2013clark mccauley

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Discussion Point: Is AaronAlexis part of a largerphenomenon of lone-actorgrievance-based violence?September 24 2!"#$lar% &c$aule'

The following is part of a series of thought pieces authored by members of

the START Consortium. These editorial columns reect the opinions of the

author(s), and not necessarily the opinions of the START Consortium. This

series is penned by scholars who hae grappled with complicated and often

politici!ed topics, and our hope is that they will foster thoughtful reection

and discussion by professionals and students ali"e.

Is Aaron Alexis part of a larger phenomenon of lone-actor grievance-based violence?

Aaron Alexis is the most recent example of a (or%place mass %iller but some

'ears ago the )*S* Post +,ce had enough of these examples that the

phenomenon came to be referred to as going postal*. Almost all of these

cases involve a lone actor: an individual (ho plans and carries out an attac%

(ithout help from an' larger group or organi/ation* 0e do not 'et %no( the

grievance that motivated Alexis1s rampage at the 0ashington av' 3ard on

the "th of September but there ma' be some help in understanding Alexis

if (e as% ho( he might be similar to lone-actor assassins lone-actor school

attac%ers and lone-(olf terrorists*

In a 2!"# stud' published in Perspectives on 5errorism Sophia &os%alen%o

and 6en 7an Son 8oined me in tr'ing to learn about lone-(olf terrorists b'

loo%ing for the common characteristics of t(o categories of mostl' lone-actor

violent o9enders: assassins and school attac%ers* 5he stud' used existing

)*S* government-sponsored reports to examine these t(o %inds of o9enders*

http://www.terrorismanalysts.com/pt/index.php/pot/article/view/240http://www.terrorismanalysts.com/pt/index.php/pot/article/view/240


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5he logic of comparing school attac%ers (ith assassins is that these t(o

groups of o9enders are li%e lone-actor terrorists in perpetrating planful

violence fueled b' grievance* 5o the extent that assassins and school

attac%ers share common characteristics these characteristics ma' be ris%

factors for lone-actor terrorism as (ell*

5he obvious demographic di9erences bet(een the t(o groups teenage

school attac%ers vs* adult assassins; are actuall' a strength of the

comparison: an' commonalities uncovered are the more stri%ing and unli%el'

to be a re


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for shooting into the ceiling of his apartment apparentl' in reaction to noise

from his upstairs neighbor*

@is personal histor' is still cloud' but it appears he (as a loner to the extent

that he had fe( friends and his computer-services 8ob (ith xperts sent him

to temporar' (or% in man' di9erent places including Bhode Island&assachusetts 7irginia and the 0ashington aval 3ard* @is mother lives in

6roo%l'n but his last stable situation seems to have been in a suburb of Ct*

0orth 5exas (here he (as living (ith a 5hai friend and (or%ing in his

friend1s 5hai restaurant* 5his relationship soured after his friend married and

no longer had time for Alexis* According to a police report Alexis tried to

damage his friend1s car* In ul' 2!"# Alexis moved out a sudden

disconnection from friend 8ob and home*

As more information becomes available the four characteristics of lone-actor

grievance-based violence ma' emerge more clearl'* +f course the greatma8orit' of individuals (ith a grievance do not turn to violence* 5he great

ma8orit' of disconnected loners do not turn to violence*

5he great ma8orit' of individuals (ith mental health problems even paranoia

problems do not turn to violence* And the great ma8orit' of individuals (ith

(eapons experience outside the militar' do not turn to violence although

Alexis had alread' a histor' of illegal rearms use;* 5he usefulness of the

four characteristics (ill be determined b' research in (hich (e nd out ho(

man' individuals have all four characteristics but never turn to violence* It is

possible that having all four characteristics (ill be closel' enough connected(ith lone-actor violence that special help might be extended to these

individuals*

References

http:EE(((*thesmo%inggun*comEbusterEaaron-alexis-nav'-'ard-shooter-

FG4#2*

H&c$aule' $* &os%alen%o S* 7an Son 6* 2!"#;* $haracteristics of lone-

(olf violent o9enders: A comparison of assassins and school attac%ers*

Perspectives on 5errorism G"; 4-24*

• # $ That research was supported by the %nited States &epartment of'omeland Security Science and Technology &irectorate ce of %niersity

*rograms through the +ational Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and

Responses to Terrorism (START), grant number +-/-012. 'oweer,

any opinions, 3ndings, and conclusions or recommendations in this

document are those of the authors and do not necessarily reect iews of

the %.S. &epartment of 'omeland Security

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/buster/aaron-alexis-navy-yard-shooter-567432http://www.thesmokinggun.com/buster/aaron-alexis-navy-yard-shooter-567432http://www.terrorismanalysts.com/pt/index.php/pot/article/view/240http://www.terrorismanalysts.com/pt/index.php/pot/article/view/240http://www.thesmokinggun.com/buster/aaron-alexis-navy-yard-shooter-567432http://www.thesmokinggun.com/buster/aaron-alexis-navy-yard-shooter-567432http://www.terrorismanalysts.com/pt/index.php/pot/article/view/240http://www.terrorismanalysts.com/pt/index.php/pot/article/view/240


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Clar" 4cCauley (5.S. 5iology, *roidence College, -20/6 *h.&. Social

*sychology, %niersity of *ennsylania, -27) is Rachel C. 'ale *rofessor of

Sciences and 4athematics and co8director of the Solomon Asch Center for

Study of 9thnopolitical Conict at 5ryn 4awr College. 'e is researcher in the+ational Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism

and a member of its e:ecutie committee. 'is research interests include the

psychology of group identi3cation, group dynamics and intergroup conict,

and the psychological foundations of ethnic conict and genocide. 'e is

founding editor of the ;ournal &ynamics of Asymmetric Conict< *athways

toward Terrorism and =enocide. >ou can contact him

at cmccaule?brynmawr.edu@.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]

2013clark mccauley

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