Syed Rizwan Farook was a U.S.-born domestic terrorist and a suspected ISIS sympathizer. On December 2, 2015, Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik carried out a shooting spree at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California, killing 14 people.Eli Saslow and Setephanie McCrummen, “National ‘Where’s Syed?’: How the San Bernardino shooting unfolded,” Washington Post, December 3, 2015, https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/wheres-syed-how-the-san-bernardino-shooting-unfolded/2015/12/03/2ee90128-9a15-11e5-8917-653b65c809eb_story.html. During the attack, Malik pledged allegiance—on behalf of both herself and Farook—to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi via Facebook. The couple died in a shootout with law enforcement in the hours following the attack.Saeed Ahmed, “Who were Syed Rizwan Farookand Tashfeen Malik?,” CNN, December 4, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/03/us/syed-farook-tashfeen-malik-mass-shooting-profile/;
Pamela Engel, “Here’s the ISIS message the female San Bernardino shooter posted on Facebook during the attack,” Business Insider, December 17, 2015, www.businessinsider.com/isis-message-tashfeen-malik-posted-on-facebook-during-attack-2015-12.

According to U.S. officials, Farook self-radicalized online and listened to the lectures of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. In August 2011, Farook informed his neighbor and friend Enrique Marquez of his interest in joining AQAP in Yemen, according to the FBI.“U.S. District Court for the Central District of California: U.S. v. Enrique Marquez, Jr.,” Department of Justice, December 17, 2015, 8, https://www.justice.gov/opa/file/800606/download;
Lee Ferran and Brian Ross, “San Bernardino: Ghost of American al-Qaeda Haunts Another US Terror Plot,” ABC News, December 18, 2015, http://abcnews.go.com/International/san-bernardino-ghost-american-al-qaeda-haunts-us/story?id=35838795. Farook may have also had some degree of online contact with members of the Somali al-Qaeda affiliate al-Shabab, as well as al-Qaeda’s former affiliate the Nusra Front, according to an unnamed federal investigator.“Everything we know about the San Bernardino terror attack investigation so far,” Los Angeles Times, December 14, 2015, http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-san-bernardino-shooting-terror-investigation-htmlstory.html;
Chris Pleasance, Ashley Collman, and Snejana Farberov, “REVEALED: San Bernardino terrorist Syed Farook ‘had contact with Syrian al Qaeda-affiliated group AND al Shabaab in Somalia’,” Daily Mail (London), December 4, 2015, www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3346500/Pictured-handcuffed-body-San-Bernardino-terrorist-Pakistani-wife-pledged-allegiance-ISIS-Facebook-slaughter-14.html.

Farook was raised in California by Pakistani parents.Kate Shepherd, “San Bernardino Shooter Was Born In Chicago,” Chicagoist, December 3, 2015, http://chicagoist.com/2015/12/03/_the_san_bernardino_shooter.php. He adhered to traditional dress, and reportedly attended religious services twice daily at the Islamic Center of Riverside in Riverside, California.Adam Nagourney, Ian Lovett, Julie Turkewitz, and Benjamin Mueller, “Couple Kept Tight Lid on Plans for San Bernardino Shooting,” New York Times, December 3, 2015, www.nytimes.com/2015/12/04/us/san-bernardino-shooting-syed-rizwan-farook.html?_r=0. In 2010, Farook began working for the San Bernardino County Health Department.Saeed Ahmed, “Who were Syed Rizwan Farookand Tashfeen Malik?,” CNN, December 4, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/03/us/syed-farook-tashfeen-malik-mass-shooting-profile/.

In 2013, Farook met Malik, a Pakistani national, online. That same year, Farook met Malik in person in Saudi Arabia while on hajj.Greg Botelho, “San Bernardino shooting: Carnage was ‘unspeakable,’ police say,” CNN, December 4, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/03/us/san-bernardino-shooting/index.html. Later in 2013, according to then-FBI director James Comey, Farook and Malik discussed their “joint commitment to jihad and to martyrdom” in private online messages. Malik was granted a U.S. fiancée visa in July 2014, and the two married one month later in California.Al Baker and Marc Santora, “San Bernardino Attackers Discussed Jihad in Private Messages, F.B.I. Says,” New York Times, December 16, 2015, www.nytimes.com/2015/12/17/us/san-bernardino-attackers-discussed-jihad-in-private-messages-fbi-says.html?_r=0.

Farook’s intention to carry out a domestic terror attack dates back to at least 2011, when he began plotting attacks alongside friend and neighbor Marquez. Farook discussed radical Islam with Marquez, and shared with him the teachings of AQAP cleric Anwar al-Awlaki.“U.S. District Court for the Central District of California: U.S. v. Enrique Marquez, Jr.,” Department of Justice, December 17, 2015, 4, https://www.justice.gov/opa/file/800606/download. According to the FBI, the pair planned, trained, and purchased equipment—including firearms—and plotted to target Riverside Community College and the highway State Route 91.“U.S. District Court for the Central District of California: U.S. v. Enrique Marquez, Jr.,” Department of Justice, December 17, 2015, 3, https://www.justice.gov/opa/file/800606/download. Farook and Marquez reportedly halted their plots in November 2012 after three men unaffiliated with Farook were arrested in Chino, California, on terror-related charges.Sarah Parvini, Kate Mather, James Queally, and Richard A. Serrano, “San Bernardino shooter used friend to dodge gun check, may have planned larger attack, sources say,” Los Angeles Times, December 10, 2015, www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-enrique-marquez-main-mother-speaks-20151210-story.html.

Farook soon renewed his efforts to conduct an attack. According to the FBI, Farook and Malik began plotting the December 2015 attack before Malik moved to the United States in mid-2014.Richard A. Serrano and Brian Bennet, “San Bernardino shooters began plotting attack before their marriage, FBI chief says,” Los Angeles Times, December 9, 2015, www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-san-bernardino-shooters-preplanning-20151209-story.html.

