Domestic Terrorist Attacks in Denver, Los Angeles, and San Diego Activity

Scenario

You are a law enforcement official in a mid-sized city in a Midwestern state. You are investigating a series of local attacks.

In recent weeks, more than 20 SUV-type automobiles have been destroyed by fire at three of the area’s largest auto dealers. Last night, the front office of a chemical company was firebombed. Two of the company’s security guards have been hospitalized.
Instructions

You are interested in knowing whether the attacks that have occurred in your local area are similar to other arson attacks that you have heard about in recent years in Denver, Los Angeles, and San Diego, especially during the 2007–10 period.

On your computer, visit the Global Terrorism Database operated by the Department of Homeland Security and the University of Maryland located here: http://www.start.umd.edu/gtd/

Spend some time browsing the website and searching the database.

Do you see any similarities to the attacks in your area and past attacks in Denver, Los Angeles, and San Diego? How about other cities? Do you think your city has been a victim of terrorist attack? If yet, what group(s) do you think might be responsible? And, what do you think might be the intended effects of the attacks?