Citation

Collins CJ, Clark JJ. J. Threat Assess. Manag. 2021; 8(4): 159-173.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, American Psychological Association)

DOI

10.1037/tam0000167

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This study analyzes a case, consistent with a growing number of incidents, where a mass or public shooter or otherwise violent individual identifies as an Incel. The case analysis used the Terrorist Radicalization Assessment Protocol (TRAP-18) to analyze information from criminal investigative reports, employment records, and personally recorded video diary entries posted on the internet. A 40-year-old white man entered a yoga studio in Tallahassee, Florida, on November 2, 2018, shot and killed two women, and injured four others. The perpetrator coded affirmatively for 5 of 8 (63%) proximal warning behaviors and 9 of 10 (90%) distal characteristics. Previous studies have indicated that the presence of one proximal warning behavior on the TRAP-18 warrants active threat management and that clusters of distal characteristics merit threat monitoring. However, in this case, in which the perpetrator had years to develop his hatred toward women and had previously been reported by a relative to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for concerning actions, he was never monitored as a threat nor actively threat managed. This case represents an important opportunity to understand the significance of threat reporting, assessment, and monitoring. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)

Language: en