Associated Press
- In a new joint report, the FBI and DHS said deaths from domestic terrorism are on the rise.
- The report said most deaths are committed by extremists advocating for white supremacy.
- From 2017 to 2019, 57 people died in domestic terrorist attacks, mostly motivated by white supremacy.
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A new report released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security found that deaths from domestic terrorism motivated by race are on the rise.
According to the joint report, 2019 was the most deadly year for domestic violent extremism since 1995, with five separate attacks leaving 32 people dead, 24 of whom were killed by extremists "advocating for the superiority of the white race."
The report is an assessment on domestic terrorism, which it says is now a greater threat than attacks posed by international actors.
"The greatest terrorism threat to the Homeland we face today is posed by lone offenders, often radicalized online, who look to attack soft targets with easily accessible weapons," the report said. "Many of these violent extremists are motivated and inspired by a mix of socio-political goals and personal grievances against their targets.
Between 2017 and 2019, 57 people died in domestic terror attacks, with 42 of the deaths motivated by white supremacy and five of them motivated by "racism or injustice in American society," according to the report.
In a bulletin issued Friday, Homeland Security warned that the easing of COVID-19 restrictions could lead to an increase in attacks "after previous public capacity limits reduced opportunities for lethal attacks."
It said mass-casualty attacks by racially motivated violent extremists "have targeted houses of worship and crowded commercial facilities or gatherings."