On the morning of December 2, 2015, Farook and his wife entered the Inland Regional Center (IRC) in San Bernardino, where Farook’s employer was hosting a holiday party.Elizabeth Chuck, Tracy Connor, and Mark Schone, “San Bernardino Shooting: What Is the Inland Regional Center?,” NBC News, December 2, 2015, www.nbcnews.com/storyline/san-bernardino-shooting/san-bernardino-shooting-what-inland-regional-center-n473016. Roughly one hour into the event, Farook placed a concealed explosive device on a table and left the premises, though the device failed to detonate. Marquez later told investigators that Farook had constructed the device using instructions published in AQAP’s English-language magazine Inspire.“U.S. District Court for the Central District of California: U.S. v. Enrique Marquez, Jr.,” Department of Justice, December 17, 2015, 25-26, https://www.justice.gov/opa/file/800606/download;
Richard A. Serrano, James Rufus Koren, Richard Winton, and Corina Knoll, “Online loan may have helped couple fund their terror arsenal in San Bernardino attack,” Los Angeles Times, June 21, 2016, www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-san-bernardino-shooting-attackers-bomb-mainbar-20151208-story.html.

At 11 a.m., Farook and Malik returned to the IRC, dressed in tactical vests and black masks. In less than four minutes, the pair fired 65-75 rounds of bullets, killing 14 people and injuring 21 others.Eli Saslow and Setephanie McCrummen, “National ‘Where’s Syed?’: How the San Bernardino shooting unfolded,” Washington Post, December 3, 2015, https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/wheres-syed-how-the-san-bernardino-shooting-unfolded/2015/12/03/2ee90128-9a15-11e5-8917-653b65c809eb_story.html. During the shooting spree, Malik pledged allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi—on behalf of both herself and Farook—via Facebook.Pamela Engel, “Here’s the ISIS message the female San Bernardino shooter posted on Facebook during the attack,” Business Insider, December 17, 2015, www.businessinsider.com/isis-message-tashfeen-malik-posted-on-facebook-during-attack-2015-12. Farook and Malik fled the scene of the shooting in an SUV, and were apprehended by police near their apartment in the nearby city of Redlands. The pair opened fire on police from their vehicle and were killed in the ensuing shootout.Greg Botelho, “San Bernardino shooting: Carnage was ‘unspeakable,’ police say,” CNN, December 4, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/03/us/san-bernardino-shooting/index.html.

According to the FBI, two of the five firearms used by Farook and Malik in the San Bernardino attack were purchased by Enrique Marquez on separate occasions in late 2011 and early 2012.“Criminal Complaint: United States of America v. Enrique Marquez, Jr.,” United States District Court for the Central District of California, December 17, 2015, 3, https://www.justice.gov/opa/file/800606/download. The day after the attack, Marquez told a 911 operator that he had given the guns to Farook for “safe storage.”Richard Winton, Richard A. Serrano, Joseph Serna, and Marisa Gerber, “After San Bernardino massacre, suspect Enrique Marquez Jr. made dramatic 911 call,” Los Angeles Times, December 18, 2015, http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-911-san-bernardino-massacre-20151218-story.html. The other firearms were legally purchased by Farook between 2007 and 2012.“Everything we know about the San Bernardino terror attack investigation so far,” Los Angeles Times, December 14, 2015, http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-san-bernardino-shooting-terror-investigation-htmlstory.html. Police also found over 4,500 rounds of ammunition and additional bomb making materials at the couple’s home.“Everything we know about the San Bernardino terror attack investigation so far,” Los Angeles Times, December 14, 2015, http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-san-bernardino-shooting-terror-investigation-htmlstory.html.

Following the attack, FBI investigators sought to gather evidence from Farook’s locked iPhone.Cecilia Kang and Eric Lichtblau, “F.B.I. Error Locked San Bernardino Attacker’s iPhone,” New York Times, March 1, 2016, http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/02/technology/apple-and-fbi-face-off-before-house-judiciary-committee.html. In April 2016, FBI Director James Comey said that after paying to have the device unlocked, the FBI had found no evidence linking Farook and Malik to ISIS militants.Devlin Barrett, “FBI Paid More Than $1 Million to Hack San Bernardino iPhone,” New York Times, April 21, 2016, http://www.wsj.com/articles/comey-fbi-paid-more-than-1-million-to-hack-san-bernardino-iphone-1461266641.

Saïd Kouachi was a French citizen of Algerian origin and one of two brothers who carried out the January 2015 attack against the Paris offices of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.Harriet Alexander, “How did the Paris terrorists get hold of their weapons?” Daily Telegraph (London), January 17, 2015, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/11351855/How-did-the-Paris-terrorists-get-hold-of-their-weapons.html. According to Yemeni intelligence, both brothers had trained alongside al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in mid-2011 in Yemen, where they met Anwar al-Awlaki, the AQAP cleric killed by a U.S. drone strike in September of that year.“Kouachi brothers had weapons training in Yemen,” Al Jazeera America, January 11, 2015, http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/1/11/kouachi-france.html.

On the morning of January 7, 2015, Kouachi and his younger brother Chérif Kouachi forcibly entered the Charlie Hebdo office armed with assault rifles, submachine guns, pistols, and a rocket launcher.Harriet Alexander, “How did the Paris terrorists get hold of their weapons?” Daily Telegraph (London), January 17, 2015, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/11351855/How-did-the-Paris-terrorists-get-hold-of-their-weapons.html. Within 10 minutes, they murdered 11 people, six of whom were cartoonists.“Charlie Hebdo attack: Three days of terror,” BBC News, January 14, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30708237. While fleeing the premises, the brothers shouted that they had carried out the attack on behalf of AQAP.Mohammed Ghobari, “Exclusive: Paris attack suspect met prominent al Qaeda preacher in Yemen – intelligence source,” Reuters, January 9, 2016, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-shooting-yemen-idUSKBN0KI0PW20150109. The pair killed another police officer outside on the street, but managed to evade capture for two days. On January 9, French police confronted and killed both brothers in a shootout in Dammartin-en-Goële, 22 miles northeast of Paris.“Charlie Hebdo hunt: Bloody end to sieges,” BBC News, January 10, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30752239.

According to former CIA deputy director Michael Morell, the Kouachi brothers targeted Charlie Hebdo because the magazine had published cartoons of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Their motive was “absolutely clear,” said Morell, who added that the brothers were “trying to shut down a media organization that lampooned the Prophet Muhammad.”Dan Bilefsky and Maïa de la Baume, “Terrorists Strike Charlie Hebdo Newspaper, Leaving 12 Dead,” New York Times, January 7, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/08/world/europe/charlie-hebdo-paris-shooting.html?_r=1.

The Kouachi brothers, of Algerian descent, grew up in France. Their father died during the brothers’ early teenage years. Their mother sent them to a state school for special-needs children because she was unable to care for them. The Kouachis’ mother died before they completed school and they did not proceed to university. The brothers moved to Paris’s 19th arrondisement, a neighborhood known for its large and poor immigrant population.Scott Bronstein, “Cherif and Said Kouachi: Their path to terror,” CNN, January 14, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/13/world/kouachi-brothers-radicalization/index.html.

