Secret Service releases report on 2019 mass attacks, including Oregon District shooting

WASHINGTON D.C. — The U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center released its Mass Attacks in Public Spaces 2019 report, which highlights some of the common occurrences in mass attacks like the Oregon District mass shooting last August.

>> Oregon District Shooting: Stories of survival, hope and change, one year later

The report looked at 34 attacks in which three or more people were injured or killed in 2019. The attacks were carried out by 37 people and resulted in injuries to a total of 175 and killing a total of 108.

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“The Secret Service’s research and informed work in this space is critical as we continue to grapple with targeted acts of violence,” said U.S. Secret Service Director James M. Murray. “Research of this nature helps us to remain one step ahead of the next tragedy. Our findings assist in the implementation of prevention plans to identify, assess and intervene before a potential attacker has the motivation and opportunity to act. I commend the researchers and staff of our National Threat Assessment Center who spearhead this important work for the nation.”

The report specifically addresses the Oregon District shooting in a section regarding threats and other concerning communications.

The Secret Service found that two-thirds of the attackers in the 34 attacks engaged in prior threatening or concerning communications.

“On August 4, 2019, a 24-year-old male opened fire in a busy nightclub district, killing 9 (including his sibling) and injuring 20 before officers shot and killed him,” the report read, referring to the Oregon District shooting. “The attacker had a history of concerning communications, including harassing female students in middle and high school, making a hit list and a rape list in high school, telling others he had attempted suicide, and showing footage of a mass shooting to his girlfriend. Months before the attack, he went to bars and would tell his friends that he could have ‘done some damage’ there.”

The data gathered by the Secret Service indicated that mass attacks, like the shooting in Dayton, could have been prevented.

“All available data indicates that these acts of violence are rarely spontaneous and are almost always preceded by warning signs, thereby offering opportunities for prevention,” the report read. “These tragedies are preventable if the appropriate community systems are in place.”

The report highlighted five key findings and similarities in the attacks:

• The attacks impacted a variety of locations, inclusive of businesses and workplaces, schools, houses of worship, military bases, open spaces, residential complexes, and a commercial bus service.
• Most of the attackers used firearms, nearly half of which were possessed illegally.
• Many attackers had recently experienced notable stressors, such as unemployment, or struggled with substance abuse or mental health symptoms.
• Attackers often had a history of prior criminal charges or arrests, including domestic violence incidents.
• Most of the attackers exhibited behavior that elicited concern in others. In many cases, those concerned feared for the safety of themselves or others.

“We must all invest in our collective security as we strive for a safer tomorrow. The National Threat Assessment Center remains ready and willing to support implementation of our recommendations, tailored to the needs of any given community,” said NTAC Chief Dr. Lina Alathari. “I encourage any person, community leader, business owner, school official or simply a concerned neighbor to review this research.”

The Secret Service NTAC has been conducting research, training, consultation, and information sharing on threat assessment and the prevention of targeted violence since the 1990s. NTAC has studied attacks directed at government agencies and officials, workplaces, and schools, colleges, and universities.

Cox Media Group