Faith-Based Daily Awareness Post 26 March 2026

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.

FL: Clearwater woman said white supremacy group would shoot up Black church on Easter: SPPD

A 70-year-old woman from Clearwater, Florida, was arrested after allegedly sending threatening messages claiming that a white supremacist group planned to carry out a mass shooting at a Black church in St. Petersburg on Easter. According to authorities, the woman made alarming statements indicating that the group would “shoot up” the church, prompting a law enforcement response and investigation into the credibility of the threat. Police ultimately determined the threat to be serious enough to warrant charges, and the woman now faces criminal counts related to making threats of violence. Officials have not indicated that there was an actual organized plot behind the claim but treated the situation as a credible risk to public safety, particularly given the targeted nature of the threat toward a specific religious community. 

Analyst Comments: This incident underscores the continued and specific threat landscape facing Black houses of worship, which have historically been targeted through both shootings and arson. In this case, the threat, whether credible or not, referenced potential violence against a Black house of worship ahead of Easter, reinforcing a pattern where threat actors deliberately invoke both vulnerable communities and symbolic dates to maximize fear and disruption. Even when a plot is not fully developed, these types of threats have real consequences, prompting heightened security measures, anxiety within congregations, and the allocation of law enforcement resources. For Black churches and affiliated community organizations, this reinforces the importance of taking all threats seriously, maintaining strong communication with local law enforcement, and preparing for both physical and communicated threats.

Iranian-linked terrorist group claims responsibility for antisemitic arson attack in Belgium

An antisemitic arson attack in Belgium is part of a broader pattern of incidents across Europe in which Jewish individuals and institutions have been targeted in recent weeks. A relatively unknown group Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia (HAYI), has claimed responsibility for multiple similar attacks across Europe. The group is potentially linked or aligned with Iranian interests, as the organization has no recorded history of existing before March 9th.

Analyst Comments: This situation highlights the security implications of a potentially Iran-linked group leveraging arson attacks across Europe in the wake of the Iran conflict. Even if the group’s structure or direct ties remain uncertain, the consistent use of low-cost, high-impact tactics such as arson against Jewish communities and institutions presents a credible and repeatable threat vector. These types of attacks require minimal coordination and are difficult to ‍detect in advance and can be carried out by individuals acting with limited guidance. The focus on dispersed, fire-based incidents also suggests an approach designed to create persistent disruption and strain protective resources across multiple locations simultaneously. For at-risk organizations in Europe, this underscores the need to prioritize fire prevention measures, surveillance of vulnerable exterior areas, rapid reporting of suspicious behavior, and close coordination with local authorities as part of a broader protective posture.

FB-ISAO Education Series: Building an Intelligence Team for your House of Worship

April 1, 2026, 12:00 PM ET: Session 4 will explore the sources and methods of local intelligence collection and analysis.

About the series. “Intelligence” often conjures images of secret agents working in the shadows to protect national security.  Intelligence isn’t just for government agents, with a little guidance, anyone can do it! Intelligence involves a systematic process of collecting, analyzing, and using information to anticipate, detect, and prevent threats before they cause harm. This process helps decision makers weigh alternatives and make threat-informed, fact-based choices via enhanced situational awareness. By leveraging intelligence, houses of worship can enhance their overall safety and security, ensuring their spaces remain welcoming sanctuaries for worship – yet prepared for potential incidents.