In the 19th arrondisement, the brothers attended Adda’wa mosque, a.k.a. La Mosquee de Stalingrad, with French Islamist cleric Farid Benyettou.Scott Bronstein, “Terror suspect Cherif Kouachi: ‘I was ready to go and die in battle,’” CNN, January 10, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/09/europe/cherif-kouachi-court-documents/index.html. In 2009, the Kouachi brothers and Amedy Coulibaly regularly met with Djamel Beghal, an al-Qaeda recruiter of Algerian descent who had been previously imprisoned for plotting to attack the U.S. embassy in Paris in 2001.Scott Bronstein, “Cherif and Said Kouachi: Their path to terror,” CNN, January 14, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/13/world/kouachi-brothers-radicalization/index.html. During their meetings, Beghal, Coulibaly, and the Kouachi brothers reportedly plotted to break Smain Ali Belkacem—convicted for the 1995 Paris metro bombing—out of prison.Carol Kuruvilla and Jaweed Kaleem, “Amedy Coulibaly, Paris Kosher Market Terrorist, Had History Of Ties To Violence,” Huffington Post, January 10, 2015, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/09/amedy-coulibaly-paris-kosher-market_n_6444418.html; “Paris attacks: Suspects’ profiles,” BBC News, January 12, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30722038. Police monitoring the group arrested the men in May 2010 before they could carry out the prison break.Greg Botelho and Ray Sanchez, “France: Raids kill 3 suspects, including 2 wanted in Charlie Hebdo attack,” CNN, January 21, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/09/europe/charlie-hebdo-paris-shooting/. The Kouachi brothers were implicated in the plot, but were not charged due to lack of evidence.Carol Kuruvilla and Jaweed Kaleem, “Amedy Coulibaly, Paris Kosher Market Terrorist, Had History Of Ties To Violence,” Huffington Post, January 10, 2015, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/09/amedy-coulibaly-paris-kosher-market_n_6444418.html.

Both Saïd and his brother reportedly had contact with Anwar al-Awlaki. According to an unnamed Yemeni security official, at some point between late July and early August of 2011, the brothers traveled to Yemen where they received training from AQAP and met with Awlaki.“Kouachi brothers had weapons training in Yemen,” Al Jazeera America, January 11, 2015, http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/1/11/kouachi-france.html. On January 9, 2015, during the final siege in Dammartin-en-Goële, Saïd’s brother Chérif told French media over a phone call interview that Awlaki had financed his trip to Yemen.“Charlie Hebdo shooter says financed by Qaeda preacher in Yemen,” Reuters, January 9, 2015, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-shooting-yemen-finance-idUSKBN0KI1Y320150109.

The Kouachi brothers’ attack on Chalie Hebdo was also linked to Coulibaly’s January 9, 2015, attack on Paris’s Hyper Cacher kosher supermarket.Griff Witte, “In a kosher grocery store in Paris, terror takes a deadly toll,” Washington Post, January 9,2015, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/paris-kosher-market-seized-in-second-hostage-drama-in-nervous-france/2015/01/09/f171b97e-97ff-11e4-8005-1924ede3e54a_story.html?utm_term=.2d7aacfbb438; Angus Berwick, “Spanish police arrest man suspected of arming Paris supermarket gunman,” Reuters, April 13, 2016, http://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFKCN0XA1JA?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0. Coulibaly took 16 occupants hostage, and reportedly demanded that police allow the Kouachi brothers to escape their hideout in Dammartin.Griff Witte, “In a kosher grocery store in Paris, terror takes a deadly toll,” Washington Post, January 9,2015, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/paris-kosher-market-seized-in-second-hostage-drama-in-nervous-france/2015/01/09/f171b97e-97ff-11e4-8005-1924ede3e54a_story.html?utm_term=.2d7aacfbb438; John Lichfield, “Paris attackers interview with French TV station: ‘We are defenders of the Prophet… We took vengeance’, said Charlie Hebdo killer Cherif Kouachi,” Independent (London), January 10, 2015, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/paris-attackers-gave-interview-to-french-tv-station-we-are-defenders-of-the-prophet-we-took-9969749.html; Ricky Ben-David, “4 dead as French forces storm kosher supermarket, kill gunman; Charlie Hebdo terrorist brothers also killed,” Times of Israel, January 10, 2015, http://www.timesofisrael.com/terror-onslaught-in-paris/. Coulibaly claimed in a phone interview that he had “coordinated [with the Kouachi brothers] from the beginning.”Griff Witte, “In a kosher grocery store in Paris, terror takes a deadly toll,” Washington Post, January 9,2015, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/paris-kosher-market-seized-in-second-hostage-drama-in-nervous-france/2015/01/09/f171b97e-97ff-11e4-8005-1924ede3e54a_story.html?utm_term=.2d7aacfbb438; “Paris gunman appears in video, declares loyalty to Islamic State,” Reuters, January 11, 2015, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-shooting-video-gunman-idUSKBN0KK0BL20150111; John Lichfield, “Paris attackers interview with French TV station: ‘We are defenders of the Prophet… We took vengeance’, said Charlie Hebdo killer Cherif Kouachi,” Independent (London), January 10, 2015, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/paris-attackers-gave-interview-to-french-tv-station-we-are-defenders-of-the-prophet-we-took-9969749.html. On January 10, a video was distributed online in which Coulibaly claimed to have synchronized his attacks with the Kouachi brothers.Fidelma Cook, Lucy Crossley, Tom Kelly, and Claire Duffin, “Hebdo killers in ISIS martyrdom video – as French police discover his massive arms cache and link him to another shooting two days earlier,” Daily Mail (London), January 11, 2015, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2905302/Calm-stare-Jewish-deli-terrorist-Jihadist-s-ISIS-suicide-video-emerges-confirms-link-Charlie-Hebdo-killers-calls-fellow-vigorous-Muslims-defend-prophet-Mohammed.html.

