🔥🕊️ “I Thought I Was Going to Die” — Christian Author Swatted

GOOD MORNING.

Last week, we reported on the CCP’s crackdown against the All Ranges Church. Today, we highlight another case—this time in Xinjiang, where the Living Spring House Church has been banned, its assets frozen, and heavy fines imposed.

This isn’t an isolated incident. It’s part of a broader campaign to silence unregistered Christian communities across China. The CCP uses legal pressure, financial punishment, and intimidation to force churches under state control—or shut them down entirely.

Christians in China continue to face real persecution for simply gathering in faith.

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EMERGING TRENDS

Christian Author Survives Harrowing Swatting Incident

Christian author and apologist Larry Alex Taunton recently endured a terrifying swatting incident at his rural Alabama home. In the early morning hours of March 17, Taunton was alerted by his German Shepherd and discovered someone attempting to enter his home.

Arming himself, he confronted a heavily armed police officer at his front door—unannounced and prepared to breach the residence. “If this guy comes through my door, I will shoot him,” Taunton recounted, describing the intensity of the moment and the life-or-death decisions he was forced to consider.

Authorities had responded to a false emergency call alleging a violent situation at the home—a tactic known as “swatting.”

What is Swatting?

Swatting is a dangerous and illegal act where someone makes a fraudulent call to emergency services, often claiming a serious crime is in progress, to trigger a heavily armed police response. These hoaxes have proven deadly in the past and place both the targeted individuals and responding officers in grave danger.

Swatting is not only illegal but also extremely dangerous, as it places innocent lives at risk during high-stakes police encounters and diverts emergency resources from real crises.

The Victim of a Targeted Attack

Taunton believes the incident was not random but a targeted attack in response to his public stances on issues such as Ukraine, Israel, and USAID corruption. He emphasized how easily the situation could have turned tragic had the door not been locked, preventing police from immediately entering the home.

The event underscores the real and growing dangers faced by individuals who speak out on controversial topics. It also raises urgent concerns about how swatting is being weaponized against political and religious commentators in an increasingly polarized environment.

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REGIONAL THREATS

AFRICA

• JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - On March 24, 2025, a suspect was fatally shot and five others arrested following a shootout with police in Westdene, Sophiatown. The suspects, believed to be involved in multiple church robberies, were found with unlicensed firearms and a music system valued at approximately R2 million, allegedly stolen from a church in Florida.

• IMO STATE, NIGERIA — Rev. Fr. John Ubaechu, the Parish Priest of Holy Family Catholic Church in Izombe, was kidnapped on March 23, 2025, near Ejemekuru while en route to Owerri for an annual priests’ retreat. The abductors reportedly demanded a ransom of 20 million naira. After three days in captivity, Fr. Ubaechu was released on March 26, 2025.

MIDDLE EAST & CENTRAL ASIA

• LATTAKIA, SYRIA — Metropolitan Athanasios (Fahed) of Latakia has reported severe violence against Greek Orthodox Christians and Alawites in the region, including massacres, arson, and the killing of civilians, including women and children. He highlighted that over 7,000 individuals from these communities have been killed under the current regime. Expressing frustration, Metropolitan Athanasios noted the absence of support from Greece, contrasting it with aid received from other religious groups. He emphasized the urgent need for medical assistance and financial support for the Greek Orthodox community in Latakia, which comprises approximately 60,000 members across 10 city churches and 45 village parishes.

SOUTH & SOUTHEAST ASIA

• MIRI, MALAYSIA — A local man in his thirties was arrested in Taman Tunku for attempting to set fire to St. Dominic and the Rosary Church. The Sessions Court subsequently sentenced him to five years in prison for setting fire to the church doors.

LATIN AMERICA & CARIBBEAN

• SALAMANCA, MEXICO — On March 16, 2025, eight young people were shot dead and five others injured outside San José Mendoza Church after attending Mass. Investigators recovered 50 shell casings from high-powered weapons and noted bullet holes in the church’s walls. The Mexican bishops’ conference condemned the violence, highlighting its devastating impact on the nation’s youth and calling for collective action to address insecurity.

• LOS ALCARRIZOS, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC — Authorities arrested eight men after discovering that the Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Church was being used as a training site by a paramilitary group called “Centro de Servicios CS-2.” The group recruited youths and held unauthorized tactical drills on church grounds, where police later seized weapons, military gear, and other equipment.

• ITABUNA, BRAZIL – A military police officer was sentenced to 12 years in prison for the 2023 killing of evangelical pastor Geovane Mascarenhas during a police operation in southern Bahia. The court found that the officer acted with intent to kill, rejecting his claim of self-defense. Mascarenhas was shot while returning home from a religious event.

NORTH AMERICA

• PACOIMA, CALIFORNIA - A 26-year-old man was fatally shot outside a church in the 11900 block of Dronfield Avenue at Vaughn Street around 3:14 a.m. on March 24, 2025. Officers found the victim with multiple gunshot wounds; he was pronounced dead at the scene. No suspect was seen, but gunshots were heard, and the incident is believed to be gang-related.

• MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE — On March 21, 2025, police arrested Zachary Liberto, a local man residing in a homeless encampment, for threatening to “butcher” members of St. Louis Catholic Church with a machete. Liberto had a verbal altercation with the church’s pastor and music director, defaced the baptismal font, and sent a threatening email demanding a video of one complainant being slapped within 24 hours to prevent him from carrying out his threat. He has been charged with Commission of Act of Terrorism, with bond set at $200,100, and was scheduled to appear in court on March 24.

• PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – A massive fire destroyed a historic Kensington church early Friday, forcing evacuation of four nearby homes. No injuries were reported; the cause is under investigation.

• EL DORADO, ARKANSAS – A Union County man died from gunshot wounds sustained during a Sunday morning worship service at Morning Star Baptist Church No. 2. The incident occurred during the service, leading to an active investigation by local authorities. Further details, including the victim’s identity and circumstances surrounding the shooting, have not been disclosed.

EUROPE

• BERMONDSEY, LONDON - A man was arrested after allegedly attacking two elderly siblings and another individual at the Most Holy Trinity Church in Dockhead. The suspect was restrained by a bystander until police arrived.

• DÜSSELDORF, GERMANY — Three teenagers—two girls aged 16 and 17, and a 16-year-old boy—were sentenced to three years in prison for planning ISIS-inspired terrorist attacks targeting places of worship or police stations. The group had self-radicalized through online ISIS content and intended to use Molotov cocktails, firearms, and knives to kill as many people as possible. Previously, they had received two years probation for a similar plot in April 2024 but resumed planning attacks within two months of that sentencing.

• MÁLAGA, SPAIN — On March 24, 2025, Father Salvador Gil, pastor of the Church of La Amargura, was violently assaulted in San Juan de la Cruz Square by a man shouting “I’m fed up with the Masons.” The attacker struck him in the face, knocking him unconscious and causing a cerebral hemorrhage. Father Gil was hospitalized and later discharged on March 26; he is now recovering at home. Police are continuing the investigation to identify and apprehend the assailant.

• LICATA, ITALY — Thieves broke into a local church, stealing a television and a small amount of cash. Authorities have launched an investigation into the burglary.

AUSTRALIA & OCEANIA

• No current updates.

PRAYER REQUESTS

Please join us in lifting up our brothers and sisters around the world who are suffering for their faith in Jesus Christ. Many are facing imprisonment, violence, discrimination, and even death simply for following Him.

Pray for their strength, courage, and unwavering faith. Ask God to protect them, provide for their needs, and surround them with His peace. Pray that their witness would shine brightly, even in the darkest places, and that their persecutors would come to know Christ through their testimony.

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