A movie trailer for Emanuel, the film about the 2015 shooting at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, was released several days ago. The mass shooter [name purposefully withheld] walked into the church’s Bible study and open fired, killing 9 church members. The film which is produced by NBA star, Stephen Curry, highlights the tragedy and interviews the families of those affected.
Along with the graphic and awful footage released from the New Zealand Mosque shooting several weeks ago, we are reminded that places of worship are often targets of devilish people who are looking for easy targets.
The best thing you can do, in case of such an event, is to have pre-planned the response scenario and have engaged in active shooter training.
This video from the United States Concealed Carry Association (of which I am a card-carrying member) gives some valuable advice to church-goers in relation to active shooter situations.
Try these tips:
- Your church needs a security team.
- Conceal carry a firearm when you go to church (“no metal detectors, no problem,” as they say).
- Talk to your family about an active-shooter situation. It’s important to tell everyone in the church that if they’re not intending to stop the shooter, to get down. This way, if everyone else is down, those who are armed can more easily acquire the target that needs to be eliminated (as shooters typically stand).
- Be thinking ahead of time about target-acquisition and line-of-sight issues from where you’re sitting and entrances where gunmen may approach.
And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one…Luke 22:36
To join the USCAA and receive more updates about protecting your houses of worship, click here.
