The massive impact crimes in this chapter are especially frightening because they are so difficult to predict and prevent. One of the goals of mass murder and terrorism is to make everyday citizens live in fear. They want to disrupt our lives to such a degree that we can no longer be happy unless we give into their demands or adopt their political beliefs. The frequent message regarding living in fear is that if we do that, the terrorists and mass murderers win. Instead, we need to keep living our lives, demonstrating our own values, loving our families and friends, and working to make the world a better place for everyone.

10.6.4 Summary

A mass murder is defined by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) as an event in which three or more people are killed (not including the killer). The types of mass murders vary by the weapon used (such as a firearms, knives, explosives, vehicles, or even airplanes), by the perpetrator (such as a lone wolf, members of a cult, or religious extremists), by the amount of time between killings (meaning all in one event or with a “cooling-off period” between each murder), and also by the motive (such as hate/bigotry, mental illness, religious extremism, or politics). Serial is defined as it relates to a criminal element as “repeatedly committing the same offense and typically following a characteristic, predictable behavior pattern.” Serial murder is killing three or more people, but with an emotional cooling-off period between each of the murders. The cooling-off period between killings could be anywhere from weeks to even years. Spree murder is, again, killing three or more people, but in this case the time frame can be up to 30 days allowing for some time between some of the killings, and the murders typically occur during the committing of an additional felony. Many contemporary mass murder single events are also termed mass shootings because of the use of firearms to kill or injure the greatest number of people in the shortest amount of time. These killings all happening in the same location and at the same time is what distinguishes mass murder from serial killing or serial murder and also from spree murder. These include shootings at schools, workplaces, or public locations or events.

Terrorist groups or individuals carry out violent acts against innocent victims to send a specific message. Terrorism can be international or domestic, and within domestic terrorism it can be right-wing or left-wing. Both right-wing and left-wing extremists want to bring down the government, but for different reasons. The Right-Wing terrorist’s goal is to fight change from what they consider to be traditional American values. In 2019, Congress passed the “Domestic Terrorism Act” in which they stated, “White supremacists and other far-right-wing extremists are the most significant domestic terrorism threat facing the United States.” The focus of many of these groups is the concept of “white genocide,” which is the belief that Whites in the United States are being systematically replaced and destroyed because of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and immigration policy. Left Wing Extremists in the United States are associated with the goal of overthrowing the government to replace the capitalist system with communist or socialist societies. The left-wing terrorist claims they are fighting for equality, human rights, animal rights, and environmentalism by creating significant change in society, albeit through violent means. Left-wing extremism has also been called anarchist terrorism for their uprising against the ruling class and claims to offer hope to those who are marginalized by the wealthy and powerful.

The attacks on September 11, 2001 were the largest incidents of international terrorism in the history of the United States. On October 8, 2001, President George W. Bush issued an executive order establishing the Office of Homeland Security and the Homeland Security Council. Their task is to prevent and disrupt future terrorist attacks, protect Americans, key resources and the infrastructure, and continue to strengthen the foundation to ensure long-term success. Also, with the passage of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act in November 2001, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was established. After the September 11th attacks, Congress quickly responded by passing the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act (USA PATRIOT Act) on October 26, 2001. Under this Act, national security agencies were given nearly unchecked freedom to monitor phone calls, text messages, emails, and any other communications of anyone they suspected of criminal behavior for any reason at all. On June 1st, 2015, the USA PATRIOT Act expired. The next day, the USA Freedom Act was enacted, restoring several provisions of the original USA PATRIOT Act. The FBI is one of the agencies tasked with combating terrorism in the United States. This includes all types of mass murders, domestic terrorism, and international terrorism. Specifically, they point to “lone offenders” and the internet and social media as the biggest cause for concern today. As terrorism (domestic and international) continues to evolve, so must the efforts to stop these horrific acts.

10.6.5 Resources

• The FBI’s Terrorism Most Wanted list is available at https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/terrorism/most-wanted
• The FBI provides guidance for How Citizens Can Protect Themselves and Report Suspicious Activity at https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/terrorism
• Read more about efforts to counter terrorism by the U.S. Department of State at https://www.state.gov/policy-issues/countering-terrorism/