Read the full article on KETV 7
Last year marked the first time since 2022 that there was an active shooter attack at a house of worship. Three such incidents, among other homicides at religious institutions, left 24 people dead and about 40 people injured in 2025.In late September, four were killed and eight were injured in a mass shooting and arson attack on a Mormon church in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan.Almost one month prior, two children were killed and another 28 people were injured when a shooter opened fire through a window at students attending a Catholic school Mass in Minnesota.In July, a man opened fire at a church in Kentucky after fleeing a state trooper during a traffic stop. Two were killed, and two were injured. Homicides at churches and other religious institutions are infrequent, but they do occur. It’s even rarer when those deaths are due to an active shooter.Over the past 25 years, there have been about 400 homicide incidents at religious institutions that have resulted in 512 deaths and more than 200 victims injured. That’s according to data gathered by the nonpartisan Violence Prevention Project, which tracks cases in which at least one person was killed at or near a house of worship, including in the parking lot.Only 7% of incidents involved an active shooter, defined as when a person tries to kill multiple people by firearm, and it’s unrelated to underlying criminal activity. However, those cases had some of the highest death and injury tolls.Patterns in the killings Most homicides at houses of worship involve interpersonal disputes, domestic situations or robberies. Religious institutions become a magnet for violence because they are a known location where people will be, have valuables and have a lesser police presence than other community zones. “The more common form of violence that occurs in these settings is largely spillover of community violence,” said James Densley, co-founder of the Violence Prevention Project. Only 13 incidents since 2000 were confirmed to be related to the ideology of the worshippers, according to the Violence Prevention Project data. But these have been among the deadliest, including attacks at the First Baptist Church, Tree of Life Synagogue and Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church.While 96% of the incidents were at Christian churches, that is in line with Christianity being the majority religion in the United States.Only about 13% of total incidents were related to gang violence, and about 3% of the cases were drive-by attacks.In the majority of cases (69%), a firearm was the weapon of choice. Additionally, most homicides at houses of worship occur outside of the building, according to a Get the Facts Data Team analysis of Violence Prevention Project data. “I don’t know if many people are actually thinking about the parking lots as being a dangerous place, but that’s where a lot of the tensions arise,” Densley said.Was last year more violent?Last year, there were more than double the number of killing incidents at houses of worship compared to 2024, but 2024 had an unusually low number of incidents. Because these killings are so rare, single-year changes cannot meaningfully indicate long-term trends.The 19 incidents last year are in line with the average over the past 10 years.Still, Densley said, the high-profile nature of some of the attacks in 2025 set the year apart. And, beyond violence on U.S. soil, a deadly shooting at an Australian Hanukkah festival last December garnered international attention.”Having those punctuating, high-profile attacks is notable,” Densley said, later adding, “They tend to be more preplanned, premeditated, and they also tend to have a legacy token, copycat component to them.” PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiPiFmdW5jdGlvbigpeyJ1c2Ugc3RyaWN0Ijt3aW5kb3cuYWRkRXZlbnRMaXN0ZW5lcigibWVzc2FnZSIsKGZ1bmN0aW9uKGUpe2lmKHZvaWQgMCE9PWUuZGF0YVsiZGF0YXdyYXBwZXItaGVpZ2h0Il0pe3ZhciB0PWRvY3VtZW50LnF1ZXJ5U2VsZWN0b3JBbGwoImlmcmFtZSIpO2Zvcih2YXIgYSBpbiBlLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdKWZvcih2YXIgcj0wO3I8dC5sZW5ndGg7cisrKXtpZih0W3JdLmNvbnRlbnRXaW5kb3c9PT1lLnNvdXJjZSl0W3JdLnN0eWxlLmhlaWdodD1lLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdW2FdKyJweCJ9fX0pKX0oKTs8L3NjcmlwdD4=
Last year marked the first time since 2022 that there was an active shooter attack at a house of worship.
Three such incidents, among other homicides at religious institutions, left 24 people dead and about 40 people injured in 2025.
Advertisement
In late September, four were killed and eight were injured in a mass shooting and arson attack on a Mormon church in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan.
Almost one month prior, two children were killed and another 28 people were injured when a shooter opened fire through a window at students attending a Catholic school Mass in Minnesota.
In July, a man opened fire at a church in Kentucky after fleeing a state trooper during a traffic stop. Two were killed, and two were injured.
Homicides at churches and other religious institutions are infrequent, but they do occur. It’s even rarer when those deaths are due to an active shooter.
Over the past 25 years, there have been about 400 homicide incidents at religious institutions that have resulted in 512 deaths and more than 200 victims injured. That’s according to data gathered by the nonpartisan Violence Prevention Project, which tracks cases in which at least one person was killed at or near a house of worship, including in the parking lot.
Only 7% of incidents involved an active shooter, defined as when a person tries to kill multiple people by firearm, and it’s unrelated to underlying criminal activity. However, those cases had some of the highest death and injury tolls.
Patterns in the killings
Most homicides at houses of worship involve interpersonal disputes, domestic situations or robberies. Religious institutions become a magnet for violence because they are a known location where people will be, have valuables and have a lesser police presence than other community zones.
“The more common form of violence that occurs in these settings is largely spillover of community violence,” said James Densley, co-founder of the Violence Prevention Project.
Only 13 incidents since 2000 were confirmed to be related to the ideology of the worshippers, according to the Violence Prevention Project data. But these have been among the deadliest, including attacks at the First Baptist Church, Tree of Life Synagogue and Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church.
While 96% of the incidents were at Christian churches, that is in line with Christianity being the majority religion in the United States.
Only about 13% of total incidents were related to gang violence, and about 3% of the cases were drive-by attacks.
In the majority of cases (69%), a firearm was the weapon of choice.
Additionally, most homicides at houses of worship occur outside of the building, according to a Get the Facts Data Team analysis of Violence Prevention Project data.
“I don’t know if many people are actually thinking about the parking lots as being a dangerous place, but that’s where a lot of the tensions arise,” Densley said.
Was last year more violent?
Last year, there were more than double the number of killing incidents at houses of worship compared to 2024, but 2024 had an unusually low number of incidents. Because these killings are so rare, single-year changes cannot meaningfully indicate long-term trends.
The 19 incidents last year are in line with the average over the past 10 years.
Still, Densley said, the high-profile nature of some of the attacks in 2025 set the year apart. And, beyond violence on U.S. soil, a deadly shooting at an Australian Hanukkah festival last December garnered international attention.
“Having those punctuating, high-profile attacks is notable,” Densley said, later adding, “They tend to be more preplanned, premeditated, and they also tend to have a legacy token, copycat component to them.”
