At A Glance | May 31

FBI Reports 52% Increase in Active Shooter Incidents from 2020

The U.S. saw 61 "active shooter" incidents in 2021 - a stark increase of 52 percent from the year prior and the highest tally in more than two decades, the FBI disclosed in a report on May 23. The incidents sprawled across 30 states and claimed the lives of 103 victims with commercial locations accounting for a little more than half of the attacks included in the report. FBI analysts also noted a growing trend of "roving active shooters," described as attackers who open fire in multiple locations, much like the gunman who targeted several spas in Atlanta in 2021. California, which accounted for six of the 61 attacks last year, ranked as the state with the highest number of active shooter incidents. Texas and Georgia closely trailed behind California with five incidents each. The King Soopers grocery store shooting (pictured) in Boulder, Colorado, where 10 victims perished in gunfire, marked the deadliest shooting of the year. The active shooter report does not incorporate all gun violence or all mass shootings, according to the FBI, which excluded gang- and drug-related acts of violence, isolated domestic disputes and hostage situations, as well as crossfire killings.

Authorities Uncover Cache of Weapons at Maryland Home

Authorities took an unnamed Maryland resident into custody after finding a stockpile of guns and multiple improvised devices at a Princess Anne home May 20. While executing a search and seizure warrant at the residence, Maryland State Police uncovered three complete pipe bombs, four improvised explosive hand grenades and 32 firearms that included military grade weapons. Bomb technicians spent hours scouring the property and defusing devices prior to designating the home free from any threat. The suspect currently in custody faces felony charges of manufacturing and possession of destructive devices, officials said. He is being held without bond at the Somerset County Detention Center.

ISIS Fighter Faces Life Imprisonment After Federal Jury Conviction

A federal jury found a New York man and a high-ranking member of ISIS guilty of providing material support to the global terrorist organization, according to a May 25 press release from the U.S. Justice Department. Drawing from 25 witness testimonies and evidence collected from six separate continents, federal authorities built a case against Mirsad Kandic, 40, of Brooklyn, New York, and Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to court documents, Kandic's responsibilities within the organization ran the gamut and included recruiting and trafficking foreign fighters and obtaining weapons, military equipment, maps, money and false identification for ISIS fighters. After arriving in Syria in late 2013, ISIS leadership would direct Kandic to Turkey, where he led efforts to advance ISIS's media presence. In that role, he disseminated recruitment messages and propaganda from more than 120 Twitter accounts to include an internally produced documentary that celebrated macabre executions of captives who were forced to dig their own graves before being summarily executed. Authorities eventually arrested Kandic in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He faces 20 years of imprisonment on four counts of providing material support and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment on two counts resulting in death.

For more information, please contact NJOHSP's Intelligence Management Bureau at [email protected] or 609-584-4000.