Metro Faith Leaders Get Training on the Unthinkable

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Though there have been no specific threats against Metro Detroit churches, synagogues, mosques and other places of worship, local and federal law enforcement authorities are warning Metro Detroit faith leaders to be especially vigilant in the weeks following last month’s murder of nine African-Americans at a South Carolina church.

“It’s a sad reality that we have to do it but when people are prepared, they are more successful in the outcome,” said U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade, according to a Detroit Free Press report. “Here in Metro Detroit, we want to do everything we can to prevent an attack like that and share information on anything that might pose a threat.”

McQuade made the remarks at a security summit at Wayne State University organized by the FBI, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Department of of Justice’s Community Relations Service, the Detroit Police Department, the Wayne State University Police Department and the Anti-Defamation League.

Faith leaders got tips on developing security and emergency response plans, as well as how to put them into action in the event of a situation involving an active shooter.

Between 2000-2013, 486 people were killed and 557 were injured in active shooter situations, according to FBI statistics.

Most of those shootings occurred between 2006-2013, when there were an average of 16.4 mass shootings a year, compared with an average of 6.4 per year between 2000-2006.

FBI Special Agent Christopher Tarrant said the uptick is due in part to ubiquitous social media, which gives like-minded people a chance to connect, rather than a specific cause.

“Social media is a huge problem right now,” he said.

Investigators said a simple tip by someone who notices something unusual or is uneasy about a situation can prevent a tragedy.

A few months ago, the FBI confiscated 500 rounds of ammunition and a backpack filled with survival gear after getting a tip from a citizen who became suspicious after an encounter with a man who wanted to trade two handguns for an AK-47.

FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge John Shoup said a background check revealed the man had a violent and criminal background, and had made troubling online posts. Investigators aren’t sure exactly why he wanted he AK-47, “but we felt pretty confident that he would have done something,” Shoup said.

“... It is not enough for us to investigate one of these crimes after it happened,” he said. “Our goal is to always prevent it from happening and you play a big part in that.”

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