Case Studies

Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs)

Groups that engage in premeditated violence for political goals.

Brussels Airport and Metro Station Attack

ISIS-directed suicide bombings via IEDs in March 2016. Two IEDs exploded in separate check-in lines, and a third unexploded IED was found in luggage. Fourth IED was refused by taxi driver because it was too heavy.

Homegrown Violent Extremists (HVEs)

Individuals inspired by the ideology

and propaganda of FTOs, but have no direct contact with the FTOs themselves. They act alone or within small autonomous groups.

Boston Marathon Bombing

2013 attack by Tsarnaev brothers using pressure cooker bombs, killing 3 and injuring 280. They were motivated by anger against US involvement in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. They read Inspire Magazine to learn how to build and deploy the two pressure cooker bombs.

Inspire Magazine

Online magazine published by Al-Qaeda aimed at inspiring and guiding individuals towards carrying out acts of terrorism.

Port Authority Suicide Vest

2017 attack by Akayed Ullah in NYC subway, injuring four including himself. Influenced by Inspire Magazine.

Domestic Violent Extremists (DVEs)

Individuals and/or groups who are driven to commit violent acts to further agendas stemming from US domestic influences.

Buffalo TOPS Shooting

2022 mass shooting at the TOPS Friendly Market in Buffalo, NY, killing 10 and injuring 3. Suspect held white nationalist views. Led to the creation of the NYS DTPU.

Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting

2018 attack motivated by antisemitic ideologies. Suspect shot and killed 11 people and wounded six.

Lone Offender

Individual acting alone without organizational support.

Las Vegas Harvest Fest Shooting

2017 senseless massacre by lone gunman, 60 killed before shooter committed suicide. Shooter brought weapons into hotel prior to attack.

Rochester Vehicle Ramming

2024 attack involving SUV filled with gas canisters crashing into another vehicle outside of theater, killing 4. No known motive.

Financial Crimes

Illegal activities for financial gain, e.g., theft.

DFW Airport Car Theft Ring

Group stealing cars, $4.9 million loss reported. The group would steal cars from the airport and change the VIN numbers and retitle the cars before selling them to Mexico.

Hustling/Off-Site Solicitation

Common threat of scamming passengers in airports.

Daniel Tolardo (left)

Banned hustler targeting JFK airport passengers

Maalbeek Metro Station Attack

Coordinated attack alongside Brussels Airport bombing.

Augustin Hilario (Middle)

Arrested for stealing John Legend's bag worth $31,000.

Michael Borovetz (Right)

Hustler who exploited refundable airline tickets.

Workplace Violence

Violent acts occurring in a workplace environment.

Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (SCVTA) Shooting

2021 shooting; employee set his house on fire and drove to work and opened fire on employees beforre; appeared to seek out and target specific individuals and left others completely unharmed.

Intentional Insider Threat

Deliberate misuse of insider access for criminal activities.

Unintentional Insider Threat

Accidental misuse of insider access causing harm.

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport Active Shooter

2017 shooting; shooter landed and retrieved a handgun from his checked luggage in the baggage claim area. He loaded the gun and opened fire, 5 killed, 6 injured in shooting; 36 injured in ensuing panic.

West Side Highway Vehicle Ramming Attack

2017 vehicle ramming attack; suspect rented pickup truck into cyclists and runners for about one mile along the Hudson River Greenway bike path in Lower Manhattan killed 8, injured 11. Suspect radicalized by ISIS propaganda online.

Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs)

Homemade bombs used in attacks.

Edged Weapons

Attacks using knives or sharp objects.

Newark Airport Attack

2024 knife attack by Xiong Jin, random victim.

Drones

Unmanned aerial vehicles used in security incidents.

Gatwick Airport Drone Incident

2018 drone sightings at airport outside of London canceled 1,000 flights and stranded over 140,000 at height of holiday travels.

Cyber Attack

Unauthorized access to computer systems causing disruption.

Seattle Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac)

2024 ransomware cyberattack affecting airport services and personal data. Rhysida was the criminal organization behind the attack.

Pattern of Insubordination

Repeated refusal to follow workplace rules.

Cyberattack

Malicious attempt to disrupt computer systems.

Vehicle Ramming Attack

Attack using a vehicle to harm crowds.

Surveillance

Monitoring activities to plan an attack.

Nice Vehicle Ramming Attack

2016 vehicle ramming attack; suspect used phone to capture surveillance of area and drove through multiple times prior to attack, before killing 86 during Bastille Day.

London Bombing Attack

2005 bombing attack killed 52, involved security testing and practice runs; suspects were seen testing on CCTV footage.

Madrid Train Bombing

2004 coordinated attacks killed 191; cell that executed attack was financed by drugs.

NYC Subway Suicide Bombing Plot

2009 plan to bomb NYC subway during rush hour; conspirators bought large quantities of precursor chemicals such as hydrogen peroxide and acetone from beauty supply stores claiming they had "a lot of girlfriends".

Suspicious Persons out of Place

Individuals acting unusually, potentially indicating threats.

Minnesota High School Massacre Plot

2014 plan by individual to kill his family, set brush fire, and attack school, discovered by a 911 caller who observed someone walked through her wet and soggy backyard to a storage unit containing lots of trash bags.

Dry Run

Practice run to assess attack feasibility.

Concerning Behavior

Actions that raise suspicion of potential violence.

Patriot Front Pride Confrontation Plot

White supremacist group involved in planned confrontation to disrupt Pride event; An alarmed 911 caller reported a "group dressed like a little army" getting into a U-Haul truck in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho led to 31 arrests.

Operational Plan

Detailed strategy for executing an attack.

Illegal Drug Financing

Funding attacks through the sale of drugs.

Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED)

Explosive device transported by vehicle for attacks.

Times Square Attempted Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device

2010 attempted bombing with disarmed explosive. Street vendors noticed vehicle parked where it should not be, running with no operator and with smoke emanating from the vehicle. Bomb failed to ignite and was disarmed by NYPD bomb squad.

Newark International Airport Confrontation

2019 racial profiling by airport employee led to terminal evacuation. Profiled individuals were immediately vindicated by police.

Glasgow Airport Vehicle Ramming Attack

2007 vehicle ramming attack; failed to reach terminal and was stopped by bollards. Vehicle caught fire but failed to explode.

Madrid-Barajas Airport Bombing

2006 parking garage bombing killed two, injured 52; political statement by Basque separatists..

Los Angeles Airport Shooting

2013 shooter walked into TSA checkpoint and killed TSA officer, injured seven. Concealed rifle within carry-on luggage.

East Hampton Airport Protest

2023 climate activists blocked airport entrance.

Palestine-Israel War Protest

2024 protest disrupted Air Train operations.

Madison County Red Teams

Local gun store owner reported suspicious customer. He had been tested by Red Teams in the past and thought it was another test, but it happened to be a real situation.

Human Caused Threats

Security risks originating from human actions.