In Domestic Terrorism Data, a Clear Trend Emerges

Attacks by far-right groups, often white supremacists, lead the way
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 12, 2021 2:04 PM CDT
In Domestic Terrorism Data, a Clear Trend Emerges
A destroyed piano is part of the charred remains of Briar Creek Road Baptist Church in June 2015 in Charlotte, N.C. It was one of several predominantly Black churches attacked that year.   (Davie Hinshaw/The Charlotte Observer via AP)

The Washington Post has done a deep dive into domestic terrorism incidents in the US over the last six years and found a clear trend: Attacks by far-right groups have far exceeded those by far-left groups. Some highlights from the analysis, based on data from the Center for Strategic and International Studies:

  • Right-wing extremists have been held responsible for 267 plots or attacks, resulting in 91 fatalities, since 2015. Left-wing extremists were blamed for 66 incidents and 19 deaths over the same period.
  • More than a quarter of right-wing incidents were linked to white supremacy.

  • In 2020, the number of right-wing incidents reached 73, a yearly high. The number of left-wing attacks hit 25, also a record. The burning of a police station in Minneapolis after the death of George Floyd is an example of an incident in the latter camp.
  • The stats show 15 anti-immigrant incidents since 2015, with 27 fatalities. That includes the 2019 massacre at a Walmart in El Paso that left 23 people dead.
Click to read the full analysis and breakdown of data. (More domestic terrorism stories.)

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