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Faith-Based Daily Awareness Post

Faith-Based Daily Awareness Post 28 June 2023

Faith-Based Security Headlines

These updates are shared to help raise the situational awareness of Faith-Based organizations to best defend against, and mitigate the impacts from all-hazards threats including physical security, cybersecurity, and natural disasters.

Fame-seeking mass shooters diversify their attacks to gain attention, study suggests (psypost.org)

The  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) has published a study which suggests  fame-seeking mass shooters tend to diversify their attacks to draw public attention.

The study posits that previously, it was commonly believed the notoriety of mass shooters was primarily driven by the number of people they killed (lethality). However, this study challenges that notion and suggests “surprise” plays a crucial role in creating fame for mass shooters, even when considering the level of lethality.

To conduct the study, the researchers collected data on 189 mass shootings that occurred between August 1966 and April 2021. The data was obtained from three sources: the Washington Post, the Violence Project, and Mother Jones.

The actual study can be found here. Fame through surprise: How fame-seeking mass shooters diversify their attacks | PNAS

Analyst Comment:

Also, since seeking notoriety is often a motive for mass shooters, not naming the shooter in reports may reduce the number of mass shooting. The Don’t Name Them campaign promotes not naming suspects.

Amid national rise in antisemitism, Sonoma synagogue boosts security with state grant

A California synagogue received a $200, 000 state grant to improve security. The congregation tried to secure the grant for nearly five years. The congregation was one of seven Sonoma County houses of worship awarded a total of $1.8 million. The funds come from the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.  Grants Management | California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services

Analyst Comment:

There are a wide variety of grants available. As the Sonoma synagogue shows, it may take a long time to receive a grant, so Faith-Based Organizations (FBO) should apply as soon as possible and to as many grants as possible. While each grant has unique requirements, a template with an organization’s information and needs can facilitate multiple applications. It is best to thoroughly review the grant’s requirements and show how your organization meets those specific requirements.

As an example of how specific grants requirements can be, Religious News Service reported that there is a federal energy efficiency grant for houses-of-worship.

Additional grants are available from other states and the federal government.

Federal grant funding opportunities can be found at Grant Funding Opportunities | Homeland Security (dhs.gov).

More Faith-Based Stories

More Security-focused Content

Read a report detailing attacks on Faith-Based organizations following the Dobbs ruling.
Access the latest FB-ISAO Newsletter for additional threat analysis and upcoming event announcements.
Access all-hazards resources from public and private sector partners, curated by the FB-ISAO team.

The FB-ISAO’s sponsor Gate 15 publishes a free daily newsletter called the SUN. Curated from their open source intelligence collection process, the SUN informs leaders and analysts with the critical news of the day and provides a holistic look at the current global, all-hazards threat environment. Ahead of the daily news cycle, the SUN allows current situational awareness into the topics that will impact your organization. To sign-up for The SUN, please sign up below.

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