Allison Slominski, 10, (center) leads the group in singing 'Tomorrow' from the musical 'Annie' at the vigil. PETER CIHELKA/THE FREE LANCE-STAR Visit the Photo Place

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Shooting raises church security questions

How can churches welcome all and keep flocks safe?

BY AMY FLOWERS UMBLE

Date published: 7/30/2008

By Flowers Umble BY AMY FLOWERS UMBLE

Many consider church a sanctuary. Security experts consider it a soft target.

"Criminals know there will be very little resistance, very little preparation, very little security," said Jeff Hawkins, author of "An Introduction to Security & Emergency Planning for Faith-Based Organizations."

And Sunday, an armed attacker took advantage of that opportunity, killing two people and wounding seven at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville, Tenn. He opened fire during a Sunday morning children's production of "Annie."

This shooting is the 17th major church shooting in the United States since 1998. Statistically, church shootings are rare, said Clint Van Zandt, a former FBI agent and a Spotsylvania County resident.

People face more danger in their homes than in churches, said Tod Burke, a professor of criminal justice at Radford University in /Southwestern Virginia.

"But there have been enough incidents to make people wonder, 'Am I safe?'" Van Zandt said.

Churches could lock everyone in to keep criminals out, Burke said. But that creates a fire hazard. "And what happens if you come late to church?" he asked.

Some churches now have armed security guards, sometimes members of the congregation who work in law enforcement. Such a guard shot a gunman in a Colorado church last year.

Could worshippers be subject to searches and metal detectors before entering sanctuaries? Yes, said Hawkins, who also heads security for the Creation Museum in Kentucky.

Twenty years ago, schools with metal detectors would have seemed an impossibility. But now, schools and even theme parks scan people before they enter, Hawkins said.

Such a scenario defeats the purpose of a church, said Teresa Pagliaro, a Fredericksburg defense attorney and member of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Fredericksburg.

"You can't stop this kind of mental health issue by closing our doors and screening who comes into our churches," she said at a candlelight vigil held at the fellowship's building on Caroline Street in Fredericksburg to honor the Tennessee victims. "That is not part of our beliefs."

Those beliefs were under attack Sunday. The gunman picked the Knoxville congregation partly because of its liberal religious views. Unitarian Universalists believe in "the inherent worth and dignity of everyone," said the Rev. Jeff Jones, pastor of the Fredericksburg fellowship. Congregations are known for accepting people of different religions and those in same-sex relationships.

"It's almost a paradox, we want to be welcoming and open to everyone," Jones said. "But we want to create a safe place."

He led last night's vigil, which more than 50 people attended. They prayed, sang and shared their thoughts.

Then, they ended the service by singing "Tomorrow" from "Annie."

"The sun will come out tomorrow,

"Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow,

"There will be sun "

Amy Flowers Umble: 540/735-1973
Email: aumble@freelancestar.com

Sept. 15, 1999, Fort Worth, Texas: Larry Ashbrook killed seven, wounded seven, then killed himself at teen services at Wedgewood Baptist Church. Oct. 5, 2003, Atlanta: Sheilia W. Chaney Wilson shot her mother and the Rev. Johnny Clyde Reynolds before worship services at Turner Memorial AME Church. March 12, 2005, Brookfield, Wis.: Terry Ratzmann opened fire at services of Living Church of God, held in a hotel. Five, including Ratzmann, die at the hotel. Three die later in a hospital. Aug. 29, 2005, Sash, Texas: Freddie L. Cranshaw killed a pastor and another man in the parking lot of the Sash Assembly of God Church. Jan. 4, 2006, Baltimore, Md.: An armed gunman robbed worshippers during services at Mt. Zion United Methodist Church in Bel Air, a Baltimore suburb. Feb. 27, 2006, Detroit: Kevin Lorenzo Collins, opened fire, killing one and injuring two, during services at Zion Hope Missionary Baptist Church. He later killed himself. May 21, 2006, Baton Rouge, La.: Anthony Bells killed four in-laws during services at the Ministry of Jesus Christ Church. He abducts his wife and kills her. May 2007, Moscow, Idaho: Jason Hamilton killed a police officer and a church leader at First Presbyterian Church before killing himself. August 12, 2007, Missouri: A gunman opened fire in the First Congregational Church in Neosho, Mo., killing the pastor and two others and injuring three more people during church services. Oct. 2, 2007, Tallahassee, Fla.: A man robbing a church beat and stabbed a pregnant woman, stealing her purse and her car before fleeing. Dec. 2007, Colorado: A gunman killed two at a Denver missionary training center. The next day, he killed two more people at a Colorado Springs megachurch. An armed guard at the church shot the killer. July 27, 2008, Knoxville, Tenn.: A gunman opened fire during a children's production at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church. Churches face more crimes than the high-profile shootings. They are often the targets of robberies, arson and vandalism. "Churches are a ripe target," said Clint Van Zandt, a former FBI agent who now analyzes crime for NBC. They keep regular schedules, often posted on Web sites or even signs just outside the church door. And many are empty throughout the week. Also, churches rarely have security alarms or cameras. But churches have an obligation to keep their members safe, said Jeff Hawkins, who offers training seminars for churches. The first two steps to keeping a safe house of worship is changing the "it-won't-happen-to-me" mindset and then training staff members, he said. Churches should also invest in defibrillators and CPR training, he said, as additional safety measures. Safety measures will feel strange to churches at first, Van Zandt said. "It's counterintuitive to screen people out when the whole point is to let people in." But with training and the right frame of mind, he said, churches can become secure. "You have to plan for the worst and pray for the best," Van Zandt said.

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Date published: 7/30/2008

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