The Department of Homeland Security warned the U.S. is in a “heightened threat environment” in a terrorism advisory bulletin Wednesday.
Driving the news: “Targets of potential violence include public gatherings, faith-based institutions, the LGBTQI+ community, schools, racial and religious minorities, government facilities and personnel, U.S. critical infrastructure, the media, and perceived ideological opponents,” the bulletin reads.
- The warning comes after several recent attacks, plots and threats of violence, the department said.
- The bulletin cites the mass shooting at a Colorado Springs LGBTQ nightclub earlier this month and an incident in New Jersey, where an individual was arrested for sharing a manifesto that threatened attacks on synagogues.
What they’re saying: “Lone offenders and small groups motivated by a range of ideological beliefs and/or personal grievances continue to pose a persistent and lethal threat to the Homeland,” the bulletin says.
- “In the coming months, threat actors could exploit several upcoming events to justify or commit acts of violence, including certifications related to the midterm elections, the holiday season and associated large gatherings, the marking of two years since the breach of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, and potential sociopolitical developments connected to ideological beliefs or personal hostility.”
