Lone Wolfs/Extremists/Hate Groups

Lone Wolfs/Extremists/Hate Groups

After continuing discussion in the media about the recent "lone wolf" attacks I wanted to put some additional comments on paper. It is important to remember that crisis situations such as terrorist threats, criminal attacks and other critical situations appear to be occurring with alarming frequency. No two mass violence incidents are the same. It appears that the “bad guys” (criminal elements and terrorists) are more determined, violent and heavily armed than ever before. First response agencies may also find themselves increasingly being exposed to these types of situations.

It must also be recognized that there are serious domestic and international threat groups; criminal elements, cells and single “Lone Wolf” individuals that are willing and able use mass violence against the public and first responders. One important note to remember is that there are active hate groups and extremist groups located in all 50 states. These types of hate and extremist groups can provide a magnet to individuals planning some type of mass violence attack or a foundation for their extremist ideology whether that is personal, religious or political. In most cases the “bad guys” (terrorist and criminals) will select a target or targets that will offer minimal risk of capture or disruption (meaning the security measures can be easily overcome).

These mass violence incidents can be quite sophisticated in the degree of planning and execution that goes into them. Many of these mass violence suspects have trained, prepared, armed themselves and have a detailed plan in place. However, generally speaking, they can be carried out by an individual or individuals with minimal planning, few resources and limited training. They will most often utilize readily-available weapons such as pistols, shotguns, rifles, knives or homemade explosives (HME).

The attackers in mass violence incidents may act out of a sense of anger or revenge because of some perceived persecutions or slights, or they may have some other individualized motivation such as a desire for notoriety, political belief system or religious based concepts. Unfortunately, the likelihood that emergency responders will someday again be called upon to respond to a mass violence criminal or terrorist incident is higher than ever before.