Why Barriers Matter

A Lesson Learned from the Grand Blanc Church Shooting and Arson

An article related to the Safety Member Certification class “Violent Intruder Response” [1,2].

From the Bible –

And they said unto me, "The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire" (Nehemiah 1:3).

Introduction -

Our response to a church attack is better when it is proactive. Plan and prepare for various kinds of attacks. For several years now, radicals have used motor vehicles as weapons for attacking masses of people. Many times the motivation was political, racial, or ethnic. In Grand Blanc Township, close to Flint, Michigan, the target of a vehicular attack was a place of worship. We would be foolish to count this as a one-off attack. You could win a bet that there will be at least one copycat event. This means that we need to harden churches specifically against vehicles being used as weapons.

The Drive-in Church Assault –

On Sunday morning, September 28, 2025, a man drove his pickup truck into the wall of a Mormon church in Grand Blanc Township. He set the church afire, began shooting at people in the church, and then shot at those outside fleeing the fire. 911 was called, and arriving officers killed the attacker in a shootout. Four persons besides the shooter died, eight more were injured, and the church was burned to the ground.

Amid the shock, grief, and compassion, we ask, “How could this have been prevented?” The answer here is, “Create barriers to vehicular attacks.”

The positioning of the Latter Day Saints church on its lot made this attack too easy. This is can be seen in Google Maps satellite and street views [3,4]. Parking lots and a driveway surround the building, and there were no barriers between the parking lot, the driveway, and the church. Also, the end of the chapel, where no parked cars would have been in the way, had a direct shot through the entry drive from the road. Since many people were in the church, and parked cars were between the parking lot driving lanes and the building, the assailant had to find a more effective trajectory for the attack. It was not through a door or a window, but up through the entry drive and into the wall behind the platform in the chapel – a “clean shot.”

Why Barriers Matter –

Since ancient times, barriers, such as the Tower of Jericho have been used to keep robbers and invading armies out of cities and outposts [5]. As more methods of attack were devised, so were more effective barriers. Today there are several types of barriers available to use.

Types of Barriers –

The types of barriers used to stop vehicular attacks include concrete barricades, bollards, concrete planters, spike strips, etc. The most recommended ones for places of worship are bollards, planters, and earth berms.

Using Barriers –

Effective use of barriers requires a layered approach:

Standoff Distance – Create enough distance between the church and where vehicles park and drive. This also protects against a vehicle fire spreading to the building.

Controlling traffic flow and speed – Design the parking lot so that all driving lanes are parallel to the church walls.

• Place turnarounds at the ends where cars are not moving toward the church. This may be tight for drivers, but it keeps the speed down.
• Put parking curbs between rows of parking spots to stop driving across the rows. If no vehicles are parked, this makes a run toward the building exceptionally bumpy.

Bollards and Other Physical Barricades – We’ve now become accustomed to seeing physical barriers in front of key buildings, especially governmental. The most common are bollards (car-stopper posts) and concrete planters. Bollards can be positioned to allow foot traffic through, but not motor vehicles. More eye-pleasing, when not across walkways, are bollards alternating with planters. The backside of a planter can be a horizontal concrete barrier itself.

Another form of barrier is an earth berm, with grass, shrubs, or flowers planted on it.

Physical barriers are especially needed in front of doors, entryways, glass walls, corners (attacking a corner can compromise the building’s integrity), and where there is a long, straight approach (where a vehicle can accelerate).

Planning and Installing Barriers:

Coordination – Since this involves construction and its costs, it needs input and approval from the congregation’s governing board.

• Considering the church’s location and structure, assess its vulnerability to vehicular attacks.
• Plan what kind of barriers to install and where to place them.
• Get tips and advice from your insurance provider and local law enforcement.
• Check state and local building codes, zoning, and other regulations in the planning and placement of barriers.

Budgeting – The complete construction and installation of barriers can be costly for materials, labor, fees, and permits.

