting at New Life that Murray was a suspect and that the shootings at New Life and Youth With a Mission in Arvada were probably related. About 12 hours before he opened fire with an assault rifle at New Life, Murray fatally shot Tiffany Johnson, 26, and Philip Crouse, 24, at the YWAM facility.

In Murray's car, police found a letter "to God" he wrote. The letter, released to the media, began: "To God: What have I done so wrong? What is wrong with me anyways? Am I really such a bad person? You stupid (redacted). I didn't even ask to be born. Jesus, where are you? Do you even care these days?"

The letter goes on to say: "The more I read your stupid book, the more I pray, the more I reach out to Christians for help, the more hurt and abused I get."

Four hours after the New Life shooting, police interviewed Murray's parents in their Englewood home. His mother, Loretta Murray, described her son as a "loner" who had not had friends over to the house since he finished high school. Murray's father, Dr. Ronald Murray, a neurosurgeon, told officers that a shipment of rifle ammunition arrived at their home about a week before the Dec. 9 shooting at New Life.

The parents told police that Murray had gotten into a scuffle Dec. 8 and had injured his hand. Police learned that Murray had two extensive phone conversations with a cousin in Utah.

Bomb-sniffing dogs searched the Murrays' home that night, finding boxes of ammunition, switches, triggers and a liquid police called "mica-toxin," which the report said was derived from a vegetable powder or herb, and mixed with liquid. That liquid, which police surmised could cause illness, was found in a syringe inside a plastic bag.

Nov 11, 2007 Peoria, AZ - Woman shot later dies -Paseo Verde Christian Church parking lot -

Authorities found Yvonne Washington hunched over in a truck at the Paseo Verde Christian Church parking lot near 75th Avenue and Greenway. She had just dropped her 3-year-old child off at a daycare that rents space from the church.

Oct 18, 2007 Rocky Mount, NC - Two workers for Meals on Wheels were stabbed at Lakeside Baptist Church. -

The workers, who were not members of the church, had been preparing meals in the church's kitchen. Wright said the church provides space for the Meals on Wheels program, which delivers hot meals to the community's elderly and disabled. Debbie Kornegay, who directed the Rocky Mount Meals on Wheels program, died as result of her wounds. Eve Beasley, an assistant director, was hospitalized in critical condition. Investigators said robbery could have been the motive.

Aug 13, 2007 Oconto, WI -Oconto Woman Killed at First American Lutheran Church -

Less than two weeks after a divorce filing, a woman was shot to death at an Oconto church and her estranged husband was hospitalized with gunshot wounds today. Police responded to a report this morning at 9:46 a-m of shots fired at First American Lutheran Church. They found the woman dead and the husband wounded. A witness told police of seeing an armed man, the husband of one of the church employees, enter the building, and then hearing three gunshots.

Aug 3, 2007-VANCOUVER, BC, Canada- Holy Rosary Cathedral Mugging of 79 year old-

An arrest has been made in the mugging of a 79-year-old man in his own church in downtown Vancouver-The attack was captured by a security camera in the foyer of Holy Rosary Cathedral and shows the elderly man being roughed up and thrown to the floor before his attacker cleans out the victim's wallet. Darcy Lance Jones, who police say calls himself a professional panhandler, who is known to police, was picked up in an area not far from the church after being spotted by a private security officer. After handing over $5 for five days straight, 79-year-old is shoved to the ground and robbed of his wallet Surveillance cameras installed in the cathedral's front vestibule years ago, for the safety of churchgoers but also so staff could monitor ceremonies, captured the brazen act. Each day, for four days, Dr. Collins would greet the panhandler and give him $5. On this, the fifth day, Dr. Collins didn't have time to stop and hand him money, but he reassured the panhandler that he would on his way out. After mass ended, Dr. Collins stepped into the front vestibule to find the panhandler waiting. The elderly man reached into his wallet for $5, but the panhandler decided it wasn't enough. The man grabbed Dr. Collins's wallet and slammed him onto the marble floor. The panhandler took out an undisclosed amount of cash, left the wallet behind and fled. The former surgeon suffered injuries to his hip, but did not require hospital treatment.

