Faith-Based Daily Awareness Post 11 April 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.

FB-ISAO Bulletin: Shooting Incident in Philadelphia During an Eid-Al Fitr event

FB-ISAO has issued the following bulletin to FB-ISAO members:

Yesterday, 10 April 2024, at approximately 2:30 pm ET at Clara Muhammad Square, in Philadelphia, a shooting incident occurred. The incident took place where about 1,000 people had gathered for an Eid Al Fir celebration. According to a CNN report on the incident, “Two groups that were in the park started exchanging gunfire, but police do not believe the shooting was connected to the religious celebration…”

At this time, the incident does not appear to be terroristic in nature, however, the investigation is on-going. Further, at this time, there is no imminent threat to the Muslim community, though as FB-ISAO has shared, there is broad array of general threats and hostility to people and places of faith. Please refer to the FB-ISAO March 2024 Threat Level Statement Update.

Below, please find links to articles related to the incident.

• • 5 people have been arrested after a shooting in a West Philadelphia park that was filled with hundreds of people
  • Philadelphia Eid event shooting injures 3, including teen shot by officer; 5 arrested
  • Delco cops on lookout for car involved in mosque attack at 48th and Girard in Philly
  • At least two people shot near Ramadan celebration in Philadelphia
  • 3 hurt, 5 arrested after shooting at West Philly Eid al-Fitr event, police say

In addition to Bulletins, FB-ISAO provides members with timely alerts, including Pass Throughs from other security organizations, Daily Awareness Posts, Weekly Advisories, Weekly Scoops, Newsletters, and Announcements.

If not already a member, consider joining here.

Follow Up to Earlier Faith-Based Daily Awareness Posts

Faith-Based Daily Awareness Post 8 April 2024 highlight of potential terror threat at gatherings:

FBI concerned about possible coordinated attack in US after Russia massacre

The Reuters article states:

The FBI is concerned about the possibility of an organized attack in the United States similar to the one that killed scores at a Russian concert hall last month, the bureau’s director plans to tell a House of Representatives panel on Thursday.

“Looking back over my career in law enforcement, I’d be hard pressed to think of a time where so many threats to our public safety and national security were so elevated all at once,” Christopher Wray is set to tell lawmakers during a budget hearing. “But that is the case as I sit here today.”

Faith-Based Daily Awareness Post 10 April 2024 highlight of bomb threats:

Woman arrested after sending bomb threat to Archdiocese of Miami

Suhail Apiou, 45, was arrested Tuesday on charges of threatening to use a hoax weapon of mass destruction, making written or electronic threats to kill, do bodily injury or conduct a mass shooting or act of terrorism, an arrest report said. According to the report, a priest at the Archdiocese of Miami in Miami Shores received a bomb threat through voicemail and email that detailed threats of burning down and blowing up St. Martha Church… “I have a message for the Catholic Church. If you don’t want your church to burn down to the ground, I suggest you call me today because I am pregnant with the holy conception,” the voicemail said, according to the report.

Related Article:

• • Former Cornell Student Pleads Guilty to Posting Online Threats Against Jewish Students on Campus

Faith-Based Daily Awareness Post 9 April 2024 highlight of ISIS inspired plan to attack churches:

Man pleads not guilty to terrorism charge in alleged church attack plan in support of Islamic State

Prosecutors say he planned to use a metal pipe, butane fuel, a machete and, if he could get them, his father’s guns in the attack. Mercurio was arrested Saturday, the day before investigators believe he planned to attack people attending a church near his Coeur d’Alene home. According to authorities, Mercurio adopted the Muslim faith against his Christian parents’ wishes and had been communicating for two years with FBI informants posing as Islamic State group supporters.