Editor's Note
Sacred Security
- By Sydny Shepard
- January 01, 2018
At the time of this writing, the
country is still mourning the 26
people killed in the shooting at
Sutherland Springs Baptist Church
just outside of San Antonio, Texas.
The incident, which occurred just weeks after
the Las Vegas mass shooting, has been
deemed the most deadly mass shooting at an
American place of worship.
Within 40 days in 2017, more than 80 families
mourned the lives of those lost in unnecessary
violence on soft targets including the
attacks on a Las Vegas outdoor concert and
the Texas church shooting. Every time an
incident like this happens, the same response
follows: we are shocked, we point fingers, we
blame, we even ask, “How could this have
happened?” Then we forget.
This is what is fueling the fire of the
deranged people who decide to incite violence
on unsuspecting concert-goers, worshipers
and school-aged children. It is a game
to them as they wonder who can create the
most chaos.
In our cover story, we discuss the Sutherland
Springs Baptist Church shooting and
how securing sacred areas, like places of worship,
is a delicate balancing act.
With each incident, it is up to church campuses
to review their policies, find holes in
their security and move forward with a plan
that keeps their congregants safe.
This article originally appeared in the January 2018 issue of Campus Security Today.
About the Author
Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.