Aug 12, 2007 - Neosho, Missouri - First Congregational Church - 3 killed -

Eiken Elam Saimon shot and killed the pastor and two deacons and wounded five others.

May 20, 2007: Moscow, ID shooting spree Presbyterian Church kills 3 then self -

A standoff between police and a suspect in the shootings of three people in a Moscow, Idaho, Presbyterian Church ended with three dead, including one police officer. Jason Hamilton shoots and kills wife, then goes on shooting spree killing 2 more, including the first ever police officer to die in the line of duty in Moscow, ID and then himself - Victims: Police Officer Lee Newbill, Paul Bauer, church caretaker, Crystal Hamilton, wife of shooter, Jason Hamilton, shooter

May 18, 2007 Middletown, NY - Sex Attack In St. Joseph's Catholic Church -

Church Suspect Pounces, Victim Stabs Him With Pen Repeatedly - Middletown police right now are looking for a man who sexually assaulted a woman inside a local church. They got a good look at him thanks to surveillance video that was rolling during the entire attack. The attack happened just after midnight on Wednesday. The victim, a volunteer at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Middletown, was volunteering during perpetual adoration when the church is kept open for paying respect over the Eucharist's seen on the video, the suspect walks in and sits down in a pew. Then out of nowhere he leaps on top of the woman, holding her down and groping her. They struggle for a while before the victim takes her pen and stabs him in the neck, fighting him off. He flees and she calls police. The attack happened in less than a minute.

Jan 31, 2007- Dallas, TX "JUDGE SENTENCES FAMILY MEMBERS WHO DEFRAUDED CHURCHES, MINISTRIES AND RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS OF APPROXIMATELY $62 MILLION, Gregory Setser Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison, Without Parole"

The feds were bringing down the curtain on what prosecutors and the Securities and Exchange Commission alleges was an elaborate three-year scheme that fleeced evangelical Christians out of $160 million. Using endorsements from Ralph E. Wilkerson, the former pastor of Melodyland Christian Center in Anaheim, CA and other prominent evangelists to lure victims, Setser touted can't-miss investments to ministries across the nation, according to authorities who arrested him and three members of his family Nov. 18, 2003.

Currently, U.S. Attorney Roper said, "I applaud Judge Lynn’s tough sentences today --- it should send a clear message that those who use religion as a tool to defraud, will be severely punished. There is simply no form of fraud more pernicious."

Gregory Earl Setser, a recent resident of Canton, Texas, who most recently resided in Alta Loma, California, was the President, CEO and Chairman of International Product (IPIC), an import/export company which operated out of Canton, Texas, and later from Ontario, California, Florida, and other places. At trial, the jury found that Setser, a self-proclaimed former minister, exploited his connections to highly visible members of the evangelical Christian community to meet potential investors, legitimize IPIC’s operations and sell IPIC securities, ultimately defrauding investors of approximately $62 million in his elaborate Ponzi scheme. Gregory Earl Setser, who was convicted in June 2006 of 22 counts of conspiracy, securities fraud and money laundering, was sentenced to 40 years in prison, and ordered to pay approximately $62 million in restitution, jointly and severally with his co-defendant family members.

Jan 29, 2007- Columbus, OH-Parishioners Tackle Gunmen in Christ the King Catholic Church-

Parishioners tackled a gunman suspected of snatching purses from church pews during Mass at Christ the King Catholic Church. The pair walked into the service and grabbed purses as Hollingsworth displayed a handgun and said, "This is a robbery".

Oct 2, 2006 Lancaster, PA - Amish Religious School

A gunman took hostages and eventually killed five girls (aged 6-13) and then committed suicide. At least two female students and one slightly older female were shot and killed execution style in what police say may be a revenge killing for something that happened 20 years ago. The gunman brought in pieces of wood to board up the doors to the building when he entered the school. He also stacked desks against the building's doors. Roberts had wire ties and plastic flex cuff, which he used to begin tying the hostages feet together after they were lined up along a blackboard. He let go 15 male students, as well as one adult pregnant female. Three other non-student females with infants were also allowed to leave. One shotgun and one handgun was found next to the suspect, "It seems as though he wanted to attack young, female victims," Miller said. At least seven more victims � some critically wounded � were transported to nearby hospitals, he said. One victim, a young girl, died in the arms of a trooper.