Richard Reid—known colloquially as the “shoe bomber”—is a British national who attempted to destroy a civilian airliner with a shoe-bomb in December 2001.Pam Belluck, “Threats and Responses: The Bomb Plot; Unrepentant Shoe Bomber Is Given a Life Sentence For Trying to Blow Up Jet,” New York Times, January 31, 2003, http://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/31/us/threats-responses-bomb-plot-unrepentant-shoe-bomber-given-life-sentence-for.html;
“The Case of the Explosive Shoes,” FBI, July 18, 2015, https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/news/stories/2005/july/shoe_bomb071805. According to prosecutors, Reid had previously trained alongside al-Qaeda in Afghanistan from 1998 to 1999.“Richard Reid Fast Facts,” CNN, December 25, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/25/us/richard-reid-fast-facts/; Michael Elliot, “The Shoe Bomber’s World,” Time, February 16, 2002, http://content.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,203478,00.html. In October 2002, Reid pled guilty to eight counts, including attempted murder.Lee Moran, “Shoe bomber in Supermax: Richard Reid pictured for first time inside high security prison,” Daily Mail (London), October 10, 2011, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2047093/Shoe-bomber-Richard-Reid-pictured-inside-US-Supermax-jail.html. He is serving a life sentence in prison in Florence, Colorado.Lee Moran, “Shoe bomber in Supermax: Richard Reid pictured for first time inside high security prison,” Daily Mail (London), October 10, 2011, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2047093/Shoe-bomber-Richard-Reid-pictured-inside-US-Supermax-jail.html.

On December 22, 2001, Reid attempted to detonate explosives hidden in his sneakers on board American Airlines Flight 63 from Paris to Miami, carrying 197 people. He was restrained by passengers and crew on the flight after trying to set light to a fuse connected to explosives in his shoes. Tests on the explosives later showed that the fuse was too damp to ignite.Lee Moran, “Shoe bomber in Supermax: Richard Reid pictured for first time inside high security prison,” Daily Mail (London), October 10, 2011, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2047093/Shoe-bomber-Richard-Reid-pictured-inside-US-Supermax-jail.html. A doctor on board sedated Reid with a tranquilizer, and the flight was diverted to Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts. Reid was immediately arrested.Lee Moran, “Shoe bomber in Supermax: Richard Reid pictured for first time inside high security prison,” Daily Mail (London), October 10, 2011, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2047093/Shoe-bomber-Richard-Reid-pictured-inside-US-Supermax-jail.html.

Reid was born in 1973 in the London suburb of Bromley. After falling into a life of crime in the mid-1990s, Reid was jailed in numerous prisons. One of them was Feltham Young Offenders Institution in west London, where Reid is believed to have converted to Islam. After his release, Reid became a member at the Brixton Mosque in south London, where the extremist preacher Abdullah Faisal delivered sermons. While attending the Brixton Mosque, Reid studied Arabic and assumed the name “Abdel Rahim.”“Who is Richard Reid?,” BBC News, December 28, 2001, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk/1731568.stm;
Peter Herbert, ‘I knew exactly what I was doing,’” Guardian (London), August 23, 2006, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/aug/24/alqaida.terrorism. Reid is also reported to have met Zacarias Moussaoui, who had been a member of the Brixton Mosque and was later charged with conspiracy in the September 11 attacks.“Who is Richard Reid?,” BBC News, December 28, 2001, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk/1731568.stm. In 1998 he left the Brixton Mosque for the Finsbury Park Mosque in north London, where he attended sermons led by extremist cleric Abu Hamza.Peter Herbert, ‘I knew exactly what I was doing,’” Guardian (London), August 23, 2006, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/aug/24/alqaida.terrorism.

Between 1998 and 1999, Reid received training from al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, according to prosecutors.Michael Elliot, “The Shoe Bomber’s World,” Time, February 16, 2002, http://content.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,203478,00.html;
Peter Herbert, ‘I knew exactly what I was doing,’” Guardian (London), August 23, 2006, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/aug/24/alqaida.terrorism. According to British authorities, Reid trained at the Khalden camp near the Pakistani border. Reid was also influenced by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, according to media reports.“New York on alert over possible revenge attacks after Bin Laden hunters wipe out Al Qaeda boss who preached hate in America,” Daily Mail (London), October 1, 2011, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2043772/Anwar-al-Awlaki-NYC-alert-possible-revenge-attacks-Al-Qaeda-boss-killed.html#ixzz4L5vHk5AL.

In 2015, Reid claimed from prison that his plot had failed because it was God’s will. “I believe that it wasn’t supposed to happen, not because it was displeasing to God … rather because it was not either my time to die nor that of those on the plane with me, and he had other plans for me.”Tracy Connor, “Shoe-Bomber Has ‘Tactical Regrets’ Over Failed American Airlines Plot,” NBC News, February 3, 2015, http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/shoe-bomber-has-tactical-regrets-over-failed-american-airlines-plot-n296396. In February 2015, Reid commented on the January 2015 attack on the Charlie Hebdo offices in Paris, saying that he did not see the attack as a “tragedy,” concluding that, “if you play with fire you might get burned, so I have no tears for those who insult Islam.”Tracy Connor, “Shoe-Bomber Has ‘Tactical Regrets’ Over Failed American Airlines Plot,” NBC News, February 3, 2015, http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/shoe-bomber-has-tactical-regrets-over-failed-american-airlines-plot-n296396.

Nidal Hasan is a U.S. citizen of Palestinian descent and a convicted domestic terrorist. In November 2009, while serving as a soldier at the Fort Hood military post in Kalleen, Texas, Hasan launched an attack on fellow soldiers, killing 13 people and wounding 32 others.Jennifer Hlad, “In opening remarks, Hasan says he was ‘on the wrong side’ in US Army uniform,” Stars and Stripes, August 6, 2013, https://archive.org/stream/final-report-of-the-william-h.-webster-commission#page/n0/mode/2up. In the year leading up to the attack, Hasan was in contact via email with al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, reportedly sending him a series of emails in 2008 and 2009 and receiving two emails from Awlaki in response.David Johnston and Scott Shane, “U.S. Knew of Suspect’s Tie to Radical Cleric,” New York Times, November 9, 2009, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/10/us/10inquire.html;
Larry Shaughnessy, “Hasan’s E-mail Exchange with al-Awlaki; Islam, Money and Matchmaking,” CNN Security Clearance, July 20, 2012, http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2012/07/20/hasans-e-mail-exchange-with-al-awlaki-islam-money-and-matchmaking/. In his court hearings following the attack, Hasan claimed that he had targeted U.S. soldiers in order to preemptively protect Taliban militants in Afghanistan.Michael Muskal and Molly Hennessy-Fiske, “Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan tells court-martial: ‘I am the shooter’,” Los Angeles Times, August 6, 2013, http://articles.latimes.com/2013/aug/06/nation/la-na-nn-nidal-malik-hasan-fort-hood-20130806;
Manny Fernandez, “Fort Hood Suspect Says Rampage Was to Defend Afghan Taliban Leaders,” New York Times, June 4, 2013, http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/05/us/fort-hood-suspect-says-he-was-defending-taliban-leaders.html. Hasan pled not guilty to murder-related charges but was nonetheless convicted by a military jury and sentenced to death in August 2013.Chelsea J. Carter, “Nidal Hasan Convicted in Fort Hood Shootings; Jurors Can Decide Death,” CNN, August 23, 2013, http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/23/justice/nidal-hasan-court-martial-friday/;
Billy Kenber, “Nidal Hasan sentenced to death for Fort Hood shooting rampage,” Washington Post, August 28, 2013, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/nidal-hasan-sentenced-to-death-for-fort-hood-shooting-rampage/2013/08/28/aad28de2-0ffa-11e3-bdf6-e4fc677d94a1_story.html. Hasan is currently detained on military death row in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.“Fort Leavenworth death row inmate Nidal Hasan appears at hearing in Fort Hood massacre case,” Dallas Morning News, January 29, 2015, www.dallasnews.com/news/state/headlines/20150129-fort-leavenworth-death-row-inmate-nidal-hasan-appears-at-hearing-in-fort-hood-massacre-case.ece.

