Racially motivated violent extremists on the rise says FBI, DHS
Between 2017 and 2019, out of the 57 domestic terrorism-related deaths in the country, 47 were racially motivated by white supremacists
A new government report on domestic violent extremism warns that “lone wolf” attackers with easy access to firearms prove to be the greatest terrorism threat in the country.
CNN reported that the number of people dying from racially motivated extremists has increased every year since 2017. In a joint report, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) found that 2019 was “the most lethal year” for domestic violent extremist attacks since 1995 ,with 32 people killed in five different attacks — 24 of them at the hands of white supremacists.
Both the FBI and DHS acknowledged that the current political climate that resulted in the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol “could result in an increase in the frequency of criminal activity or could inspire some [domestic violent extremists] to attempt to engage in lethal activity.”
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“Political disagreements within the United States could present opportunities for DVEs to engage in violence against individuals perceived to have opposing ideologies, prominent political or public figures, or members of the media covering these events,” the report said.
According to CNN, between 2017 and 2019, out of the 57 domestic terrorism-related deaths in the country, 47 were racially motivated by white supremacists.
On Friday, the DHS released a terrorism advisory bulletin update saying that “through 2020 and into 2021, government facilities and personnel have been common targets” and that “opportunistic violent criminals are likely to exploit Constitutionally-protected freedom of speech activity linked to racial justice grievances and police use of force concerns, potentially targeting protestors perceived to be ideological opponents.”
In the bulletin, the DHS said it’s responding to this new information by prioritizing the fight against these threats and encouraging the public to report suspicious activity.
The report also acknowledged that while there is an increase in racially motivated violence, the number of arrests have decreased. Nearly 850 domestic terrorists were arrested either by or in coordination with the FBI from 2015 through 2019. In 2016, 229 arrests were made compared to 107 in 2019.
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In a statement following the release of the report, House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) said the findings have “confirmed what has been clear for some time: The greatest terrorist threat we face comes from radicalized lone offenders with easy access to weapons.”
“They attack soft targets and have a variety of motivations, but a large majority of the most significant attacks have been carried out by white supremacist extremists,” Schiff said in the statement. “This problem will likely only continue to grow, and that makes it even more important for Congress to focus on it now and provide the resources needed to stay on top of this growing problem.”
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