July 28, 2006 Six shot, one killed at Seattle Jewish federation -Five hurt-

One person in custody- Six women were shot - one fatally - this afternoon at the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle by a man who told a witness he was upset about "what was going on in Israel." Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske alleged that the suspect, Naveed Afzal Haq, had selected his target by researching "something Jewish" on the Internet. Haq is said to have legally purchased two semi-automatic handguns in Seattle-area stores, receiving the weapons on July 27, 2006, after the mandatory waiting period had expired. Haq allegedly received a traffic ticket on the way to the shooting, but did nothing to arouse the officer's suspicions.

Shortly before 4 p.m., Haq is reported to have forced his way through the Jewish Federation building's security door armed with two large-caliber semi-automatic pistols, a knife, and extra ammunition. Police believe Haq entered the lobby of the building and grabbed the 14-year-old niece of Federation employee Cheryl Stumbo. Haq allegedly held a gun to the girl's back and forced her to use the intercom in order to gain entry to the Federation's offices. With a gun to her back, Haq reportedly told the girl, "Open the door," and "careful", as she was buzzed into the building. Haq then said, "I'm only doing this for a statement," and proceeded to follow the girl up the stairs to the second floor. Haq stopped to ask receptionist Layla Bush about speaking with a manager, at which point the girl walked to a bathroom and locked herself inside. At this point, Cheryl Stumbo asked fellow employee Carol Goldman to call 911. Her niece, in the bathroom, heard her and dialed 911. But, before Goldman could complete a call, Haq shot her in the knee. Witnesses reported that Haq began shouting "I'm a Muslim American; I'm angry at Israel" before he began his shooting spree. Haq is reported to have walked down the hallway, shooting into offices as he passed by. Haq then shot three more women in the abdomen: Layla Bush, Stumbo, and Christina Rexroad. Pamela Waechter received a gunshot in the chest. As the wounded Waechter attempted to flee down a flight of stairs, Haq allegedly reached over the railing and shot her for the second time in the head, killing her. Dayna Klein, a Federation employee who was five months pregnant, heard the shots being fired and as she went to the door of her office, Haq fired at her abdomen, but the bullet missed, hitting her raised arm.

May 21, 2006 - Baton Rouge, Louisiana - The Ministry of Jesus Christ Church - 4 killed

The four at the church who were shot were members of Erica Bell's family; she was abducted and murdered elsewhere; Bell's mother, church pastor Claudia Brown, was seriously wounded - Anthony Bell, 25, was the shooter.

FYI - JUST TO REMIND US THAT NETWORKING WORKS

Mar 14th, 2006 Washington D.C. Police Investigate String Of Elaborate Church Robberies by Organized Theft Ring:

Metropolitan Police are investigating a series of robberies at congregations in Northwest in recent weeks where thieves are suspected of casing churches and stealing cash, credit cards, computers, televisions and even a vacuum cleaner -- sometimes during the worship services. "Whoever is doing this knows how churches operate," said the Rev. Amy Butler, senior pastor at the Calvary Baptist Church in Northwest. "It seems like somebody is making a really studied approach."

Mrs. Butler said her office was robbed on a Sunday about two months ago. She said she thinks the robbery occurred during a church service. Thieves got away with her wallet, credit cards, camera and cell phone. Mrs. Butler said about $3,000 was charged on her credit cards. She said she filed a police report, but so far there have been no arrests.

