Active Assailants with Multiple Casualties

Introduction 

Every country around the world is prone to terrorist attacks. Countries encounter threats and attack that increase the levels of insecurity. Active assailants are responsible for inflicting harm to the masses using weapons. The active assailants come from domestic regions or foreign nations. Active assailants carry out their activities in groups or independently. Casualties are victims of the attacks who get injuries or lose their lives. The active assailant incidences have increased over the past years as indicated by the media sources such as television, radio, and newspapers. Active assailants attack their target locations unexpectedly, which causes the loss of lives and infliction of injuries to the victims. The rate of casualties has increased due to the rise in the active assailants’ incidences. Terrorists carry out the mission with the aim of reducing public dependency on the government. Terrorist attacks are increasing around the world with a motive of reducing government trust to the public. Active shooting incidences and the number of casualties are increasing which is a threat to the security as well as the country’s population. 

Purpose and Scope 

The purpose of conducting the research is to assess the current issues that threaten the country’s security and their impacts on the public. The first section of the paper is the introduction which contains the objectives, research question, the importance of the study and justification. The second section of the paper is the review of literature from other researchers. The third section of the paper is the theoretical review which relates to the research topic. The final section of the paper consists of the discussions and conclusions. 

Objectives 

The objectives of the study include: 

To identify the active assailant incidences in the United States and different parts of the world 

To establish the possible motive of active assailants in attacking the various parts of the world 

Research Question 

What are the terrorist incidences and possible motives of active assailants in the United States, Britain, and Canada? 

Relevance and Justification of the Study 

Active assailant shooting is among the prevalent issues that is affecting the security of countries. The causalities of the terrorist attacks are increasing due to a rise in the active shooting incidences. The deaths that are caused by terrorist attacks have been increasing. The death rates have significantly reduced from 2015 to 2016 (Archick & Belkin, 2016). About 32,763 individuals in the world died from terrorist attacks in 2014. The number of deaths decreased to 18,753 individuals in 2017 ("Terrorism: death toll worldwide 2006-2016 | Statistic", 2018) . The number of terrorist attacks was 13,842 in 2014. The rate reduced to 8,584 attacks by 2017 ("Terrorism: death toll worldwide 2006-2016 | Statistic", 2018) . The study will give insights on enhancing the security of the world because the rates of terrorist attacks and death are still high. 

Literature Review 

Research that Supports an Increase in Casualties 

Research on active assailants with multiple casualties is mixed. Researchers claim that the active assailant incidences increase the rates of casualties. O’Neill, Miller, and Waters (2016) found that death rates increase due to the high rate of terrorism. The researchers assessed 308 cases on active shooting that took place in 1996 to 2016. The data indicated that 930 individuals lost their lives and 1200 people had injuries. The scholars used statistical methods to assess the effects on active attacks on the death rates. O’Neill, Miller, and Waters (2016) discovered that the police respond to the attacks after the casualties get harmed which increases the death rates in the country. 

Researcher claim that the incidences of terrorism are increasing gradually and affect the population rates negatively. The Tactical Small Unit (TSU) carried out research on the incidences of terrorist attacks in the United States. TSU found that more than 40% of active assailant incidences were in offices, industries, and schools. The unit found that 29% of the incidences were in schools and colleges. The unit claimed that assailants operated in different locations in 20% of the incidences (Global Terrorism Index, 2016). TSU found that the rates of active assailant incidences have been increasing over the past. The Tactical Small Unit attested that the increase in terrorism is as a result of the limited number of police officers and rescue employees. TSU used a sample of 58 incidents in a 12-year period. They found that at least five people were shot in each incident (Global Terrorism Index, 2016) . The researchers concluded that terrorist incidences increase the death rates in a country. 

Researchers claim that motive of terrorist is to reduce public dependency and trust on the government. Abrahms (2008) found that terrorists carry out their operation in various locations for political gain. The author noted that the public loses trust with the government after terrorist attacks. Subsequently, citizens of the attacked locations make independent decisions. The terrorists gain political control over the area. Abrahms (2008) used the empirical method to assess the data of his research. The researcher examined the results of the research using the strategic framework. Abrahms (2008) used the empirical and theoretical model to establish that the motives of terrorist id to gain control over a region. The author retrieved data from previous sources that focused on terrorism and its motives. 

