Summary: For the third year in a row, violent extremist-related murders in the U.S. have declined, according to a recent report from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). Although the number of fatalities declined, the threat of targeted attacks from violent extremists remains a serious concern.
Analyst Note: In 2024, violent extremists in the U.S. were involved in the killing of at least 13 people, a significant drop from the 20 extremist-related murders in 2023, according to the report. The report also found that all extremist-related killings in 2024 were connected to what ADL classifies as far right extremism, with eight of the 13 killings involving white supremacists and the remaining five having connections to anti-government extremism. Firearms were used in over half (54%) of the attacks tracked in the report.
Despite the declining extremist-related murder rate, the ADL assesses this trend will not continue. ADL has already documented 15 extremist-related murders in 2025, 14 of them stemming from the deadly terrorist attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Day, the first mass killing incident by a homegrown violent extremist motivated by Islamist ideology since the 2017 truck attack in New York City. Going forward, U.S. government policy and current events in the Middle East could drive additional targeted attacks from individuals motivated by foreign terrorist organizations or other extremist ideologies.
Original Source: https://www.adl.org/resources/report/murder-and-extremism-united-states-2024
Additional Reading:
- Islamist Terror Incidents Targeting U.S. Increase in 2024
- Murder and Extremism in the United States in 2023
Mitigation Recommendations:
- US Violent Extremist Mobilization Indicators 2021 Edition
- CISA - Personal Security Considerations Action Guide
Related WaterISAC PIRs: 1, 2, & 4