Hasan was born in 1970 in Arlington, Virginia, to Palestinian immigrant parents. In 1995, Hasan graduated with honors from Virginia Tech University with a degree in biochemistry. Following graduation, he attended Army Officer Candidate School, and was selected to attend medical school at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland. Hasan graduated in 2003, later earning a master’s degree in public health.James C. McKinley Jr. and James Dao, “Fort Hood Gunman Gave Signals Before His Rampage,” New York Times, November 8, 2009, www.nytimes.com/2009/11/09/us/09reconstruct.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1.

Hasan’s radicalization is believed to have begun as early as 2000 when, following the death of his parents, Hasan reportedly grew more overtly pious. In 2001, Hasan attended Anwar al-Awlaki’s Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center in Virginia, though it is not clear if the two interacted.James C. McKinley Jr. and James Dao, “Fort Hood Gunman Gave Signals Before His Rampage,” New York Times, November 8, 2009, www.nytimes.com/2009/11/09/us/09reconstruct.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1.

In December 2008, Hasan contacted Awlaki through Awlaki’s personal website. Hasan asked Awlaki to “make some general comments about Muslims in the u.s. military [sic],” including Hasan Akbar, the U.S. army sergeant who killed two soldiers in Kuwait in March 2003.Manuel Roig-Franzia, “Army Soldier Is Convicted In Attack on Fellow Troops,” Washington Post, April 22, 2005, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7210-2005Apr21.html. Hasan asked whether Awlaki would “consider someone like Hasan Akbar or other soldiers that have committed such acts with the goal of helping Muslims/Islam…fighting Jihad[?],” and “if they did die would you consider them shaheeds[?]”“Anwar Awlaki E-mail Exchange with Fort Hood Shooter Nidal Hasan,” IntelWire, July 19, 2012, http://news.intelwire.com/2012/07/the-following-e-mails-between-maj.html.

The FBI intercepted the message but classified it as “Not a product of interest.”“FINAL REPORT of the WILLIAM H. WEBSTER COMMISSION on The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Counterterrorism Intelligence, and the Events at Fort Hood, Texas, on November 5, 2009,” William H. Webster Commission, Accessed July 2, 2016, 41-52, https://archive.org/details/final-report-of-the-william-h.-webster-commission. Over the next two months, Hasan sent six emails to Awlaki and Awlaki responded to two, after which Hasan continued to email him. Hasan asked several questions about Hamas and the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict, posited an essay scholarship prize for the question “Why is Anwar Al Awlaki a great activist and leader?” and offered to help Awlaki “in accordance with the u.s. Law [sic].”“FINAL REPORT of the WILLIAM H. WEBSTER COMMISSION on The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Counterterrorism Intelligence, and the Events at Fort Hood, Texas, on November 5, 2009,” William H. Webster Commission, Accessed July 2, 2016, 41-52, https://archive.org/details/final-report-of-the-william-h.-webster-commission. In all, Hasan exchanged 16 emails with Anwar al-Awlaki, dated from December 2008 to June 2009.“Anwar Awlaki E-mail Exchange with Fort Hood Shooter Nidal Hasan,” IntelWire, July 19, 2012, http://news.intelwire.com/2012/07/the-following-e-mails-between-maj.html.

In July 2009, Hasan moved to the Fort Hood military post, pending an almost certain deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan.James C. McKinley Jr. and James Dao, “Fort Hood Gunman Gave Signals Before His Rampage,” New York Times, November 8, 2009, www.nytimes.com/2009/11/09/us/09reconstruct.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1. Two weeks after his move, Hasan purchased a Herstal FN Five-Seven handgun from a gun store in Killeen, Texas, allegedly asking clerks for the most technologically advanced weapon available.Jennifer Hlad, “In opening remarks, Hasan says he was ‘on the wrong side’ in US Army uniform,” Stars and Stripes, August 6, 2013, https://archive.org/stream/final-report-of-the-william-h.-webster-commission#page/n0/mode/2up. In October of that year, the U.S. Army notified Hasan he would be deploying to Afghanistan in November.“FINAL REPORT of the WILLIAM H. WEBSTER COMMISSION on The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Counterterrorism Intelligence, and the Events at Fort Hood, Texas, on November 5, 2009,” William H. Webster Commission, Accessed July 2, 2016, 62, https://archive.org/details/final-report-of-the-william-h.-webster-commission.

On November 5, Hasan entered the Soldier Readiness Processing Center at the Fort Hood military post. He told a civilian clerk to leave the room, yelled “Allahu Akbar,” and began shooting. Hasan specifically sought out uniformed soldiers and killed only one individual who was not in uniform.Jennifer Hlad, “In opening remarks, Hasan says he was ‘on the wrong side’ in US Army uniform,” Stars and Stripes, August 6, 2013, https://archive.org/stream/final-report-of-the-william-h.-webster-commission#page/n0/mode/2up. Hasan killed 13 and wounded another 32 before he was subdued by responding police officers.James C. McKinley Jr. and James Dao, “Fort Hood Gunman Gave Signals Before His Rampage,” New York Times, November 8, 2009, www.nytimes.com/2009/11/09/us/09reconstruct.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1.

