FBI releases new report addressing lone offenders in terrorism

The FBI has recently published a new report addressing lone offenders in the world of terrorism.

FBI agents combed through data from 52 U.S. attacks from 1972-2015 to come up with their conclusions.

The roughly 80 page report confirms what the FBI has been saying all along. If you see something out of the ordinary, call them.

Yes, they know how to investigate an attack after it happened. But their goal with the report is to stop them before they happen.

“For a long time, they were called lone wolf attacks,” said the Chicago FBI’s Assistant Special Agent in Charge Chris Serdinak.
That’s a bit of a misnomer. These are long terrorist actors.”

Serdinak said criminals or would be criminals, subscribing to violent ideologies can be easily found online. But they may be plotting an attack from their own home.

“Because of the advent of the internet and social media, an individual can pick and choose portions of violent ideology and make their own version of an ideology,” Serdinak said.

The FBi said terrorists adopt violent tactics inspired by other terrorist organizations. In 2016, ISIS was pushing vehicular attacks.

Many vehicle attacks all over the world popped up in the following year.

“The world is much smaller, smaller than it’s ever been,” Serdinak said. “Communication is instantaneous around the world.”

The report states that 90 percent of bad actors were born in the U.S. More than half (54%) were neither working or attending school. 37% reportedly served in the military.

The report also suggests people close to the offender may be the best ones at stopping them. They are the only ones who may sense how the propaganda is feeding a future lone offender.

The report is supposed to help the bureau internally, but it’s meant to reach the public so bystanders are less afraid to speak up.

Source: WGN TV