In the wake of Sunday’s mass shooting at a church in Texas, local religious leaders are thinking about their own security. San Francisco’s 3rd Baptist Church did not beef up security, but over time, the church has made changes to keep people safe.
Rev. Amos Brown said says he's seen an increase in violence in general in the United States, blaming a government that fails to care for the mentally ill and one that he said puts power above compassion. The country is changing for the worse, he said.
"It's what happens to a society and a culture when it loses its moral compass," Brown said. "We have become a violent nation in our priorities."
Brown has overseen the installation of security gates and surveillance cameras and has had to hire guards since he became the church's leader 41 years ago. The church is located in the inner city unlike the church targeted in Sunday’s shooting.
"What this gentleman did at church this morning he was encouraged to do it because he thought he had a right to take his pistol, whatever weapon he used, and go to church," Brown said.
The reverend said society helps shape more people like suspected killer Devin Patrick Kelley by becoming complacent about violence and accepting the volatile tempermant of some our leaders.
"It has created a climate of instability and violence, and people tend to mirror and reflect their environment," Brown said.
