the men who subdued the gunman had a law enforcement background . `` Those parishioners were just real-life heroes , '' Pastor Lawson said . See how gunman killed Illinois pastor '' Schardam said the suspect in Sunday 's shooting , 27-year-old Terry J. Sedlacek , had no known relationship to the church or Winters , and random attacks are impossible to anticipate . Hawkins called the Illinois killing `` tragic , '' but he said in the year or so since the Christian Security Network has been actively training churches , numerous other tragedies have been averted . `` These incidents are n't going to make the news , '' said Hawkins . `` But they are happening everywhere , big city or small town . '' Hundreds of church leaders have told him about all kinds of attacks they have recently faced , from arsons and burglaries to assaults on members and church leaders . In the first two months of 2009 , churches have described more than 140 acts of violence to the Network , he said . In one incident , congregants noticed a person dressed inappropriately for the weather and acting odd . The man
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Churches can stop a shooter or anyone else intent on harming church members with the proper security measures in place , an expert on protecting places of worship said Monday . Police say the attacker walked into First Baptist Church of Maryville , Illinois , on Sunday and began firing . `` A church is not helpless when they have a plan , and properly trained security , '' said Jeff Hawkins , the executive director of the Christian Security Network . First Baptist Church in Maryville , Illinois , had a security plan in place when a gunman walked into services Sunday morning and killed Pastor Fred Winters , said Tim Lawson , another pastor at the church . Lawson told CNN he was not prepared to disclose details of his church 's security plan on Monday . But Maryville police Chief Rich Schardam said Winters was keenly aware of the security issues , had sought out police advice and had identified police and medical personnel in the congregation who could help in an emergency . `` They did have plans on what to do , '' Schardam said Monday . Schardam said neither of