LAX Shooter’s Views Similar to Those in Far-Right Patriot Movement, Researcher Says
Researcher studies behavior of ‘lone-wolf’ terrorists
Follow University of Arkansas research on Twitter @UArkResearch
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – While details of last Friday’s deadly shooting at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) are still emerging, a terrorism research expert says the incident may be the latest lone-wolf attack by a far-right terrorist.
Jeff Gruenewald, assistant professor and member of the Terrorism Research Center at the University of Arkansas, has studied violence committed by far-right terrorists in the United States for the past several years.
On Nov. 1, Paul Anthony Ciancia, 23, shot and killed a Transportation and Security Agency (TSA) officer, wounded two other TSA officers, and seriously injured another civilian at an LAX airport terminal, according to police. Ciancia was shot by a law enforcement officer and remains unresponsive in a local hospital. He has been charged with the capital murder of a federal officer and committing violence at an airport.
Initial reports suggest Ciancia holds views similar to those of the far-right Patriot Movement, Gruenewald said.
“It seems that there is a hesitation by some to refer to this incident as domestic terrorism, despite the written anti-government and conspiracy-laden communication Ciancia left behind,” Gruenewald said. “While we know little about the suspect’s personal agenda, media reports indicate that this act may have been shaped by Ciancia’s broader extremist views. We will have to wait and see if the shooting meets the FBI’s definition of terrorism.”
The Patriot Movement has been growing for the last few years. Its members maintain strong anti-government sentiments and adhere to conspiracy theories that suggest corrupt government leaders and international forces are collaborating to infringe on the rights of citizens to create a “New World Order.”
There is no indication that Ciancia planned or executed the attack with others, Gruenewald said. In a study to be published later this month in Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, Gruenewald and co-authors Steven Chermak at Michigan State University and Joshua Freilich at the City University of New York suggested that there are at least three types of far-right, lone-actor terrorists. Far-right “lone wolves” and “wolf packs” are terrorists who may be affiliated with hate groups but execute their attacks alone or in small cells, respectively. Conversely, far-right “loner” terrorists are self-radicalized and do not associate with other extremists. Loner terrorists plan and execute their attacks on their own accord.
In another study published last month in Criminology & Public Policy, Gruenewald and co-authors suggested that loner terrorists tend to be more withdrawn and socially isolated. They rarely have serious criminal histories and tend to struggle with mental health issues.
Details about Ciancia align with the researcher’s findings about the nature of loner-type terrorists. Early reports indicate Ciancia to be a quiet, reserved individual who usually kept to himself. While it is too early to tell whether Ciancia was diagnosed with having a mental illness, there are indications that he struggled with severe depression. Indicative of far-right loner terrorists, Ciancia appears to have used a firearm to carry out his apparent suicide mission and targeted multiple victims.
However, Ciancia does not fit all aspects of the far-right loner profile, Gruenewald said. In particular, at 23, he is younger than average age of far-right loners who commit homicide.
Gruenewald received his doctorate in criminal justice from Michigan State University in 2009. Since 2009, he has served as an investigator for the Extremist Crime Database project co-led by Chermak and Freilich and funded by the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), a Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence.
At the University of Arkansas, he serves an investigator for the Terrorism Research Center, which is led by Brent Smith, Distinguished Professor of sociology and criminal justice. The Terrorism Research Center was recently awarded a grant from the National Institute of Justice to continue its research on precursor behaviors of lone-wolf and group-based domestic terrorists in the United States.
RSS