Faith-Based Daily Awareness Post 23 May 2025

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. 

Read the F.B.I. Affidavit

On May 21 at around 9:08 PM EST, 31-year-old Elias Rodriguez, a U.S. citizen from Chicago, fatally shot two Israeli Embassy staff members outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC. The victims one a dual Israeli-German citizen and the other a U.S. citizen had just left a reception hosted by the American Jewish Committee. In a manifesto, Rodriguez allegedly justified the violence as a protest against what he described as genocidal actions by the United States and Israel.

Analyst Comments: The full document can be found on the FB-ISAO Slack. There is a briefing being held by the FBI today May 23^rd from 1:00-2:00 for Jewish community leaders to join for a private conference call to hear directly from FBI WFO and MDP leadership.

Microsoft Teams:

• Meeting ID: 992 129 385 811
• Passcode: WP3cn9Z4
• USA DIAL: 1-304-848-3555
• Conference ID: 484 165 398#

Related:

• Security Recommendations for Jewish events following Capital Museum murders
• Manifesto posted on social media account tied to suspected Jewish museum shooter, who called to ‘bring the war home’ 
• Suspect charged with murder of two Israeli embassy workers in Washington DC
• NYC and Miami among cities that increase security around Jewish facilities in wake of DC shooting
• NYC sending ‘heavy weapons teams’ to Jewish sites after attack in DC

2024 Threat Data Review and Analysis

FB-ISAO released its 2024 Threat Data Review and Analysis on May 22, 2025, documenting 841 attacks on Houses of Worship throughout the year. 

Key Findings:

• Targeted Faiths:Protestant churches were the most frequently attacked, accounting for 49% of incidents. Jewish synagogues (21%), Catholic churches (16%), and mosques (7%) were also notably targeted.
• Disproportionate Threats:Although Jewish, Catholic, and Muslim institutions represent less than 10% of U.S. houses of worship, they collectively experienced nearly 50% of all attacks, indicating a disproportionate threat level.
• Weapon Involvement:Firearms were involved in 13% of the incidents.
• Threat Types:Serious threats in late 2023 primarily involved bomb threats and swatting. While these decreased significantly in 2024, they remain a core part of the threat environment, particularly for Jewish and Catholic institutions.

Analyst Comments: FB-ISAO plans to publish a comprehensive report in late summer or early fall of 2025. We urge members to continue reporting suspicious activity to local authorities, as well as sharing them with the community in our FB-ISAO Slack Workspace. The more complete data we have in regards to attacks against houses of worship will allow us to continue to develop the most updated threat picture.