Deamasau church shootings
| Deamasau church shootings | |
|---|---|
 Chancellor Sadie Melhaven laying flowers at the Deamasau Botanic Gardens on 14 April 2018 | |
| Location | Deamasau, Albarine |
| Date | April 12, 2018 |
| Target | 3 Verdusan Catholic churches |
Attack type | Shootings |
| Deaths | 38 |
Non-fatal injuries | 78 |
| Perpetrator | Al-Fijar |
The Deamasau church shootings were three consecutive mass shootings which occurred at churches in a terrorist attack in Deamasau, Albarine, on 12 April 2018. The attack, carried out by a single gunman affiliated with the terror group Al-Fijar who entered all three churches, began at the New Day Church in the suburb of Belmas at 1:21 pm and continued at Felson Park Church at 1:43 pm and concluded at Gresson Heights Christian Centre at 1:59 pm. 38 people were killed and 78 people were injured, many severely.
Kareem Jasuyaani, a 28-year-old refugee from Saudi Jiddiya, was arrested shortly afterward. After police investigation, he was charged with 38 murders, 300 attempted murders, and engaging in a terrorist act. He initially pleaded not guilty to all charges, with the trial expected to start on 2 February 2019. On 4 December 2018, he changed his plea to guilty on all charges. He was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole on 3 March 2019. It was the first time a life imprisonment without parole sentence was handed down in Albarine.
Politicians and world leaders condemned the attack and Chancellor Sadie Melhaven described it as "one of Albarine's darkest days". The government established a commission of inquiry into its security agencies in the wake of the shootings, which were the deadliest in modern Albarine history.