WASHINGTON (TNND) — As the U.S. sees an increase in suspected terror attacks, officials are now warning of lone wolf actors, which may be harder to seek out than terrorists or sleeper cells. Michigan and Virginia are just the latest examples, plus the mass shooting at an Austin, Texas bar earlier in March.
Marino said lone wolves are often sympathetic to the causes of Iran, anti-American, anti-war, or have universally been radicalized with Islamic ideology. (TNND)
If they are truly following the definition of being a lone wolf, are going to keep the communication to zero,” Former DHS Senior Advisor & CEO of Sentinel, Charles Marino told The National News Desk.
Marino said lone wolves are often sympathetic to the causes of Iran, anti-American, anti-war, or have universally been radicalized with Islamic ideology.
All of these threats in all of these forms are certainly at the top of mind for law enforcement and intelligence right now during this elevated threat environment,” said Marino.
In recent weeks, there have been multiple lone wolf attacks across the nation. All of which are being investigated as acts of terrorism. On Thursday, 41-year-old Ayman Ghazali is being accused of ramming a car into a Detroit area synagogue where a preschool, with over 100 children, was in session.
People like the person that attacked this community yesterday, get fomented by rhetoric that they see online and that they see on tv and that they hear on the radio,” said Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
NBC News reports that Ghazali, who is a U.S. citizen born in Lebanon, lost several family members in an Israeli airstrike last week. The strike killed two of his brothers, who were reportedly known members of Hezbollah.
That grief is real and it’s heartbreaking. But let me be clear, that is not an excuse. These actions do not reflect our values as a city. This is not who we are,” said Mo Baydoun, Mayor of Dearborn Heights.
Also on Thursday, 36-year-old Mohamed Jalloh, who previously served prison time for attempting to provide material support to ISIS, is accused of opening fire at Old Dominion University in Virginia. The attack killed one person while injuring two others.
There were students in that room that subdued him and rendered him no longer alive. I don’t know how else to say it but they basically were able to terminate the threat,” said Dominique Evans, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office.
Looking ahead, Marino said something to watch with these terror cells and lone wolf actors could be drones. Especially since Iran’s military has proven its reliance on them to carry out certain missions.
They’re cheap. They’re easy to deploy and operate and they can be used as part of this wider goal of creating the panic throughout the country,” Marino said.
Marino added, he believes the U.S. needs to raise the current threat level under the National Terrorism Advisory System, so Americans know what to be on the lookout for and how to report them to the proper authorities.
The American people are the greatest force multiplier for law enforcement when it comes to the reporting for threats and suspicious activity,” said Marino.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is also still investigating a mass shooting at a bar in Austin, Texas, on March 1st. The suspect was seen wearing a ‘Property of Allah’ sweatshirt and reportedly had an Iranian flag shirt underneath.
National Headline
