Lone Wolf Attack Case Study

The results of the study show that there are many factors that contribute to the rise of lone wolf terrorist attacks in the United States. The lone wolf influence that stems from ISIS and Islamic ideologies is enough to get potential wolves thinking about the idea of risking their lives for their beliefs. ISIS contributes to an increase in lone wolf attacks by exploiting vulnerable individuals and preying on their emotions. There is no doubt that there is an emotional connection that exists between wolves and their beliefs. ISIS has continuously used the vulnerabilities of others to carry out what seems to be revenge. In each of the lone wolf cases discussed above each perpetrator committed or pledged their allegiance to ISIS or the Islamic

Some of the ways lone wolf attacks are beneficial to ISIS are 1) it is relatively inexpensive and easy to convince others who are indoctrinated with the Islamic religion to commit acts of terror. 2) It requires little or no planning on ISIS’s part; perpetrators often find their target and implement attacks alone. 3) Lone wolves are a preferred method of attack because they frustrate countermeasures that are in place to thwart potential attacks, since they are often virtually undetectable. 4) Successful attacks shed light on possible vulnerabilities and also incites fear in society. 5) ISIS is demonstrating the extremist group’s strength through worldwide proliferation by carrying out lone wolf attacks in various countries (Mendelsohn,

Apart from the withdrawal pattern that seems to occur in the months leading up to an attack, there are no specific patterns that can be followed. Lone wolf terrorist have a tendency of withdrawing from social interaction prior to carrying out attacks. If this behavior is studied, it could potentially be a stepping stone to developing a model for detecting potential wolves. Based on current research strategies, future strategies need to determine what specific behavior is inherent to lone wolves. “Researchers have also expressed the need to investigate individuals during their radicalization process or who abandon radical ideologies” (Dickson, 2015). This insight will provide the tools necessary to address and possibly thwart future lone wolf attacks. Once researchers have formulated a workable framework once significant knowledge about how lone wolves are bred, they can implement countermeasures to thwart future