The number of extremism-related mass murders in the United States was at least three times higher in the last 10 years than in any decade since the 1970s, according to a report by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).
The report, provided to Associated press ahead of its publication on Thursday, it also revealed that all identified extremist killings in 2022 were linked to far-right radicalismwith a particularly large number linked to white supremacism.
Among them were the racist shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, which killed 10 black customers, and one which took place at an LGBT bar and bowling alley in Colorado Springs, Colorado, which left five dead.
It’s no exaggeration to say we live in it an age of extremist mass murder“, indicated the report from the ADL’s Center for Extremism.
An unusual growth
Between 1970 and 2000, there were between two and seven such incidents, but by the 2010s, the number had risen to 21, according to the report.
The trend has continued upwards since then, with five mass murders with extremist overtones in 2021 and 2022as many as in the first decade of the new millennium.
Victims have also risen: between 2010 and 2020, 164 people died in mass murders with ideological aspects, the report said. This figure is much higher than in any other decadewith the exception of the 1990s, when an attack on a federal building in Oklahoma City left 168 dead.
Extremist killings are those perpetrated by people associated with radical movements and ideologies.
The increase recorded in the last decade is due to the combination of several factors. There have been incidents inspired by the rise of the extremist group ISIS, as well as a handful against police following shootings of civilians, and others related to the growing promotion of violence by white supremacists, said Mark Pitcavage, senior research scientist at the Center on Extremism.
The center tracks homicides related to various forms of extremism in the United States and compiles them into an annual report. In 2022, it identified 25 such incidentsdown on the 33 of the previous year.
93% of homicides last year were committed with firearms. The report also indicated that, for the first time since 2011, no police officers were killed by extremists.
With ISIS in decline, the main near-term threat may be white supremacist shooters, the report adds. On the other hand, the increase in the number of attempted mass murders is one of the most alarming trends of recent yearsaccording to the Center’s vice president, Oren Segal.
“We can’t stand by and accept this as the new normal,” he said.
Source: AP
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.