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The Intercept

The Intercept

U.S. Military Service Is the Strongest Predictor of Carrying Out Extremist Violence

The Intercept
Summary
Nutrition label

77% Informative

From 1990 to 2010 , about seven persons per year with U.S. military backgrounds committed extremist crimes.

Since 2011 , that number has jumped to almost 45 per year.

Military service is the single strongest individual predictor of becoming a “mass casualty offender,” far outpacing mental health issues.

Military personnel and veterans are not more likely to radicalize to the point of violence than the general public.

Both Livelsberger and Jabbar spent time at the military base formerly known as Fort Bragg and now called Fort Liberty .

It does not, however, appear that their assignments to the base overlapped.

Fort Liberty is an exceptionally troubled Army base. 109 soldiers assigned there died in 2020 and 2021 . Fewer than 20 were from natural causes.