A grim list: Some notable attacks on houses of worship around the world in recent years

Associated Press (AP)CenterEN 5 min read 100% complete by By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSMarch 12, 2026 at 11:53 PM

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long article 5 min

A recent attack on a synagogue in Michigan has heightened fears about the safety of houses of worship globally. While statistically rare, attacks on religious buildings have occurred in the United States and around the world in recent years. In March 2026, a man drove into a synagogue in a Detroit suburb and was fatally shot; no one was injured. In September 2025, a former Marine killed four and wounded eight at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Michigan. Other notable incidents include a 2025 shooting at a Minneapolis church that killed two children, the 2018 Tree of Life synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh that killed 11, the 2017 First Baptist Church shooting in Texas that killed 25, and the 2015 Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church shooting in Charleston that killed nine.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Sutherland Springs 50% Church of the Annunciation 50% Minneapolis 50% Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 60% Pittsburgh 60% First Baptist Church 60% West Bloomfield Township 60% Michigan ×270% Tree of Life synagogue 70% Robert Bowers 70% Temple Israel synagogue 80% United States 90%

Keywords

attacks on houses of worship 100% synagogue 70% church 70% mass shooting 60% religious buildings 60% antisemitism 50% white supremacist 50% fatal shooting 40% violence 40%

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Very Negative

Score: -0.70

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Associated Press (AP)

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Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

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United States

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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attacks on houses of worship synagogue church mass shooting religious buildings antisemitism white supremacist fatal shooting violence

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