Researchers perceive that terrorist incidences are high in Muslim countries. Smith and Zeigler (2017) found that Muslim-dominated countries experienced low domestic tourism. Non-Muslim countries had the highest rate of terrorist attacks. The authors also found that the terrorist attacks were high in countries that encountered civil differences. Smith and Zeigler (2017) used data on terrorist attacks from 1970 to 2014. The authors found that the areas that are highly affected by terrorism are South Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East. The researchers claimed that Sub-Saharan Africa is also affected by terrorism. The terrorist attacks in Sub-Saharan Africa increased to 65% by 2014. Smith and Zeigler (2017) integrated the negative binomial model to assess the data. The researchers retrieved data from the websites of Muslim and Non-Muslim countries. Alternatively, Mills and Miller (2017) found that religion has no significant influence on the rates of terrorism. The researchers claim that the active assailant incidences have not increased in the non-Muslim countries due to the increase in the number of Muslim citizens. The scholars claim that the influence of religion on terrorism is a myth. Mills and Miller (2017) disregard the policies on anti-terrorism because they claim that they are formulated to eliminate the Islamic religion. 

Blair and Schweit (2014) carried out research on the incidences of active shootings in the United States. The researchers found that the active shootings in the United States increase every year. The authors used data for seven years to prove the claim that the incidences are increasing annually. Blair and Schweit (2014) found that active shooting incidents increased by 16.4% every year. The researchers claimed that damages happen after the terror attack. The scholars attest that 69.8% of the incidents had many casualties. About 1043 cases of casualties were included in the study where 486 had died and 557 had wounds. The data was retrieved from websites of various bodies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Blair & Schweit, 2014). Blair and Schweit concluded that terrorist aim at attacking schools, offices, and recreational centers. 

Allen and Dempsey (2018) reported that political challenges increase international terrorism. The researchers assessed the country data since 2001 to establish the trends in terrorism. The authors revealed that the terrorist attacks are increasing over the past years. Allen and Dempsey (2018) compiled data from previous works of researchers to fulfill the purpose of their study. The scholars used the quantitative analysis method to examine the data. Anderson (2017) reported that the incidences of terrorism increase every year. The author focused on the incidences of London and Manchester. The report revealed that terrorist rates increase with casualties. 

Lankford (2010) found that the incidences of public mass shootings were high in 171 countries. The researcher used compiled data on public mass shootings from 1996 to 2012. The objective of the research was to identify the global prevalence of mass shootings. The author used the negative binomial regression method to test the independent variable of the study. The independent variable included weapon ownership, suicide, and homicide rates. Lankford (2010) claimed that the mass shooting increased the death rates in the countries. He found that there was a significant relationship between the shooting incidences and number of casualties. 

Researchers claim that some active assailant incidences have a significant effect on the number of casualties. The number of casualties has decreased over the past years. The Federal Bureau Investigation department defines active assailants as individuals who are directly involved in public killings. The FBI unit excludes gang or drug abuse in their definition on active assailants. The FBI established a report on the shooter incidences that occurred in the United States between 2003 and 2013. The Federal Bureau of Investigation claims that the trends in the active shootings have been increasing since 2003 (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2014). Basing on the research carried out by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, it is evident that the incidences of terrorism increase annually. In the first seven years, the mean rate of terrorist activities was 6.4%. Subsequently, the rates increased to 16.4% in the last seven years. The total casualties in all the incidences were 1,043 (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2014). The Federal Bureau of Investigation also assessed the 160 active shooter incidences to acquire adequate information for the study. The FBI unit assessed the incidences that took place in Fort Hood, Washington Navy, Sikh Temple, Virginia Tech, United States Museum, and other recent attacks (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2014). The active assailants carried out their operation in public places to harm many individuals. 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (2014) provided an analysis of data on the active assailant incidences. The unit examined the duration of the incidences to determine their effects on the rates of casualties. FBI identified the duration of 64 out of 160 active shooting incidents. The bureau found that 69% of the incidences lasted for less than five minutes. On the contrary, 23% of the incidences lasted for less than two minutes (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2014). Law enforcement agencies are responsible for responding to the terrorist attacks immediately. The FBI found that the short duration for the active shootings increases the rate of casualties. The laws enforcement officers cannot intervene n the active shootings in case there is a short time. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (2014) noted that most of the incidences happened at commercial centers. About 73 out of 160 incidences were in the commercial places. The researchers revealed that almost 39 out of 160 incidents happen in learning institutions. FBI indicated that the school shooting had the highest number of casualties (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2014). In the 39 incidents that took place in the learning environment, 117 people had died and 120 students got injuries. Some of the incidences happened at Virginia, Connecticut, Virginia Technical Institute, and Sandy Hook school (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2014). The shootings were prevalent in learning institutions and offices. 