• Start small, beginning with the most vulnerable places, such as entries.
• Schedule the step-by-step continuation of the project to see it to completion, budgeting for each step.
• Plan for needed maintenance and account for it in the church’s annual budget.

Presentation:

Be ready to present the proposal for effective barriers to the governing body and the congregation of your church or synagogue. Here are some key points for your presentation:

1. Show the need with real-life examples of vehicular breaches (both accidental and intentional) of religious, educational, institutional, commercial, and governmental buildings.
2. Show how and where your place of worship is vulnerable to a vehicular attack.
3. Present and explain the planned barriers. Have illustrations of how they would look.
4. Visualize the plan with a map of the church building showing where it is most vulnerable and how the barriers will protect those spots (best if using a screen projection along with printed hand-outs). This includes vectors for lines of attack.
5. Explain the advice from the insurance company and law enforcement.
6. Explain how codes, zoning, and other regulations apply.
7. Tell the calculated cost and present the proposed staging of construction and costs.
8. Have alternative plans for the kinds and placement of barriers.

Q & A

Be ready for questions and answers at the end of the presentation. The board members and members of the congregation need to be involved in the project. They will likely have valuable insights. Proverbs 11:14 says, “in the multitude of counselors there is safety.”

An Authoritative Resource:

Simon Osamoh, who has long and expert experience in law enforcement, anti-terrorism, and institutional security, wrote a Worship Security article on vehicular attacks: “Securing the Open Door: How Churches Can Prevent Vehicle-Based Attacks” [6].

Conclusion:

If needed, place barriers to prevent, deter, and hinder vehicular attacks on your church or synagogue.

References:

1. Kris Moloney, Safety Member Certification, Sheepdog Church Security, 2025 [https://sheepdog-church-security.thinkific.com/courses/safety-member-certification-v5-2025].
2. Kris Moloney, "Violent Intruder Response, V5," Safety Member Certification, Sheepdog Church Security, 2025 [https://sheepdog-church-security.thinkific.com/courses/church-safety-violent-intruder-response].
3. Satellite View, McCandlish Rd, Grand Blanc, Michigan, Google Maps, 2025 [https://www.google.com/maps/place/4248+McCandlish+Rd,+Grand+Blanc,+MI+48439/@42.9088494,-83.6214141,178m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x88237dc4bc33b3ed:0x938a1406f9bf414e!8m2!3d42.9088494!4d-83.6207704!5m1!1e4?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTAwNi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D].
4. Street View, 4248 McCanlish R., Grand Blanc, Michigan, Google Maps, June 2025 [https://www.google.com/maps/place/McCandlish+Rd,+Michigan/@42.9088458,-83.620691,3a,75y,7.76h,103t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sUQWb7zBi2En9A1JYEWxfig!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D-13.001447141925667%26panoid%3DUQWb7zBi2En9A1JYEWxfig%26yaw%3D7.763253225765311!7i16384!8i8192!4m6!3m5!1s0x8824821addc53c65:0x1dcf0dcd1edcade9!8m2!3d42.9096947!4d-83.5804876!16s%2Fg%2F1tjmf86y!5m1!1e4?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTAwNi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D].
5. Staff, Madain Project, “Tower of Jericho: One Of The Earliest Stone Monuments Of Humanity,” The Archaeologist, April 20, 2021 [https://www.thearchaeologist.org/blog/tower-of-jericho-one-of-the-earliest-stone-monuments-of-humanity#google_vignette], with a reference to Roy Liran and Ran Barkai, “Casting a shadow on Neolithic Jericho,” Antiquity, Volume 85, Issue 327, March 2011.
6. Simon Osamoh, "Securing the Open Door: How Churches Can Prevent Vehicle-Based Attacks," Worship Facility, January 7, 2025 [https://www.worshipfacility.com/2025/01/07/how-churches-can-prevent-vehicle-based-attacks/].