Hasan was charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premediated murder.Michael Muskal and Molly Hennessy-Fiske, “Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan tells court-martial: ‘I am the shooter’,” Los Angeles Times, August 6, 2013, http://articles.latimes.com/2013/aug/06/nation/la-na-nn-nidal-malik-hasan-fort-hood-20130806. In his opening statement at the military tribunal in Fort Hood, Hasan declared himself the shooter and said that he was a member of the “mujhadeen [holy warriors].”Jennifer Hlad, “In opening remarks, Hasan says he was ‘on the wrong side’ in US Army uniform,” Stars and Stripes, August 6, 2013, https://archive.org/stream/final-report-of-the-william-h.-webster-commission#page/n0/mode/2up. Hasan also said that as a member of the U.S. Army, he found himself on the “wrong side,” and had “switched sides.”Josh Rubin and Matt Smith, “‘I am the shooter,’ Nidal Hasan tells Fort Hood court-martial,” CNN, August 6, 2013, www.cnn.com/2013/08/06/justice/hasan-court-martial/. The judge struck down an attempt by Hasan to frame his attack as an effort to protect Taliban fighters in Afghanistan.Michael Muskal and Molly Hennessy-Fiske, “Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan tells court-martial: ‘I am the shooter’,” Los Angeles Times, August 6, 2013, http://articles.latimes.com/2013/aug/06/nation/la-na-nn-nidal-malik-hasan-fort-hood-20130806. Roughly one year after the shooting, Awlaki praised Hasan, stating, “How can we object to...Nidal Hasan’s operation. He killed American soldiers who were on their way to Afghanistan and Iraq. Who would object to that?”Jeremy Havardi, “The children of Anwar Al-Awlaki,” Commentator, May 23, 2013, www.thecommentator.com/article/3605/the_children_of_anwar_al_awlaki.

Statements by Hasan’s acquaintances following the attack reveal that Hasan viewed his military service as deeply in conflict with his religion. According to Duane Reasoner Jr., a friend of Hasan’s who attended mosque, “[Hasan] felt he was supposed to quit [the army]… In the Koran, it says you are not supposed to have alliances with Jews or Christians, and if you are killed in the military fighting against Muslims, you will go to hell.” Reasoner characterized Hasan as “very upset” and stated, “He didn’t want to go to Afghanistan.” In 2004, Hasan reportedly sought legal advice in an effort to terminate his Army contract, which was set to last until 2010. On one occasion in 2009, Hasan asked Osman Danquah—a veteran of the first Gulf War and the cofounder of Killeen mosque which Hasan attended—how he should counsel Muslim soldiers objecting to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Danquah later told the media, “I got the impression he was trying to validate how he was dealing with it.”James C. McKinley Jr. and James Dao, “Fort Hood Gunman Gave Signals Before His Rampage,” New York Times, November 8, 2009, www.nytimes.com/2009/11/09/us/09reconstruct.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1.

Though Hasan did not plead guilty to charges, he refused to field a defense and suggested that an execution would be his martyrdom. In August 2013, the military court found Hasan guilty on all charges and sentenced him to death.Manny Fernandez, “Death Penalty for Rampage at Fort Hood,” New York Times, August 28, 2013, www.nytimes.com/2013/08/29/us/jury-weighs-sentence-for-fort-hood-shooting.html?_r=0. Hasan remains on military death row in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.“Fort Leavenworth death row inmate Nidal Hasan appears at hearing in Fort Hood massacre case,” Dallas Morning News, January 29, 2015, www.dallasnews.com/news/state/headlines/20150129-fort-leavenworth-death-row-inmate-nidal-hasan-appears-at-hearing-in-fort-hood-massacre-case.ece.

Nadir Soofi was an American-born ISIS supporter who attacked a “Draw Muhammad” cartoon contest in Garland, Texas, on May 3, 2015, alongside Elton Simpson. The pair shot and wounded a security guard with AK-47s before they were shot and killed by police.“Phoenix Man Convicted of Conspiracy to Support ISIL and Other Terrorism-Related Offenses,” U.S. Department of Justice, March 17, 2016, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/phoenix-man-convicted-conspiracy-support-isil-and-other-terrorism-related-offenses. ISIS swiftly claimed responsibility for the attack and referred to Simpson and Soofi as its “soldiers.”Holly Yan, “Texas attack: What we know about Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi,” CNN, May 5, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/05/us/texas-shooting-gunmen/. Soofi reportedly drew inspiration from al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula propagandist Anwar al-Awlaki.Dan Frosch and Ana Campoy, “Mother of Texas Gunman Sought to Keep Son From Extremism,” Wall Street Journal, May 6, 2015, http://www.wsj.com/articles/mother-of-texas-gunman-sought-to-keep-son-from-extremism-1430951298.

Simpson, Soofi, and their roommate Abdul Malik Abdul Kareem began planning an attack in support of ISIS as early as June 2014, according to U.S. prosecutors. They allegedly discussed targeting military bases, individual military service members, shopping malls, and the Glendale, Arizona, Super Bowl. They decided on the so-called “Muhammad Art Exhibit and Contest” in Garland, Texas, hosted by conservative political activist Pamela Gellar’s American Freedom Defense Initiative. On the morning of May 3, 2015, Simpson and Soofi drove from their home in Phoenix, Arizona, to the contest at Garland’s Curtis Culwell Center. Upon arrival they began firing assault rifles at security personnel, wounding one guard. A local traffic officer then shot and killed both Simpson and Soofi.“Phoenix Man Convicted of Conspiracy to Support ISIL and Other Terrorism-Related Offenses,” U.S. Department of Justice, March 17, 2016, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/phoenix-man-convicted-conspiracy-support-isil-and-other-terrorism-related-offenses. In March 2016, Kareem was found guilty of conspiring alongside Simpson and Soofi to provide material support to ISIS.“Phoenix Man Convicted of Conspiracy to Support ISIL and Other Terrorism-Related Offenses,” U.S. Department of Justice, March 17, 2016, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/phoenix-man-convicted-conspiracy-support-isil-and-other-terrorism-related-offenses;
Dan Frosch and Ana Campoy, “One of Texas Gunmen Had Previously Drawn FBI’s Attention,” Wall Street Journal, May 4, 2015, http://www.wsj.com/articles/one-of-texas-gunmen-had-previously-drawn-fbis-attention-1430753373.