The figure below illustrates the trends of active shootings from 2000 to 2013. The data in the graph indicates that the shootings have been increasing over the 13 years. In 2000, the rate of the shootings was one percent but increased to seventeen percent in 2013. The active shootings were highest in 2010 with 26% (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2014). The active assailant incidences have been increasing since 2003. 

The graph below illustrates the number of people killed in active shooting from 2000 to 2013. 

Source: (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2014) 

The graph indicates that death rates are increasing annually. The casualties of terrorist attacks have increased to 86 individual in 2013. The initial number of casualties was 46 individuals. From the results, the Federal Bureau of Investigation indicated that there is a significant relationship between the incidence and casualty rates. 

Silver, Simons, and Craun (2018) focused on pre-attack behaviors of active assailants in the United States. The researcher discovered that active shootings increase the death rates in the country. The study sample was 63 incidences of active shooting that took place in the United States. The scope of the data was from 2000 to 2013. The study contained 104 variables which were assessed using the quantitative method. Silver, Simons, and Craun (2018) concluded that the active assailant incidences and mass casualties have a direct relationship. 

Research on the Motives of Terrorism 

Researchers claim that the motive of terrorist is to interfere with the political, social, and economic activities in the country. Jenkins, Willis, and Han (2016) found that terrorists advance attacks in the country to disrupt the political, social, and economic activities in the country. The scholars also found that an active shooting incidence increases the chances of another terrorist attacks. The authors focused on terrorist incidences in the United States and Europe. Jenkins, Willis, and Han (2016) used statistical methods which include Pearson’s Chi-test and Kolmogorov-Smirnov method to examine the hypothesis of the study. The researchers concluded that the terrorist attack location to gain political, economic, and social control. Mink (2015) claimed that terrorists are influenced by economic, social, and political motives to advance attacks to their enemies. The author further notes that religious factors influence the motives of terrorist. Mink (2015) assessed the literature of previous researchers to determine the motive for active assailant incidences. 

Akhmat et al., (2014) found that high population, unemployment, wars, poverty, and unequal wealth distribution have a positive influence on the rates of terrorism in South Asia. On the contrary, a high national income decreases the rates of terrorism in a country. After assessing the data the scholars found that poverty has a direct influence on terrorism. The researchers discovered that there is a direct relationship between the increase in the poverty levels and terrorist incidences. The scholars indicated that an increase in 1% of the poverty rates increases terrorism by 0.76%. Akhmat et al., (2014) noted that an increase in trade activities has no effect on the rates of terrorism. 

Schuurman, Bakker, and Eijkman (2018) claim that structural factors have a direct influence on terrorism. Structural factors enhance the development and unity of terrorist groups in a country. The researchers attested that structural factors encourage citizens to join Islam where they engage in terrorism. The scholars added that structural elements enhance political instability in a country. The authors claimed that the ultimate influence of structural elements id the emergence of terrorist attacks. 

Abrahms (2012) found that political factors influence terrorism. Terrorists attack a location to gain political supremacy. The other motive of terrorists is to share the authority with the government. The researcher assessed 125 cases of active shooting in the United States. The author used the logit model to assess the effectiveness of political factors in the increase in active shooting incidences. Abrahms (2012) concluded that terrorists address the government on the issue of power sharing after advancing attacks to the civilians. 

Akyuz and Armstrong (2011) found that mobility and poverty rates have a close relationship with terrorism. The scholars claimed that mobility and poverty increase the rates of terrorism. The researchers used the social disorganization theory to assess the effectiveness of social factors on terrorism in Turkey. Akyuz and Armstrong (2011) used the negative binomial model to establish the relationship between poverty and terrorism rates. The regression models were used to predict the influence of poverty on terrorism. 

In summary, the research that supports the prevalence of active assailants and casualties is stronger. The Federal Bureau of Investigation assessed many incidences during various periods. Further, the Tactical Small Unit also assessed many incidences for twelve years. The in-depth analysis of the data enhances the credibility of the research. Alternatively, Abrahms (2008) and Anderson (2017) focused on a few incidences which reduce the credibility of their studies. Lankford (2010) carried out an extensive analysis of the incidences in 171 countries. The study of Blair and Schweit (2014) has low credibility because they focused on the incidences in the United States. The research of Allen and Dempsey (2018) is credible because they assessed the incidences of two locations which include London and Manchester. The incidences of active shootings could have a significant influence on the number of casualties. 

