Gunmen Kill Nine at Orthodox Church in Jordan's Karak Governorate

Bearing Arms writer Tom Knighton reports on an attack in which gunmen killed nine people and injured 34 at a church in Jordan, citing ABC News. He uses the case to argue against the claim that mass shootings happen only in the United States.

Key points

• Location: The shooting took place on a Friday at St. George Greek Orthodox Church in the village of Hammoud, in Jordan's Karak governorate.
• Attackers: ABC News verified security video in which at least three gunmen drive up to the church entrance. Officials said eyewitnesses also described a fourth person who acted as the driver.
• Timing: An eyewitness said a funeral had not yet ended and mourners were gathered in the courtyard when the gunfire began.
• Aftermath: Health Minister Ibrahim Bdour said 22 people remained hospitalized in stable condition on Saturday. Security agencies said the search for the attackers was continuing.
• Official response: Prime Minister Jafar Hassan blamed the attack on "blind extremism."

Quick take

Knighton calls the attack terrorism. He notes that Jordan requires a license to keep a gun even at home and writes that ordinary citizens rarely qualify to carry one. In his view, those rules left the people at the church with almost no chance that anyone could intervene, and he argues that Americans who favor similar laws should note that they did not prevent this attack.

Read the full story at Bearing Arms.