5 Probable Types of Domestic Terrorist Attacks
- Mass Shootings
- Bombings
- Vehicular Attacks
- Knife Attacks
- Biological Warfare
5 Common Types of Domestic Terror Attacks
Domestic terrorism is when a citizen of a country commits acts of violence, or terror, against their fellow citizens. In the United States and other countries, there have been many domestic terrorist attacks targeting minority groups and others by fellow citizens. From mass shootings to biological and biochemical warfare, domestic terrorists use a wide variety of tactics to terrorize their fellow man. Read on to learn about 5 common methods domestic terrorists have used to commit their heinous atrocities.
1. Mass Shootings
Mass shootings are one of the most common methods of spree violence or violence without a break or cool-off period between the murders. According to the FBI, the term “mass shooting” refers to mass murder with four or more people being killed with a firearm. The United States has seen a surge of mass shootings in recent years, from the El Paso Walmart shooting in 2019 to the Sandy Hook Elementary School attack in 2012 with many more, and countless more worldwide. Domestic terrorism via mass shooting has become an epidemic of crisis proportions around the globe. There have been over 21 mass shootings from January through October 2019 in the US alone, according to ABC News.
2. Bombings
Two of the most memorable domestic terrorist attacks in the United States in the last 50 years were perpetrated by bombing. One was the Oklahoma City Bombing in 1995, leaving 168 dead; and the other was the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing where three were killed and hundreds were wounded. Domestic terrorist bombings are nothing new. In 1963, Klansmembers set of various explosive devices at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama killing four young girls.
3. Vehicular Attacks
Less common but equally terrifying are vehicular attacks, such as the Charlottesville Car Attack of 2017. During the Charlottesville riots/Unite the Right rally in August of 2017, VA member James Alex Fields drove his vehicle into a crowd of counter-protesters who were demonstrating against the alt-right, KKK, and neo-nazi groups. One person was killed and 28 others were injured. Another notable vehicle attack occurred in October 2017 when a driver in a rented pick-up truck plowed through a busy bicycle path in New York City near the World Trade Center.
4. Fires
Throughout American history, white-supremacists have burned down churches as acts of domestic terrorism, but recently with a higher presence of Muslims in the country, more extremist groups are targeting mosques in hateful acts of terror. One notable attack is the March 2019 burning of a mosque in Escondido, California. Fortunately, no one was killed in this attack. After the Charleston church mass shooting in 2015, there were many documented cases of church arson.
5. Biological Warfare
The use of poison and dangerous chemicals such as anthrax and ricin have often been used by fringe extremists to attack politicians and others through the mail and other means. In 2001, one week after the September 11th terror attack, 5 people were killed and many others sickened when anthrax tainted letters were mailed to Washington officials. With the evolution of chemicals and the increased ability for domestic terrorists to access them via the dark web and other avenues, the Centers for Disease Control has been investigating whether biological and chemical domestic terror attacks will become more common.