Jenkins, Willis, Han (2016) have a credible research as compared to other scholars. The scope of their research is wide and they used unique methods to assess the data. Akyuz and Armstrong have a reliable research because they used credible assessment methods to examine the data. Mink (2015) used literature to draw findings which lowers the reliability of the research. Akhmat et al., (2014) and Schuurman, Bakker, and Eijkman (2018) did not use reliable methods to assess the primary data of their research. Abrahms (2012) used the logit model to assess the relationship between the variable but did not gather primary data. The political, economic, and social factors influence terrorism. 

Theoretical Review 

Theoretical concepts can be used to describe the incidences and motives of terrorist attacks. Agnew (2010) claims that terrorism occurs after individuals encounter constrained challenges. The strains are characterized by high persistence, injustice, and power. The author claimed that strains increased the incidences of terrorism. Collective strains have a negative influence on an individual’s emotions. Korbl (2017) focuses on the motives of terrorism. The author uses the rational choice and social solidarity theories to explain the motives of terrorism. The rational choice theory states that people make decisions based on their own preferences. The rational choice model is a main element of the game concept. The rational theory is based on several assumptions which include self-interest, individualism, and maximization of goals. The offender takes actions based on their personal thoughts and goals. People are the rational actors in the theory (Korbl, 2017). The social solidarity theory focuses on unity among groups in the society. Durkheim claims that every community has social groups that share similar characteristics. In the social groups, the members carry out similar activities because they are like-minded (Korbl, 2017). The group members support each other to achieve their common goals. 

The general strain theory can be used to motives for terrorist attacks. Terrorist advance attacks in locations to gain control and justice. After the attack, the public does not trust the individuals in power but support the opinions of the opposing parties. Secondly, terrorists make decisions based on their preferences. They do not take into account the effects of the attacks on the welfare of the public. The consequences of the terrorist attacks are the loss of lives, injury to the victims, and destruction of property. The social solidarity theory describes the social groups in society. A terrorist group is a type of social union in the community. The members of the terrorist groups interact on the basis of social grounds to achieve similar goals. 

Findings 

After conducting a literature and theoretical analysis, it is evident the frequency of active assailant incidences are increasing gradually. The results of the past research indicate that the incidences increase every year. The other finding is that the number of casualties increases with the rise in the terrorism incidences. The data from the previous studies illustrate that the death rates are increasing due to the rise in active assailants incidences. Active assailant incidences take a short time which limits the police from saving the casualties. Terrorists are influenced by political, social, and economic factors. The information from the previous studies indicates that terrorists are motivated by political, social, and economic factors to attack their counterparts. 

Discussions 

The frequency of terrorist attacks increases after every year. The previous studies of researchers indicate a steady increase in the terrorist attacks. The rates are increasing due to the high levels of gun ownership in the countries. The Muslims in foreign countries feel insecure and plan attacks to seek justice and power. The number of casualties is increasing due to the rise in the terrorist attacks. The attackers take a short time to complete their mission which hinders the law enforcement officials from rescuing the victims. Most of the attacks last for less than five minutes. The police officers arrive at the scene late and it increases the rate of casualties. Some medical centers do not offer emergency services which increase the death rates. Many terrorists attack regions to achieve their goals and acquire benefits such as power. 

Limitations of the Study 

The study lacks an analysis method for assessing the data to establish effective results. The findings have been drawn based on the results of previous studies of other researchers. The results of the study might not be credible and reliable. The results can be inaccurate because the data was not collected from the field. The data was retrieved from other articles and the figures could be estimated. The research did not focus on the causes and effects of active assailant incidences. It is important to focus on the area areas to get adequate information for analysis. 

Delimitations of the Study 

The study used information from various journals and articles to draws the findings. All the sources in the paper focus on incidences on active shootings and terrorism. They are peer-reviewed sources which enhance the credibility of the study. The study gives evidence that the rates of terrorism are significantly increasing. There is also proof that the motives of terrorism include gaining power, reducing injustice, and meeting group goals. The scope of the research is wide because some sources provided data for 171 countries. The sources provide data for a long period of time including 2000 to 2014 which enhances the reliability of the study. The study will provide information on the trends of terrorist attacks on law enforcement officers. The officers can make future plans on enhancing security and implementing preparedness programs in the areas that are prone to attacks. The research will assist scholars who would like to carry out an analysis of active assailant with multiple casualties in the United States and other parts in the world. 

