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What new data shows about killings at houses of worship

The Violence Prevention Project tracked about 400 homicide incidents at religious institutions over the past 25 years, resulting in 512 deaths and more than 200 victims injured.
Most homicides at religious institutions stem from interpersonal disputes or domestic situations rather than ideological motives; 96% of incidents occurred at Christian churches, consistent with Christianity being the majority religion in the United States.
In the majority of cases, firearms were the weapon of choice at 69%, though only 7% of incidents involved an active shooter attempting to kill multiple people with a gun.
Three high-profile incidents in 2025 left 24 people dead and about 40 injured, including attacks at a Mormon church in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, and a Catholic school Mass in Minnesota.
"Having those punctuating, high-profile attacks is notable," said James Densley, co-founder of the Violence Prevention Project, noting they tend to be "more preplanned, premeditated, and they also tend to have a legacy token, copycat component.

Insights by Ground AI