The United States Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center recently released a report detailing mass attacks in public spaces during 2019. Their report analyzed 34 targeted attacks that took place in public or semi-public spaces and harmed three or more individuals.
This report’s findings mimic findings from our updated and expanded database almost exactly.
A few of the similar findings, quoted from the Secret Service’s report, include:
- Many attackers had experienced negative home life factors, unemployment, substance use, mental health symptoms, or recent stressful events.
- Attackers often had a history of prior criminal charges or arrests and domestic violence.
- Most of the attackers had exhibited behavior that elicited concern in family members, friends, neighbors, classmates, co-workers, and others, and in many cases, those individuals feared for the safety of themselves or others.
The Secret Service also recommends better enforcement of firearms laws, crisis intervention training, mental health treatment, and reporting of concerning behavior as #prevention strategies.
Read more about the new report from CBS 19 News here.
Sources: CBS 19 News; US Secret Service