Mrs. Butler said she thought the robbery was an isolated incident until she heard similar stories from other pastors at a monthly meeting of the Downtown Cluster of Congregations. Terry Lynch, executive director of the Downtown Cluster of Congregations, said he heard news reports of a robbery at the Church of the Epiphany in Northwest and issued an e-mail alert to the 40 congregations in his organization. He said he was flooded with responses and has been informed of at least 20 such robberies in about eight weeks. "Pastors and churches are an easy target because they are open, inclusive environments, and thieves have realized these are easy victims for computers, electronics and cell phones." Mr. Lynch said. Mr. Lynch said he thinks thieves have been using church services to get access to the churches, determine how much money is collected, and where cash and electronic equipment are stored. He said some churches have decided to stop printing the amount of money collected in poor boxes or special collections to discourage thieves. Mr. Lynch said that the robberies are not confined to churches of any single denomination. Among the churches in Northwest that have been robbed in recent weeks are St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Church of the Ascension and St. Agnes, Luther Place Memorial Church, Metropolitan Community Church and New York Avenue Presbyterian Church. He said he has not been able to determine if the robberies extend beyond the Northwest churches his organization represents. Officer Kenneth Bryson, a Metropolitan Police spokesman, said the most recent incident of a church robbery occurred on Thursday at Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church in Northwest. He said a woman was confronted at that church by a man with a handgun at about 11:40 a.m. The man demanded money. He stole the woman's purse and left on foot.

Feb 26, 2006 - Detroit, Michigan - Zion Hope Missionary Baptist Church- 2 killed + shooter

Kevin L. Collins, who reportedly went to the church looking for his girlfriend, later killed himself.

Aug 29, 2005 Sash, TX- Sash Assembly of God Church-

Freddie L. Cranshaw, who lived across the street from Sash Assembly of God Church in Sash, Texas, kills two men, including the pastor in the parking lot of the church. He then kills two women in a truck and returns home, where the police find him dead after a nine-hour standoff.

July 30, 2005 - College Park, Georgia - World Changers Church International - shooter killed

Air Force Staff Sgt. John Givens was shot five times by a police officer after charging the officer, following violent behavior.

Mar 12, 2005 - Brookfield, Wisconsin - Living Church of God - 7 killed + shooter -

Terry Ratzmann opened fire on the congregation, killing seven and wounding four before taking his own life. Five people, including the gunman, die at the Sheraton Hotel where the church meets, and three die later at the hospital. Gunman was a member of the church, had lost his job but left no note as to why he chose to shoot people.

Dec 17, 2004- Garden Grove, CA-Crystal Cathedral gunman kills self:

A nine-hour standoff between police and a church worker, who opened fire in the Crystal Cathedral complex, ended early Friday when the man shot and killed himself, police said. Garden Grove Police Department said that Johnnie Wayne Carl, 57, a church musical director, committed suicide in one of the bathroom areas.

Apr 19, 2004 -Pittsburgh, PA -Alleged Abduction, Police Chase, Woman Dead: Victorious Faith Evangelic Outreach-

Church choir director Andrea Umphrey was singing with the Sheraden congregation as she did every Sunday morning when a man walked in, grabbed her by the hair, smacked her with a gun and fired shots at men who tried to help her. She left the church alive after being forced into a red minivan with her infant daughter by Alvin Starks, said church members. Starks had reportedly just been in the Allegheny County Jail for violating a court order to stay away from Umphrey, congregation members said.

Hours later and some 20 miles away, she was fatally shot inside the van near the Monroeville toll booths of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Though police set up roadblocks and tire-deflating devices and had dozens of police vehicles in pursuit of the van on a roundabout chase between Allegheny and Westmoreland counties, they were unable to stop the vehicle. Church member Robert Owens was grazed by a bullet from Starks' gun inside the one-story orange brick church on Sherwood Avenue and Bergman Street, just moments after the suspect tried to shoot Owens' father. The gun misfired on Umphrey's first protector, but not the second.

Oct 5, 2003 - Atlanta, Georgia - Turner Monumental AME Church - 2 killed + shooter

Sheilia W. Chaney Wilson shoots her mother, Jennie Mae Robinson, and the Rev. Johnny Clyde Reynolds in the sanctuary of Turner Monumental AME Church in Atlanta as they wait for the Sunday service to begin.

Jan 27, 2003- Sanford, NC Hispanic Church Shooting

Two Sanford men are being held, accused of entering a church service Wednesday night, shooting a parishioner and robbing several others. Witnesses said they were conducting service when two African-American males entered the church with assault rifles and demanded money. Most of the parishioners were Hispanic and didn't speak English. Police believe that may have frustrated the suspects, who threw a 5-year-old child across the room. Witnesses said that one of the suspects shot Starlin. The other suspect assaulted Luis Lopez, hitting him in the mouth with the barrel of his rifle. Police say the suspects collected cash and ladies' purses, along with other property from the members of the congregation. According to witnesses, the suspects fired four shots into the church while the congregation was still inside.

