Nashville Church Shooting Kills 1, Injures 6

Nashville Church Shooting Kills 1, Injures 6

A Tennessee man is being held without bond after he open fired in a church outside of Nashville killing one person and injuring six others.

A church just outside of Nashville, Tennessee has been shaken after a man entered the building and began shooting "indiscriminately" at people inside during a Sunday morning service.

Emanuel Kidega Samson, 25, was identified as the suspect by police. Authorities told the media that Samson had arrived at the church before 11 a.m. and "fired upon the church building."

Police found four guns believe to be Samson's. A statement by police revealed that a rifle and pistol were found in Samon's SUV while two other pistols were found in Burnett Chapel Church of Christ in Antioch where Samson killed 39-year-old Melanie Smith as she walked to her car.

After killing Smith, Nashville police said that the gunman entered the main sanctuary door and "began indiscriminately shooting." Six other church members were injured before 22-year-old Caleb Engle, a church usher, intervened. Police say there was a significant struggle between the Samson and Engle, but eventually Samson shot himself in the left pectoral muscle as a result of the struggle. Engle told police he left to get his firearm from his vehicle and then came back to keep an eye on Samson before the police arrived.

In a statement made to police, Engle said, "the real heroes are the first responders, medical staff and doctors who have helped me and everyone affected."

Those wounded were all over the age of 60: William Jenkins, Marlene Jenkins, Linda Bush, Katherine Dickerson, John Spann and Peggy Spann.

The Memphis office of the FBI and the U.S. attorney's office for middle Tennessee have opened a civil rights investigation into the crime, but have declined to comment further.

Samson is believed to have come to the United States from Sudan in 1996 and was a legal US resident but not necessarily a citizen. It is not known if Samson knew the congregation at Burnette Chapel.

 

Featured

  • Video Surveillance Trends to Watch

    With more organizations adding newer capabilities to their surveillance systems, it’s always important to remember the “basics” of system configuration and deployment, as well as the topline benefits of continually emerging technologies like AI and the cloud. Read Now

  • New Report Reveals Top Trends Transforming Access Controller Technology

    Mercury Security, a provider in access control hardware and open platform solutions, has published its Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of over 450 security professionals across North America and Europe. The findings highlight the controller’s vital role in a physical access control system (PACS), where the device not only enforces access policies but also connects with readers to verify user credentials—ranging from ID badges to biometrics and mobile identities. With 72% of respondents identifying the controller as a critical or important factor in PACS design, the report underscores how the choice of controller platform has become a strategic decision for today’s security leaders. Read Now

  • Overwhelming Majority of CISOs Anticipate Surge in Cyber Attacks Over the Next Three Years

    An overwhelming 98% of chief information security officers (CISOs) expect a surge in cyber attacks over the next three years as organizations face an increasingly complex and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital threat landscape. This is according to new research conducted among 300 CISOs, chief information officers (CIOs), and senior IT professionals by CSC1, the leading provider of enterprise-class domain and domain name system (DNS) security. Read Now

  • ASIS International Introduces New ANSI-Approved Investigations Standard

    • Guard Services
  • Cloud Security Alliance Brings AI-Assisted Auditing to Cloud Computing

    The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment, today introduced an innovative addition to its suite of Security, Trust, Assurance and Risk (STAR) Registry assessments with the launch of Valid-AI-ted, an AI-powered, automated validation system. The new tool provides an automated quality check of assurance information of STAR Level 1 self-assessments using state-of-the-art LLM technology. Read Now

New Products

  • Camden CM-221 Series Switches

    Camden CM-221 Series Switches

    Camden Door Controls is pleased to announce that, in response to soaring customer demand, it has expanded its range of ValueWave™ no-touch switches to include a narrow (slimline) version with manual override. This override button is designed to provide additional assurance that the request to exit switch will open a door, even if the no-touch sensor fails to operate. This new slimline switch also features a heavy gauge stainless steel faceplate, a red/green illuminated light ring, and is IP65 rated, making it ideal for indoor or outdoor use as part of an automatic door or access control system. ValueWave™ no-touch switches are designed for easy installation and trouble-free service in high traffic applications. In addition to this narrow version, the CM-221 & CM-222 Series switches are available in a range of other models with single and double gang heavy-gauge stainless steel faceplates and include illuminated light rings.

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.