Jordan Church Attack and Ecuador Priest's Death Draw Unverified Claims About 28 Mysterious Names

AMMAN, Jordan — October 24, 2026 — A deadly attack on a church in Jordan and the death of a Catholic priest during Mass in Ecuador have become the focus of claims about a mysterious list of 28 names. The incidents occurred six days apart, but no authenticated evidence establishes that police discovered such a list or that the two tragedies were connected.

The reported October 23 shooting in Jordan's Karak governorate left seven people dead and 40 wounded, according to accounts attributed to Jordanian authorities. Separately, the Archdiocese of Guayaquil confirmed that the Rev. Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari died after a large crucifix fell during an October 17 service in Ecuador.

The central qualification is that the reported tragedies do establish a shared investigation. The alleged 28-name document, its contents and any connection between the incidents remain unverified.

What Happened at the Jordan Church?

Reports of the attack described gunmen opening fire during a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak governorate, south of the Jordanian capital, Amman.

The reported casualty figures were seven dead and 40 wounded. Emergency personnel transported injured worshippers to medical facilities as security forces began investigating the shooting.

The attack raised immediate questions about the gunmen's identities, their motive and whether they acted independently or with support from an organization.

Those questions are separate from the circulating allegation about a list of names.

No authenticated investigative record available for this article establishes that police recovered a 28-person list at the church or connected such a document to another country.

Even if investigators recovered a list, its existence alone would not establish that the people named were suspects, intended victims or participants in a conspiracy.

The Priest's Death Six Days Earlier

On October 17, the Rev. Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari, 53, was celebrating a livestreamed Mass at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

A large crucifix mounted behind the altar suddenly tipped forward, striking him on the head. Congregants rushed to assist him, but the priest died from his injuries.

The Archdiocese of Guayaquil confirmed his death. NBC News reviewed video showing the crucifix falling while Sánchez Molinari faced the congregation, apparently unaware of the danger behind him.

The cause of the crucifix's failure has not been publicly established. Available reporting does not indicate that the priest was targeted or that his death was connected to an attack elsewhere.

What Does the List of 28 Names Reveal?

The allegation at the center of the circulating story is that Jordanian police discovered 28 names following the shooting and that one or more entries connect the attackers to the Ecuadorian priest.

No credible evidence reviewed establishes that this list exists.

Neither the Reuters nor Associated Press accounts of the Jordan attack mention a recovered 28-name document. Reports on the priest's death likewise contain no reference to Jordan, a suspect list or a cross-border investigation.

Without an authenticated document, investigators cannot establish whose names supposedly appear on it, why they were recorded or whether any individual had contact with Sánchez Molinari.

The number 28 also appeared in early casualty reports from Jordan, when authorities reported six deaths and 28 injuries before revising the figures. That does not establish the origin of the alleged list.

Could the Two Tragedies Be Connected?

The incidents involved different countries, religious communities and immediate circumstances.

The Jordan case concerns gunmen who attacked mourners at a Greek Orthodox funeral. The Ecuador case concerns a Catholic priest fatally struck by a falling church fixture.

To establish a connection, investigators would need evidence such as communications between suspects, financial transactions, travel records or independently authenticated documents.

None has been publicly established in the reporting reviewed.

Jordanian Interior Minister Mazin Al Farrayeh described the attackers as extremists but said it was too early to determine whether they had links to known organizations inside or outside Jordan.

That uncertainty does not support a connection to Ecuador.

What Happens Next?

Jordanian security authorities are investigating the shooting and pursuing those responsible. In Ecuador, the circumstances that caused the crucifix to fall remain unresolved.