You could meet a lone wolf in front of you at the grocery checkout line or next to you in your doctor’s waiting room or behind you on the bus. Why? Because like the rest of us, they have daily lives and circulate around us.
Lone wolves are largely invisible, because we aren’t looking for them. No we don’t want to look under the bed and behind the door. They aren’t boogey-men. But they are living amidst us.
The Department Of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Jeb Johnson told CNN’s Barbara Starr at the Reagan National Defense Forum Sunday,
“We have to be vigilant against an independent actor here in the homeland who might choose to strike at any moment.?
Johnson says,
?We need public participation.”
More people have been killed in America by non-Islamic domestic terrorists than jihadists according to the DHS secretary. And the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) believes that?government focuses too much on foreign Muslims.
Eric Holder, U.S. Attorney General, says,
?It’s something that frankly keeps me up at night, worrying about the lone wolf or a group of people, a very small group of people, who decide to get arms.?
There is one violent attack every 34 days from home-grown terrorists. And?three-quarters of those are caused by lone wolves or small cells of one or two individuals.
And groups, such as ISIS, are becoming more and more sophisticated in their public relations campaign to ensnare our children as potential terrorists. They use social media and propaganda to recruit them right out of their bedrooms.
Joe Navarro is a former FBI agent and one of the founders of the agency’s elite Behavioral Analysis Program. He authored “Hunting Terrorists: A Look at the Psychology of Terror and Interviewing Terrorists: The Definitive How-to Guide From an Ex-FBI Special Agent” among others.
Navarro is a criminal mind expert, and he says that all lone wolves are alike in these ways,
1. Lone Wolves Are Male
The far greater majority are men. Surprisingly only?one-third are under age 29, and the majority are 30-49 years old. Even so, many are older. That means a very long percolation time before the attack.
2. Lone Wolves Look For Wrongs
He?nurtures perceived wounds to him or others and looks for things ?that have gone wrong ? like the Crusades.? And he believes the ?solution for them is violence.?
3. Lone Wolves Are Seduced By Ideas
The lone wolf experienced something, saw it happen, someone encouraged him, or he has been seduced by an idea. That something could be the election of President Obama or even a fear of technology.
4. Lone Wolves Fixate
He fixates upon his hatred, passion, or cause and talks about it to those around him. He may talk about joining a militia group. This is a key point. People tend to block him out or assume he was just talking.
5. Lone Wolves Represent The Whole
The critical observation is that lone wolf is convinced that he is?acting on behalf of like-minded believers who are simply too scared to act themselves.
6. Lone Wolves Isolate
The next step is mental and physical isolation. It is a dangerous time, because there is no one to balance out his fixation. When he is isolated, the FBI may monitor his computer social links and movement.
7. Lone Wolves Are Violent
No harm no foul. But the lone wolf has a trigger that sets off violent action. As a result he adds more online posts. His talk is more vicious. He may operate on a cash-only basis and have a cash stash. Has he purchased guns or explosive materials? Does he seem anxious, paranoid, or simply certain that violence is the only solution?
If you think you may have recognized a potential lone wolf, DHL Secretary Johnson says,
?If You See Something, Say Something…retail businesses (can have) a long list of materials that could be used as explosive(s) and the types of suspicious behavior that a retailer should look for from someone who buys a lot of these materials.?
It may be difficult, but it is important for all of us to speak our piece to ensure peace.
