As Church Shootings Persist, Congregations Grapple With How to Handle Security

HAYMARKET, Va.—The man, dressed in all black and wearing dark glasses, caught Rusty Spearman’s attention as soon as he walked through the doors of Park Valley Church in Haymarket, Virginia.
The day was overcast, making the tinted glasses a questionable choice. The man didn’t acknowledge Spearman’s greeting and seemed to barely notice the other people. He didn’t do anything overtly threatening, but something didn’t seem right.
“Bob, we need to keep an eye on this guy,” Spearman told a team leader over a radio earpiece. Spearman and his teammates had no idea they would make news that day—not for what happened, but for what didn’t happen….