Recommendations for Further Research 

There is a need for incorporating a research method to assess the relationship between active assailants and multiple casualties. Researchers can use quantitative or qualitative methods to assess the data. The researchers can use current data for the past five years to enhance the reliability of the data. There is a need for expanding the scope of the research to improve the accuracy of the data. Scholars should assess further causes and effect of active assailant shootings. It will assist the researcher to determine the main causes of terrorism and provide the appropriate recommendations. 

In conclusion, terrorist attack any area around the world. The active shooting incidences affect the population of the target locations negatively. The objective of the research was to identify the incidences and motives of terrorism in the U.S., Canada, and Britain. The findings indicate that terrorists are motivated by political, economic, and social elements to attack the citizens. The rates of active shootings and death are increasing gradually. Further research is needed to assess the data using reliable techniques. Other effects on terrorism should be assessed to provide suitable solutions. The governments and disaster management agencies need to collaborate to reduce the rates of terrorism. 

References 

Abrahms, M. (2012). The political effectiveness of terrorism revisited.  Comparative Political Studies ,  45 (3), 366-393. 

Abrahms, M. (2008). What terrorists really want: Terrorist motives and counterterrorism strategy. International Security , 32 (4), 78-105. 

Akhmat, G., Zaman, K., Shukui, T., & Sajjad, F. (2014). Exploring the root causes of terrorism in South Asia: everybody should be concerned.  Quality & Quantity ,  48 (6), 3065-3079. 

Allen, G., and Dempsey, N. (2018). Terrorism in Great Britain: Statistics. House of Commons Library. 

Anderson, D. (2017). Attacks in London and Manchester. 6-60. 

Archick, K., & Belkin, P. (2016). European Security and Islamist Terrorism.  Congressional Research Service . 

Agnew, R. (2010). A general strain theory of terrorism.  Theoretical Criminology ,  14 (2), 131-153. 

Blair, J. P., & Schweit, K.W. (2014). A Study of Active Shooter Incidents, 2000 - 2013. Texas State University and Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington D.C. 2014. 

Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2014). A Study of Active Shooter Incidents in the United States Between 2000 and 2013. Retrieved from http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2014/september/fbi-releases-study-on-active-shooter-incidents/pdfs/a-study-of-active-shooter-incidents-in-the-u.s.-between-2000-and-2013 . 

Global Terrorism Index. (2016). Measuring and Understanding the Impact of Terrorism. Retrieved from http://economicsandpeace.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Global-Terrorism-Index-2016.2.pdf 

Jenkins, B. M., Willis, H. H., & Han, B. (2016). Do Significant Terrorist Attacks Increase the Risk of Further Attacks? Pp 4-60. 

Korbl, W. (2017). Terrorism: Motivation and Theory.  The Journal of Criminology ,  9 (2), 1. 

Lankford, A. (2016). Public mass shooters and firearms: A cross-national study of 171 countries.  Violence and victims ,  31 (2), 187-199. 

Mills, T., & Miller, D. (2017). Religion, radicalization and the causes of terrorism. In  The Cambridge Companion to Religion and Terrorism  (pp. 46-68). Cambridge University Press. 

Mink, C. (2015). It’s about the group, not God: social causes and cures for terrorism.  Journal for deradicalization , (5), 63-91. 

O’Neill, J.P., Miller, J.J., & Waters, J.R. (2016). Active Shooter: Recommendation and Analysis for Risk Mitigation. Retrieved from https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/nypd/downloads/pdf/counterterrorism/active-shooter-analysis2016.pdf 

Schuurman, B., Bakker, E., & Eijkman, Q. (2018). Structural influences on involvement in European homegrown jihadism: A case study.  Terrorism and Political Violence ,  30 (1), 97-115. 

Silver, J., Simons, A., & Craun, S. (2018). A Study of the Pre-Attack Behaviors of Active Shooters in the United States Between 2000 – 2013. Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C. 20535. 

Smith, M., & Zeigler, S. M. (2017). Terrorism before and after 9/11–a more dangerous world?. Research & Politics , 4 (4), 2053168017739757. 

Terrorism: death toll worldwide 2006-2016 | Statistic. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/202871/number-of-fatalities-by-terrorist-attacks-worldwide/