The Wire - October 2, 2025

//The Wire//2300Z October 2, 2025//
//ROUTINE//
//BLUF: TERROR ATTACK STRIKES MANCHESTER. FAKE ACTIVE SHOOTER CALLED IN AT NEW JERSEY MILITARY BASE. BOMB THREAT DISRUPTS SERVICES AT MIAMI CHURCH.//

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-International Events-

United Kingdom: This morning a complex terror attack was carried out in Manchester. One assailant began the initial phase of the attack by ramming his vehicle into the perimeter fence at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue. Once the vehicle came to a halt, the attacker exited the vehicle and attempted to gain entry to the facility. Police were immediately on scene, and as the crowd scattered, police were able to corner the assailant. The attacker attempted to detonate a suicide belt that he was wearing, but the S-Belt did not explode (the belt was determined later to be either fake or not a viable explosive). A few moments later, the suspect was shot by armed police, ending the attack. Concerning casualties, 2x people were killed and 3x others wounded during the attack.

Analyst Comment: The attacker (who has not yet been identified) was probably targeting Yom Kippur events (which is today). Some time after the incident, two other individuals were reportedly arrested in conjunction with this incident a short distance from the initial attack site. However the status of these individuals is unknown, along with how these arrests are related to the initial attack.

-HomeFront-

New Jersey: Yesterday afternoon a fake active shooter incident was called in at JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. Local authorities arrested Malika Brittingham (a civilian employee working for the US Navy) for calling in the fake active shooting, which resulted in the base locking down and local schools enacting active shooter protocols. Authorities state that Brittingham called in the active shooter because she was feeling ostracized by her coworkers, and that faking the active shooting would allow her to "trauma bond" with her fellow employees.

Washington D.C. - Politics continues as the government remains shut down. This morning, several media outlets claimed to have access to a leaked letter that was sent from the White House to Congress. The letter allegedly contains a notice to Congress that the United States is now involved in a "noninternational armed conflict" regarding central/south American drug cartels.

Analyst Comment: If this letter is being accurately described by journalists (which is a big "if"), this is quite the eyebrow-raising declaration. Since the letter itself is being withheld by media groups, there's no way to independently verify the information or if the context is being described accurately. Either way, the phrase "noninternational armed conflict" is an interesting choice of words as it sounds a lot like a war declaration without a war declaration.

Until some level of clarification is obtained, it's all conjecture. However, the absolute lowest-hanging fruit of an assessment is that the conflict down south will not be ending or de-escalating anytime soon.

Florida: Monday afternoon a man was arrested after making a bomb threat during the Liturgy at St. Andrew Greek Orthodox Church in Miami. This incident occurred on Sunday, however it's just now gaining wider attention due to the details of the case. Local authorities state that a man was clutching a backpack and was acting suspiciously during services on Sunday, which prompted a Deacon to approach the man. Upon making contact, the man handed the backpack to the Deacon, and stated that it was a bomb. The Deacon took the backpack, which was making a ticking noise, and placed off to the side of the nave.

The church was not evacuated, and services continued as before. After a few minutes, a loud, piercing alarm was emitted from the suspect (which later was revealed to be the suspect's phone), along with an audible countdown to detonation. After a few more minutes, the man who brought the bomb suddenly ran to where the backpack was being stored, and placed his phone inside the bag.

Services were allowed to finish, and at the end the would-be bomber (who remained unsubdued inside the church throughout the incident), stood up and shouted Allahu Akbar before departing. The man was arrested the following day, and was subsequently identified as Isaac Lopez, a Cuban national. After some time the bomb squad cleared the device as being fake, and the suspect was booked only on misdemeanor charges, and held under a $7,650 bond. No word yet on if any federal terrorism charges will be filed.

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Analyst Comments: If this incident had been real, this would have been a mass casualty event and MANY lives would likely have been lost. While hindsight is 20/20, theses types of incidents have already become far too common for anyone to take these threats lightly. As a reminder, a very similar situation occurred at St. Michael's Abbey in California less than a month ago, in which a mentally ill man with a vehicle full of weapons entered the Church and told the Priest that he was there to conduct a mass shooting.

In the interest of time, we cannot wait months to examine every minute detail of this case; this is not to judge or nitpick the actions of the day callously, but to rapidly understand this event so that lives could be saved, if next time the bomb is real. Speculating a bit regarding this specific case, it is possible that Church leadership thought they were dealing with a potential mental illness situation, and that making a fuss would make the situation worse. This is becoming very common during church services all around the US, so this is understandable. However, all bets are off when someone says "I have a bomb", and their backpack is ticking. At that point we transition into the realm of counterterrorism, which many Church staff members are simply not experienced in managing (understandably so).

In that respect, a basic understanding of what to do during a bomb threat is crucial. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Administration has produced both a Bomb Threat Guide and a Bomb Threat Checklist for those to use who do not have a counterterrorism background. These guides may be of use for Churches who do not have experience with such threats, and are linked below.

But again, in the interest of time a quick and dirty explanation of what to do is as follows:

1. If a bomb is discovered DO NOT touch or move it.
2. Calmly but immediately vacate the premises.
3. Isolate the suspected explosive device (i.e. prevent others from going near it).
4. If the terrorist is on site and is an active and unchallenged threat, those who are so able must do what is necessary to save life and limb.
5. Once clear of the structure, call 911 as soon as possible to report the incident.

Regarding the potential attacker, whatever means necessary should be undertaken to prevent the terrorist from re-gaining access to the bomb; allowing a terrorist to tinker with a potential explosive device in a packed Church is the least desirable possibility, and should be avoided at all costs.

Considering that rapid, unplanned evacuations are not something that Churches may be familiar with, it will be up to the Deacons or the Priest to organize an efficient and calm evacuation outside. A good rule of thumb is that the blast zone for an IED is always bigger than you think it will be, and flying debris will be a threat for a considerable distance. As such, do not simply mill about immediately outside the front doors, but transition to a safe zone some distance away from the structure if able.

If a scenario arises where a Church official is handed a potential explosive device, place the device on the ground as gently as possible and rapidly vacate the area. Homemade explosives are usually unstable and likely to go off with the slightest provocation, so moving the device at all is ill advised while the Church is being evacuated. Parishioners should refrain from using their cell phones until clear of the blast zone, as if the bomb has a radio-based trigger the use of cell phones might prematurely detonate the device. For any churches that have on-site security that use radios, the use of radio comms is also not recommended for the same reasons.

Specifically with regards to the special considerations presented to religious institutions, and also understanding that services are a Holy time for worship, if there ever were a more pressing moment to interrupt a Priest during services, it would be when there is a clear and present bomb threat actively unfolding inside the Church. This would warrant the Priest delicately but firmly being made aware of the situation so that the facility can be evacuated promptly.

Analyst: S2A1
Research: https://publish.obsidian.md/s2underground
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