Update (Feb. 5): Our sister blog Managing Your Church has a lengthy interview with Carl Chinn, in which he explains his findings as well as possible solutions churches can pursue.
Update (Feb. 1): ABP has a nice look at how churches are balancing security with ministry post-Sandy Hook.
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Amid national debate over gun control reform, new data from church violence researcher Carl Chinn shows that 75 deaths from attacks at faith-based organizations occurred in 2012–a 36 percent increase over the previous year.
Chinn’s tally of 135 “deadly force incidents” (DFIs) in 2012 brings the total number of DFIs to 638 since Chinn first began recording them in 1999. Guns were used in 389 (58%) of incidents.
According to Chinn’s website, the data “includes abductions, attacks, suspicious deaths, suicides and deadly force intervention/protection.” Attacks prompted by domestic violence spillover, personal conflict, and robbery account for over half of all reported DFIs.
CT previously spotlighted the surge in church violence and noted how the increasing number of church shootings has prompted pastors to rethink security at church services.
