Hagerstown woman arrested after threatening to blow up local churches

Hagerstown woman arrested after threatening to blow up local churches

HAGERSTOWN, MD — A Hagerstown woman was arrested following a joint investigation into multiple online threats made against local churches, officials announced Sunday.

Salamah Bassem Audi, 35, is accused of making threats directed at Gateway Experience Church in Williamsport, The City of God in Hagerstown, and their pastors. The threats were discovered last week in messages posted to an online blog, according to investigators.

Hagerstown woman arrested after threatening to blow up local churches
Photo: hagerstown woman arrested after threatening to blow up local churches

One of the posts threatened to blow up a pastor “into itty bitty pieces” while he was walking to his car. The Hagerstown Fire Marshal’s Office and the Office of the State Fire Marshal worked with the Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center (MCAC) to trace the blog to Audi.

Audi was arrested without incident on Saturday with the assistance of the Hagerstown Police Department. She has been charged with two counts of arson threat and one count of threat of mass violence.

Audi is being held without bond at the Washington County Detention Center following an initial court appearance.

Shore News Network

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.