June 10, 2002 - Conception, MO - Benedictine Monastery - 2 killed + shooter

Lloyd Robert Jeffress shot four monks in the monastery killing two and wounding two, before killing himself.

Mar 12, 2002 - Lynbrook, New York - Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church - 2 killed

Peter Troy, a former mental patient, opens fire during Mass, killing the priest and a parishioner. He later receives a life sentence.

May 18, 2001 - Hopkinsville, KY - Greater Oak Missionary Baptist Church - 2 killed

Frederick Radford stood up in the middle of a revival service and began shooting at his estranged wife, Nicole Radford, killing her and a woman trying to help her.

Apr 28, 2000 Pittsburg, PA Ethnic Mass Murder -

Richard Baumhammers walked to the home of his next-door neighbor, a 63-year-old Jewish woman and fatally shot her, then set her house on fire. Afterwards, drove to the Beth El Congregation in Scott Township, where Gordon was a member of the synagogue. There, he fired into the windows of the synagogue, then exited his vehicle and spray-painted two red swastikas on the building.

A short distance from the synagogue at the India Grocer, 31 year old, formerly of Bihar, India was shot to death while picking up groceries on his lunch hour. A store manager named Sandeep Patel, was shot in the neck and paralyzed. Next, he drove to the Ahavath Achim Congregation in Carnegie where he shattered the synagogue's glass windows with gunfire. At Robinson Towne Center, about ten miles from his home, he walked into Ya Fei Chinese Cuisine where two Asian-Americans, Chinese restaurant manager, a Vietnamese-American cook were fatally shot in front of customers. From Robinson Town Center, Baumhammers drove to the C.S. Kim School of Karate, then in Beaver County where Lee an African-American, was exercising with a European-American friend, George Thomas. Baumhammers initially pointed the gun at Thomas, then turned and fired at Lee, killing him instantly.

Sept 16, 1999 -Fort Worth, TX 7 killed + shooter at Wedgewood Baptist Church Concert -

Larry Gene Ashbrook shot dead seven people and injured a further seven at a concert by Christian rock group Forty Days in Fort Worth, Texas before killing himself. Officers returned fire and the gunman then shot himself in the head, a police spokeswoman said. Six of the victims died in the church, one died later from bullet wounds in hospital. Seven more were injured, four of them critically. The man, dressed in black and smoking a cigarette, fired indiscriminately at worshippers inside Wedgewood Baptist Church, Fort Worth, before firing on police. The shooting happened during a rally attended by hundreds of young people at Wedgewood Baptist Church. Witnesses said that when the gunman entered the church, a number of the congregation thought it was part of a play. Eyewitness Christy Martin, 17, said: "He was very calm, and looked normal and was smoking a cigarette. I saw him point the gun and shoot. He just kept shooting and that's when I ran." Chris Applegate, who was in choir practice when the gunman came into the room, said: "We were singing a song and then in the middle of the song this guy opened the door and fired one shot. He just kept telling us to stay still. I was wondering whether it was real or not." Before the police arrived, the gunman had reloaded several times while the congregation ran and tried to hide under pews. Some witnesses said he also threw a pipe bomb inside the church. Police said they did not know of a motive for the violence but witnesses said the gunman started conversations with some congregation, challenging them about their religious beliefs and was using obscenities and cursing Jesus Christ before he opened fire.

Aug 10, 1999 Jewish Day-Camp Shooting Drama gunman wounds 5 - Granada Hills, Los Angeles County

An intense police manhunt for a gunman who sprayed a Jewish community center with an automatic weapon, wounding five people, focused early today on a 37-year-old man from a rural area near Olympia, Wash. Los Angeles police identified the suspect as Buford Oneal Furrow, and believe he is responsible for storming into the building and opening fire with a 9mm ``uzi-like'' submachine gun. In a matter of moments, three children, a teenage girl and an elderly woman were wounded before the gunman fled out a window. Jewish centers throughout the state went on alert, increasing security and bringing in police for extra patrol duty. Yesterday's violence shattered a sunny summer morning at the community center, which is located in the San Fernando Valley. Witnesses said a balding, heavyset white man -- whom police later identified as Furrow -- burst into the lobby and began firing 20 to 30 rounds from a submachine gun.

