WEEKLY UPDATE 10/21/2019
Please contact us to arrange for an Active Assailant training session for your congregation.
DOMESTIC INCIDENTS OF NOTE
Two anti-Semitic posters were affixed to the Temple Emanuel in Grand Rapids, MI. The entrance was the one used by children attending Hebrew School classes. One poster displayed a picture of Adolf Hitler and asked "Did You Forget Me?". The second was an anti-Semitic message. The posters bore white supremacist logos. The incident is being investigated as a hate crime.
Larry Greene, a homeless man from Sunny Isles Beach, FL confronted two parishioners as they left the Beit Rambam Congregation. He yelled "American is no place for Jews" and threatened the men with a knife. He also threatened that he had a gun and was going to kill the men. Greene told responding officers that he was a black Israelite and a real Jew, not like the victims. Greene has been charged with assault and will face hate crime charges.
Feuerkrieg Division (FKD) a neo-Nazi group has claimed responsibility for posting hate filled flyers at the Morning Star Baptist Church in Spokane, WA. The flyers were posted on poles and signs outside of the church. The posters displayed pictures of swastikas and Adolf Hitler and stated "the war never ended and we will keep fighting." One flyer displayed "it's ok to genocide subhumans." It is believed the church was targeted because it is predominantly black and the home of the activist group Spokane Community Against Racism (SCAR).
Hate filled racist flyers are being posted at religious and community centers in Modesto, CA. The College Avenue United Church believes they are being specifically targeted because they are actively pursing messages of tolerance in their community. Flyers have appeared at a Congressman's Town Hall meeting, a local synagogue and the Central Valley Pride Center.
Authorities in Buffalo, IA are searching for suspects who vandalized two churches. Vandals entered the St. Peter's Catholic Church through a rear window. Once inside they knocked over the lectern, smeared what appears to be blood on a wall and cut the head off of the Statue of Mary. They also broke into Calvary Lutheran Church through a rear door. There they turned on faucets and left them running and sprayed fire extinguishers throughout.
The non-denominational Revival Temple of God in Christ, a predominantly African-American church in Las Vegas was vandalized by unknown vandals. The sign in front of the church was marred by a large red swastika. The State of Nevada has seen an uptick in white nationalist threats and vandalism., although it's not known if this incident is connected to any others.
A 14 year old girl in Neenah, WI has been charged with causing significant damage to the Whiting Community Baptist Church. A large rock was thrown a a entry door and spray painted upside down crosses and vulgar statements were painted on doors, walls and a storage shed. The girl was charged with five counts of vandalism and released to her parents.
Derrick Wolford stands accused of storming into the St. Joseph's Catholic Church in San Antonio. He rushed the alter and began destroying items. He then attacked an 81 year man in the first pew, striking him in the face and breaking his glasses. Wolford was subdued by other parishioners as he was attempting to destroy a statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe. After his arrest, Wolford told police voices were telling him to destroy Catholic property and assault Catholics.
Police in Buckingham Township, PA are attempting identify a vandal(s) who struck the Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. The church has been recently vandalized twice, In each incident church banners and pro-life wood crosses were damaged. In the latest incident, 40 of 61 crosses displayed in a pro-life display were taken out of the ground and stacked in piles. Two signs condemning abortion were also stolen.
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