The recent vehicle ramming at the Multnomah Athletic Club (MAC) was a reminder to me about the increasing commonality of this type of violence. Thankfully, in this case, no one was in the building, and perhaps the timing was carefully chosen to avoid injuring others. I’m not here to contemplate the whys or motivations, but simply the fact that they are occurring more frequently. I’ll also take time to note that vehicle ramming, like any active threat, is extremely rare, an important point I try to reinforce in all my trainings and community discussions.

I touched on the topic of ramming in December 2024 when I wrote about bollards, which we see in front of many organizations in our community, and will continue to see more of. They’ve been in the news a lot recently, particularly following the March 2026 attack on Michigan’s largest synagogue, Temple Israel. In this case, the attacker drove around the bollards, repositioned the vehicle to be pointed into the building, and drove 200 feet down a central hallway before getting wedged. Armed, trained, and coordinated security officers created a situation the attacker knew he could not get out of, and he took his own life, the only casualty of the incident.

There’s no end to the creativity of humans, and in this case, the attacker found a vulnerability that perhaps hadn’t yet been identified. Organizations can do everything logical, practical, and fundable and still leave exploitable vulnerabilities. And it’s not only Jewish organizations. Besides the January 2026 vehicle ramming of the Chabad-Lubavitch Headquarters in Brooklyn, NY (allegedly by someone who had been refused conversion, no one was injured), the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, was another significant ramming in which four church members were killed, and eight were injured. 

It’s been reported that these types of attacks appear to happen in clusters. One event gives an idea to someone else with a grievance. When events happen against religious spaces in the US, we’re always aware that it could trigger a copycat event elsewhere. And while vehicle ramming isn’t the most lethal tactic, it can be an easy method for people who can’t get guns or bombs, so cars become a weapon of opportunity in that they are readily available.

Mineta Transportation Institute, associated with San Jose State University’s Lucas Graduate School of Business, recently updated its research on vehicular attacks in September 2025. Since 2012, the U.S. has recorded the highest number of vehicle rammings of any country — 85 total — followed by Israel/Palestinian Territories, China, the U.K., and France. The volume of vehicle ramming attacks is gradually increasing over time in the U.S., and the number of fatalities is also rising. The seven-month period from November 2024 to May 2025 saw a surge of 27 attacks worldwide, including four in the United States, and although we lead in incidents, the U.S. ranks third in fatalities behind China and France.

Both intentional and unintentional vehicular attacks remain on the minds of our community leaders. They work hard to balance the safety of the community with costs, aesthetics, and community tolerance or wishes for additional observable safety measures.

Organizations also rely on community members to speak up if they see an issue, a vulnerability, or a gap that leadership may not be aware of. If you see something, don’t assume leadership already knows about it. Say something! We’re all in this together. 

Jessica Anderson is the Portland-area Director of Community Security. She was previously an FBI agent for 24 years. This position is funded by SCN (the official safety and security organization of the Jewish community in North America) and a local three-way partnership of the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, Oregon Jewish Community Foundation Endowment Fund and multiple Jewish organizations in the region.