Soofi was born in Garland, Texas, in 1980 to a Pakistani father and a Christian American mother. He moved to Pakistan with his family at age 8. After his parents’ divorce in 1998, Soofi returned to the United States with his mother.Holly Yan, “Texas attack: What we know about Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi,” CNN, May 5, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/05/us/texas-shooting-gunmen/;
Dan Frosch and Ana Campoy, “Mother of Texas Gunman Sought to Keep Son From Extremism,” Wall Street Journal, May 6, 2015, http://www.wsj.com/articles/mother-of-texas-gunman-sought-to-keep-son-from-extremism-1430951298. He studied pre-med at the University of Utah, but dropped out of school in 2003.‘Profile: Texas gunmen Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi,” BBC News, May 5, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-32582704;
Dan Frosch and Ana Campoy, “One of Texas Gunmen Had Previously Drawn FBI’s Attention,” Wall Street Journal, May 4, 2015, http://www.wsj.com/articles/one-of-texas-gunmen-had-previously-drawn-fbis-attention-1430753373. Soofi moved to Phoenix, Arizona, and reportedly worked as a taxi driver. He also owned several businesses including a carpet-cleaning service and a pizzeria.Dan Frosch and Ana Campoy, “One of Texas Gunmen Had Previously Drawn FBI’s Attention,” Wall Street Journal, May 4, 2015, http://www.wsj.com/articles/one-of-texas-gunmen-had-previously-drawn-fbis-attention-1430753373. Soofi hired Simpson to work at his pizza shop, and told his mother that though Simpson had a criminal record, he had converted to Islam and was trying to reform his life.Dan Frosch and Ana Campoy, “Mother of Texas Gunman Sought to Keep Son From Extremism,” Wall Street Journal, May 6, 2015, http://www.wsj.com/articles/mother-of-texas-gunman-sought-to-keep-son-from-extremism-1430951298. Soofi himself had previously had legal issues. He was sued in 2012 for showing a closed-circuit boxing match in his pizzeria without a commercial license. Soofi was ordered to pay approximately $10,000 in damages. In addition, in 2013, Soofi was ordered to pay $4,800 in past child support to his child’s mother, Tabbatha Banayat.Dan Frosch and Ana Campoy, “One of Texas Gunmen Had Previously Drawn FBI’s Attention,” Wall Street Journal, May 4, 2015, http://www.wsj.com/articles/one-of-texas-gunmen-had-previously-drawn-fbis-attention-1430753373.

According to Soofi’s mother, her son would often speak about Islam during their phone calls and blame the United States for its role in the Middle East. Soofi would also frequently talk about Anwar al-Awlaki, and would reportedly send his mother DVDs of Awlaki’s sermons. According to his mother, Awlaki’s 2011 death “instigated a deeper passion for his teachings” in her son.Dan Frosch and Ana Campoy, “Mother of Texas Gunman Sought to Keep Son From Extremism,” Wall Street Journal, May 6, 2015, http://www.wsj.com/articles/mother-of-texas-gunman-sought-to-keep-son-from-extremism-1430951298. According to Soofi’s maternal grandmother, Soofi was “a practicing Muslim, but wasn’t no fanatic about it.”Dan Frosch and Ana Campoy, “Mother of Texas Gunman Sought to Keep Son From Extremism,” Wall Street Journal, May 6, 2015, http://www.wsj.com/articles/mother-of-texas-gunman-sought-to-keep-son-from-extremism-1430951298. Soofi’s mother reportedly called Soofi in January 2015 after she learned from her other son that Nadir had purchased an AK-47 off of Craigslist. Soofi reportedly told his mother that shooting was just a hobby and that he had gotten rid of the automatic rifle.Dan Frosch and Ana Campoy, “Mother of Texas Gunman Sought to Keep Son From Extremism,” Wall Street Journal, May 6, 2015, http://www.wsj.com/articles/mother-of-texas-gunman-sought-to-keep-son-from-extremism-1430951298.

Soofi’s brother, Ali, reportedly lived with Nadir and Simpson until about three weeks before the attack. Ali Soofi purportedly moved out because he was concerned about Simpson’s influence on his brother. Soofi was survived by his then-9-year-old son. Soofi’s mother called her son a good father, but said she could not understand why he would “leave [his son] behind.”Matt Pearce and Nigel Duara, “Texas gunman’s mother: ‘He just had a normal American upbringing,’” Los Angeles Times, May 5, 2015, http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-texas-gunman-20150505-story.html

Michael Adebolajo is a British citizen and convicted Islamic extremist. He is serving a life sentence for his role in the May 2013 murder of Lee Rigby, a British soldier and member of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.“Lee Rigby murder: Adebolajo and Adebowale jailed,” BBC News, February 26, 2014, http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-26357007. In the years before the attack, Adebolajo is believed to have had contact with Omar Bakri Muhammad and Anjem Choudary, the co-founders of the banned British group al-Muhajiroun.Vikram Dodd and Daniel Howden, “Woolwich murder: what drove two men to kill a soldier in the street,” Guardian (London), December 19, 2003, https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/dec/19/woolwich-murder-soldier-street-adebolajo-radicalised-kenya;
Frank Langfitt, “Radical Cleric Anjem Choudary Convicted of Inciting Support for ISIS,” NPR, August 1, 2016, http://www.npr.org/2016/08/17/490386941/radical-cleric-anjem-choudary-convicted-of-inciting-support-for-isis;
Dominic Casciani, “How Anjem Choudary’s mouth was finally shut,” BBC News August 16, 2016, http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-36979892;
Jamie Grierson, Vikram Dodd and Jason Rodrigues, “Anjem Choudary convicted of supporting Islamic State,” Guardian (London), August 16, 2016, https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/aug/16/anjem-choudary-convicted-of-supporting-islamic-state. According to British authorities, Adebolajo was in part radicalized by the lectures of U.S.-born al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) cleric Anwar al-Awlaki.Josh Halliday, “Lee Rigby ‘non-Muslim version of me’, Micahel Adebolajo tells court,” Guardian (London), December 5, 2013, https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/dec/05/lee-rigby-michael-adebolajo-court-woolwich.

