Active Assailant Targeting Of Federal Facilities

Dr. Joshua Sinai

This article discusses the nature of the threat posed by targeting of United States federal facilities for attack by ideological extremists, i.e., terrorists, as well as by individuals who are motivated by a strong sense of personal grievance, such as active shooters. The article defines the term “federal facility,” presents a selective listing of attacks since the mid-1990s, and provides an assessment of the motivations, types of tactics and weapons employed in such incidents. In addition, this assessment identifies some future targeting trends, new tactics and weaponry likely to be employed in attacking federal facilities.

Defining Federal Facility

As defined under Section 13 of the Public Buildings Act of 1959 (40 U.S.C. 612)[)] [40 USCS § 3301], the term Federal facility means “any public building (and shall include any Federal building or construction project” on lands in the public domain, on military installations (including the Department of Veteran Affairs), and federal prisons.

Significant Attacks Against Federal Buildings

The following list provides a representative sample of significant attacks against federal facilities in the United States by domestic violent assailants, and the spectrum of motivations, tactics and weapons used in these incidents. Note that these incidents primarily involve targeting civilian government facilities, as opposed to military facilities. The most lethal attack against a military facility – other than ...