Joel Shrum, a 29-year-old native of Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, was shot to death on March 18 in Yemen for allegedly attempting to spread Christianity in the Muslim-dominated nation.
Shrum, who had been a teacher at the International Training and Development Center in the central city of Taiz, had been living in Yemen with his wife and two sons since 2010. He was gunned down while driving to work, reportedly by two men dressed in military uniforms that approached his car on motorcycle before opening fire.
Al-Qaida’s Yemen branch has claimed responsibility for the murder, according to a statement posted on the terrorist organization’s website which cited that “It was God’s gift for the mujahedeen to kill the American Joel Shrum who was actively proselytizing under the cover of teaching in Taiz.”
But while Shrum was undeniably a Christian, he had never proselytized to anyone, focusing instead on teaching English, cooking, sewing, and computer skills to those he taught at the training center, says his students as well as his parents.
Al-Qaida and other similar militant groups have developed a more active presence in Yemen since the country’s former leader, Ali Abdullah Saleh, was recently ousted from power after more than three decades of authoritarian rule.
Shrum’s family will hold a public memorial service once his body is returned to the United States. Please remember to pray for them during this difficult time.