Faith-Based Daily Awareness Post 17 December 2024

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.

Abundant Life Christian School Shooting Update

What we know about the Madison, Wisconsin, school shooting that left a student and teacher dead

CNN reports:

Police are investigating why a teenage girl brought a handgun to a small Christian school in Madison, Wisconsin and opened fire, fatally shooting a student and a teacher and wounding several others — casting the tight-knit religious community into mourning just days before the school was set to close for Christmas.

Two people were killed, and another six were injured, including two students in critical condition with life-threatening injuries, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said in a news conference on Monday. A teacher and two other students sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

Authorities identified (name omitted), 15, who went by the name “(name omitted),” as the shooter, according to Barnes. Evidence suggests the shooter died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said, and confirmed she was pronounced dead while en route to the hospital.

…

Authorities have been unable to identify the authenticity of a manifesto, Barnes said.

Additional Articles:

• Suspect in Madison school shooting identified as 15-year-old (name omitted)
• Wisconsin School Shooting LIVE: More (name omitted) Details Revealed
• ‘Was this you?’: Madison Christian school shooter identified by friends on Discord
• Cops Say Second Grader Was the First to Alert Them About School Shooting
• What data tells us about 2024 school shootings in the US. Incident was the 323rd school shooting in the US this year. So far, 2024 has seen the second-highest number of US school shootings since 1966.
• K-12 School Shooting Database

Analyst Comments:

As the investigation continues and details are released, this tragedy may provide lessons learned to improve security for communities of faith and their schools.

The New York Times reports that Abundant Life’s Precautions ‘Helped Keep Students Safe,’ Official Says. Training and precautions taken by the Christian school in Wisconsin may have prevented the shooter from harming even more people, officials said.

Yesterday’s 16 December 2024 Daily Awareness Post provided links to resources useful as a quick review and others that can be used for initial long-term plan development or improving current plans.

Lithium-ion battery fire warning (video)

Lithium-ion batteries are in all kinds of electronics. But they can explode and catch fire quickly. NBC News’ Sam Brock got an up-close look at just how dangerous they can be in e-bikes and e-scooters.

Related Articles:

• Here’s how to avoid lithium-ion battery fires as you shop this holiday season
• Battery Safety: Top 8 Reasons Why Lithium-Ion Batteries Catch Fire
• EMR-ISAC InfoGram Dec. 12 – Consumer battery safety during the holiday season; New research on fentanyl and carfentanil decontamination
• Lithium-ion batteries for 3 remote control cars caused $1M in damage to Lakeshore, Ont., homes
• Anker Soundcore Lithium-Ion Battery Powered Bluetooth Speakers Recalled Due to Fire Hazard; Sold Exclusively on Amazon.com by Anker Innovations | CPSC.gov
• DHS’ Science and Technology Directorate: Fighting Fire with Knowledge on Lithium-ion Battery Hazards

Analyst Comments:

The video dramatically shows the danger of lithium-ion batteries. Heat released during an initial cell failure can damage nearby cells in the battery, causing a chain reaction known as a thermal runaway.

Many Faith-Based Organizations use landscaping equipment powered by lithium batteries. Lithium battery use will increase as jurisdictions restrict gas powered equipment. Additionally, members may attend services and events using lithium battery powered mobility scooters and wheelchairs.

In addition to maintenance equipment and mobility scooters, many gifts bought during this holiday season will contain lithium batteries. Bikes, scooters, drones, smart phones, household and personal appliances, computers, toys, wireless headphones, and even greeting cards use lithium batteries.

According to OSHA, the first step of lithium battery safety is “using batteries, chargers, and associated equipment that are tested in accordance with an appropriate test standard (e.g., UL 2054) and, where applicable, certified by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL).”

Place damaged or defective batteries in a safe location. Do not throw them away. Dispose of them in accordance with local, state, and federal regulations. A local battery recycling center may be able to provide disposal instructions.

Do not overcharge batteries. Remove the battery from the charger once it is charged.

Additional prevention guidance and other information can be found in OSHA’s six-page Preventing Fire and/or Explosion Injury from Small and Wearable Lithium Better Powered Devices .

Also, many manufacturers produce lithium battery storage containers which might be an option for facilities that use lithium batteries.

Additional Lithium-Battery Danger to Children

Consumer Reports provides Lithium Battery Danger, a video on the danger of small lithium batteries being swallowed by children. According to the article, more than a dozen children have died due to swallowing lithium batteries.

Nerd Out 54. Year end review with friends!

The Gate 15 Nerd Out! Security Panel Discussion, moderated by Dave Pounder, focuses on physical security topics including terrorism, extremism, hostile events, and other pertinent topics.

In the latest episode of Nerd Out, Dave brings back Andy Jabbour and Jennifer Lyn Walker to remember the early days of the pod and talk about some 2024 predictions to see if they hit the mark, were a near miss or were out of left-field. Then they talked about some things organizations should remember heading into 2025 before getting into some holiday cheer. They talked about their favorite holiday drinks, traditions, and movies or television shows before extending their best security wishes for 2025.

• Andy Jabbour is the Managing Director, Gate 15 and host of the Gate 15 Interview podcast and co-host of the Security Sprint podcast.
• Jennifer Lyn Walker is a cybersecurity professional with 24+ years of experience supporting critical infrastructure and SLTT (state, local, tribal, and territorial) governments.

Information on other Gate 15 podcasts can be found at Podcasts (gate15.global).