At the end of the terrifying rampage, a 5-year-old boy lay critically wounded, shot in the abdomen and legs. Two 6-year-olds were also wounded, along with a 68-year-old receptionist and a 16-year-old girl who was working as a counselor. A 3 1/2-year-old boy who was just a few feet from the shooting told his mother that the man said nothing before fleeing. ``The bad monster ran away,'' said the boy, who clung to his mother and asked her if any of the wounded children had done anything wrong. A woman who was attending an adult class at the center with her 10-year-old daughter said the assailant seemed calm as he fired his weapon. ``I saw this man there with a machine gun shooting,'' she told reporters. ``He was just firing straight. He was going around all the hallways.'' The woman, escaped harm by running into a classroom and hiding behind a hastily fashioned barricade of overturned tables, ``we kept hearing shots. My daughter, she was screaming. I thought this was the end. I was petrified,'' said the woman. ``It felt like forever. It seemed like it would never end.''

Kalish said there is no evidence yet to show that the shooting was a hate crime or that the suspect was anti-Semitic. ``I don't know if that (anti-Semitism) is what it's about, but it leaves us feeling targeted and vulnerable,'' he said. In Sacramento, three synagogues were firebombed within 45 minutes of one another in June, causing $1 million in damage. Anti-Semitic flyers were found at two sites.

June 18, 1999 - Arson Attacks on Three Synagogues in Sacramento Area -

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today released a statement following the arson attacks against three synagogues in the Sacramento area. This morning we woke up to the horrifying news that three Jewish houses of worship were attacked by arson. This hateful crime victimizes the entire Jewish community. This is clearly the worst such attack in years. Not only because it was committed against houses of worship but also because it appears to have been a coordinated effort. Hate literature found at the synagogues is similar to those ADLs Internet Monitoring Unit has been tracking on the Internet for a number of months.

Apr 15, 1999 - Salt Lake City, Utah - LDS Church Family History Library -

2 killed + shooter Sergei Babarin, 70, with a history of mental illness, entered the library, killed two people and wounded four others before he was gunned down by police. Killed were a security guard and a female visitor.

May 2, 1996 Colorado Springs, CO - Focus on the Family-

A distraught construction worker, Kerry Dore, armed with a pistol and what he said were explosives, storms into the Focus on the Family headquarters in Colorado Springs and takes four employees hostage. After four hours, he surrenders.

Aug 9, 1991 Phoenix, AZ - Thai Buddhist Temple Burglery -

Alex Garcia, 17, (former student at Agua Fria High School) in June of 1991, Johnathan Doody and I got together and planned to rob and burglarize the Thai Buddhist temple. "During the planning of June, July and early August, we obtained clothing, equipment and guns which were to be used in the robbery and burglary. On the evening of August 9, 1991,"Johnathan and I drove to the temple. I was armed with a 20-gauge pump shotgun, Johnathan was armed with a .22-caliber semiautomatic rifle. "Johnathan and I entered the temple with the intent to rob, burglarize and kill the people inside. We were inside the temple for about two hours. "During that time, Johnathan and I took property and money from the people living at the temple. This included cameras, stereos, jewelry, money and other property. Before leaving the temple, Johnathan told me, 'No witnesses.' "I told him, 'Robbery is one thing, but murder is another. "Johnathan repeated to me that there could be no witnesses."He then stepped to my right and, while armed with the .22-caliber rifle, began shooting the nine occupants while they were laying on the floor. I began firing my 20-gauge shotgun, but fired not to kill anyone. "We both then ran from the temple with the property and money we stole.

February 17, 1991 Five men rampage through Queen of Vietnamese Martyrs Church in Wheat Ridge,

After seriously wounding a church handyman and kicking and pistol-whipping parishioners. They also robbed parishioners of cash and jewelry. Brothers Thien and Tam Nguyen and three accomplices are convicted of the shooting and robberies.