Threat of Copycat Attacks after ISIS-Inspired Vehicle Attack in New Orleans
Summary
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are issuing this Public
Service Announcement to highlight a potential public safety threat from violent
extremists in response to the New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans, Louisiana.
As with any potential threats to the United States, we will coordinate with our
state and local law enforcement partners to ensure they have the resources and
information necessary to keep our communities safe.
Threat
The FBI and DHS are concerned about possible
copycat or retaliatory attacks due to the persistent appeal of vehicle ramming
as a tactic for aspiring violent extremist attackers. Previous attackers
inspired by foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) who have
conducted vehicle attacks in the United States and abroad have used rented,
stolen, and personally owned vehicles, which are easy to acquire. Some have
used additional weapons, such as firearms and knives, to attack individuals
after the vehicle has stopped. Additionally, attackers may attempt to conceal
and pre-position improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to supplement
a vehicle attack. Targets have included pedestrians, law enforcement or
military members, and crowded public venues, including festivals and commercial
centers, which generally are accessible from roadways. We ask that the public
remain vigilant regarding possible copycat or retaliatory attacks and report
any suspicious activity to law enforcement.
Resources
- The
FBI and DHS encourage the public to promptly report information concerning
suspicious activity to tips.fbi.gov or contact their local FBI field
office (www.fbi.gov /contact-us/field-offices). Call 911 to
report emergencies, including imminent threats to life.
- For concerns involving US citizens abroad, to
include reporting missing persons or individuals taken as hostages, please
call the Department of State's Overseas Citizens Services (OCS)
toll-free hotline at (888) 407-4747 or
complete Crisis Intake Form at https://cacms.state.gov/s/crisis-intake.
- To help mitigate potential risks from a variety
of threat actors, DHS, the FBI, and the National Counterterrorism Center
have compiled resources for
law enforcement officers, other first responders, faith leaders, and communities, including a list of funding opportunities, resources for
technical assistance, and educational materials.
·
- Due to the highly personal nature of
radicalization to violence and mobilization to violence, it can be
difficult to assess specific characteristics indicating the intent of
US-based violent extremists to conduct violence. The FBI and DHS urge
bystanders to promptly report suspicious activities potentially related
to violent extremist activity, including indications of possible online
radicalization to violence and mobilization for attacks.
- DHS, the FBI, and NCTC direct public safety
partners to the unclassified booklet "US Violent Extremist Mobilization Indicators 2021 Edition,"
which includes possible indicators of mobilization to violence. These
indicators apply to all ideologically motivated, US-based violent
extremists. DHS also has developed several unclassified resources for
communities to help promote bystander awareness of potentially threatening or concerning behaviors that
are observable to others and enhance the capacity to identify and
mitigate threats through behavioral threat assessment and management,
including publicly available training and prevention guides.
No comments:
Post a Comment