NEW YORK POST
Security experts are increasingly urging U.S. churches to increase their safety measures after two near misses involving attempted shootings at houses of worship in different parts of the country this month.
Interest in doing so among congregations is also on the rise, they say.
Last week, a Pennsylvania man jumped out of his seat at the front of a church and tackled an armed man who walked up to the pulpit and tried to gun down a pastor mid-sermon.
A hero in the front row, Clarence McCallister, tackled and disarmed him.
Then, on Saturday, a gun-toting teen walked up to a Louisiana church during a First Communion Mass for dozens of children. Parishioners detained him outside and called police.
In February, an armed woman barged into Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, with her 7-year-old in tow and opened fire.
Off-duty officers on scene put an end to the assault, but her child was struck in the head in the crossfire.
Even the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recommend churches and other places of worship take preparedness measures around the year.
Measures include creating a plan and sharing it with congregants in case of an emergency, coordinating with local law enforcement and undergoing active shooter response training.
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