DHS Warns of Heightened Terrorism Risk over the Summer
The Department of Homeland Security issued a bulletin notice on Tuesday stating that America faces a “heightened threat” of terrorism and mass-violence over the summer.
Published by the National Terrorism Advisory System, the notice states that potential targets include “public gatherings, faith-based institutions, schools, racial and religious minorities, government facilities and personnel, U.S. critical infrastructure, the media, and perceived ideological opponents.” The primary source of the threat, it added, was “lone offenders and small groups motivated by a range of ideological beliefs and/or personal grievances,” which could include foreign terrorists and domestic anti-government groups.
The bulletin stated that recent violent events may encourage these actors to conduct “copycat” attacks across the country. Specifically, it cited the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas – which killed 19 children and two teachers – as the subject of potential copycat attempts. DHS noted that online conspiracists have suggested that the shooting was a “government-staged event meant to advance gun control measures.”
It also referred to the racially motivated shooting at Tops Friendly Market in Buffalo in May, which killed ten African Americans; the shooting of Taiwanese parishioners in Laguna Woods, Calif., that killed one; and the attack on the New York City subway in April as being “celebrated” by significant numbers of online users, who they may attempt to replicate the attacks.
The bulletin did not specify the probability of such an event occurring in any given part of the country. In 2018, the probability of death in a terrorist attack on the contiguous United States was 1 in 30.1 million. In 2019, the rate of mass shootings in the U.S. was 1 per 50 million people.
The bulletin comes as officials have warned that political violence across America is set to increase, owing to high profile controversies.
On May 13, a DHS intelligence briefing obtained by Axios revealed that threats to federal officials – especially, Supreme Court justices and Catholic Churches – is set to increase following the issuance of a decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health. Leaked last month by Politico, the Court’s draft opinion would overturn its precedent in Roe v. Wade, which has legalized abortion nationwide since 1973. This threat was re-iterated in Tuesday’s bulletin, which also suggested that “minorities and law enforcement officials” may be the targets of violence along the U.S.-Mexico border by actors frustrated over the influx of illegal immigrants into the country.
In assessing the risk of foreign terrorism, the bulletin stated that al Qaeda and the Islamic State had called on supporters to engage in lone wolf attacks across the country. Specifically, it cited the Wolves of Manhattan magazine – published online by a pro-al Qaeda cyberwarfare group, the Malahem Cyber Army, which encouraged supporters to “travel to Ukraine to acquire training and weapons to use in attacks against the West.” It is estimated that fewer than one thousand Americans have traveled to Ukraine to fight for its Territorial Legion and various militia groups against Russian forces, though their allegiances are unknown.