Adebolajo was born in the United Kingdom to Nigerian parents and raised in a Christian family.Cassell Bryan-Low, Benoit Faucon and Peter Evans, “Second Suspect in London Attack Named,” Wall Street Journal, May 25, 2013, http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324659404578502790328797014. He converted to Islam in 2003 during his first year of university,Vikram Dodd and Daniel Howden, “Woolwich murder: what drove two men to kill a soldier in the street,” Guardian (London), December 19, 2003, https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/dec/19/woolwich-murder-soldier-street-adebolajo-radicalised-kenya. and was reportedly tutored by extremist cleric Omar Bakri Muhammad. As early as 2006, Adebolajo attended protests led by al-Muhajiroun,Vikram Dodd and Daniel Howden, “Woolwich murder: what drove two men to kill a soldier in the street,” Guardian (London), December 19, 2003, https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/dec/19/woolwich-murder-soldier-street-adebolajo-radicalised-kenya. and was reportedly arrested that year for his participation in one of the group’s demonstrations. Nevertheless, Adebolajo is believed to have led some of the group’s protests in 2007 and 2009.“Footage of Woolwich suspect leading protest,” ITV News, May 29, 2013, http://www.itv.com/news/2013-05-29/new-footage-of-woolwich-suspect-michael-adebolajo-speaking-at-a-demonstration-in-2009/. Adebolajo reportedly attended events led by al-Muhajiroun and its successor groups until 2011, and later told British authorities that he left the group completely in 2012.Vikram Dodd and Daniel Howden, “Woolwich murder: what drove two men to kill a soldier in the street,” Guardian (London), December 19, 2003, https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/dec/19/woolwich-murder-soldier-street-adebolajo-radicalised-kenya.

In October 2010, Adebolajo attempted to travel to Somalia where, according to British police, he planned to join the al-Qaeda affiliate al-Shabab. However, Adebolago was arrested by Kenyan counterterrorism forces before he was able to enter SomaliaSylvia Hui and Tom Odula, “Kenya: UK soldier killing suspect arrested in 2010,” Associated Press, May 26, 2013, http://bigstory.ap.org/article/uk-sets-task-force-target-radical-preachers. He later claimed that he was physically assaulted and sexually threatened by Kenyan officials during interrogations.Vikram Dodd and Daniel Howden, “Woolwich murder: what drove two men to kill a soldier in the street,” Guardian (London), December 19, 2003, https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/dec/19/woolwich-murder-soldier-street-adebolajo-radicalised-kenya. Adebolajo was transferred to British authorities and returned to the United Kingdom in November 2010.Vikram Dodd and Daniel Howden, “Woolwich murder: what drove two men to kill a soldier in the street,” Guardian (London), December 19, 2003, https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/dec/19/woolwich-murder-soldier-street-adebolajo-radicalised-kenya.

Adebolajo executed the May 2013 attack alongside British-Nigerian convert to Islam Michael Adebowale. Though Adebolajo and Adebowale were from the same neighborhood, police do not know when the men first met.Dominic Casciani, “Woolwich: How did Michael Adebolajo become a killer?,” BBC News, December 19, 2013, http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-25424290. While there is little detail revealing how the pair planned the attack, Adebolajo told investigators that he had planned to target soldiers because soldiers already “have an understanding that [their lives are] at risk.”Vikram Dodd and Daniel Howden, “Woolwich murder: what drove two men to kill a soldier in the street,” Guardian (London), December 19, 2003, https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/dec/19/woolwich-murder-soldier-street-adebolajo-radicalised-kenya. CCTV cameras filmed Adebolajo purchasing a five-piece set of knives and a knife sharpener on May 21, 2013.“Fusilier Lee Rigby trial: Prosecution key points,” BBC News, November 29, 2013, http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-25152141.

On the afternoon of May 22, 2013, Adebolajo and Adebowale hit Lee Rigby with a car traveling at 30-40 mph as the off-duty soldier walked to the Royal Artillery Barracks in London.“Lee Rigby murder: Adebolajo and Adebowale jailed,” BBC News, February 26, 2014, http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-26357007. Adebolajo and his co-conspirator then dragged Rigby into the street and stabbed him with a knife and a meat cleaver, reportedly shouting jihadist rhetoric. “Woolwich Suspects ‘Known To Security Services,’” Sky News, May 23, 2013, http://news.sky.com/story/woolwich-suspects-known-to-security-services-10445014. Both assailants stayed at the crime scene, reportedly awaiting the arrival of law enforcement.Vikram Dodd and Daniel Howden, “Woolwich murder: what drove two men to kill a soldier in the street,” Guardian (London), December 19, 2003, https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/dec/19/woolwich-murder-soldier-street-adebolajo-radicalised-kenya. Adebolajo launched into a speech in which he justified his actions and expressed his desire to be martyred, which was captured on a witness’s mobile phone.Dominic Casciani, “Woolwich: How did Michael Adebolajo become a killer?,” BBC News, December 19, 2013, http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-25424290. As police arrived to the scene, Adebolajo and Adebowale charged at the officers while brandishing their weapons. They were shot by police and taken into custody before they were admitted to the hospital and treated for their injuries.Cassell Bryan-Low, Benoit Faucon and Peter Evans, “Second Suspect in London Attack Named,” Wall Street Journal, May 25, 2013, http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324659404578502790328797014.

In the subsequent investigation, police recovered extremist literature from addresses linked to Adebolajo and Adebowale, including sermons by Anwar al-Awlaki.Josh Halliday, “Lee Rigby ‘non-Muslim version of me’, Micahel Adebolajo tells court,” Guardian (London), December 5, 2013, https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/dec/05/lee-rigby-michael-adebolajo-court-woolwich. During the trial, it was revealed that a book titled Extreme Islam was found at the home of Adebolajo’s father.Josh Halliday, “Lee Rigby ‘non-Muslim version of me’, Micahel Adebolajo tells court,” Guardian (London), December 5, 2013, https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/dec/05/lee-rigby-michael-adebolajo-court-woolwich.

In June 2013, Adebolajo was charged with the murder of Lee Rigby, as well as the attempted murder of two police officers and possession of a revolver. “Woolwich murder suspects remanded in custody,” BBC News, June 3, 2013, http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-22748021. Adebolajo pled not guilty to the murder, but did not deny taking part in the attack.“London court convicts Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale of murdering U.K. army drummer Lee Rigby,” CBS News, December 19, 2013, http://www.cbsnews.com/news/michael-adebolajo-michael-adebowale-convicted-london-murder-lee-rigby/. Adebolajo was convicted of murder on December 19, 2013, but was cleared of the charge of attempted murder of the two police officers. The jury took only 90 minutes to deliberate and find him guilty.Laura Smith-Spark and Kellie Morgan, “What led Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale to murder Rigby?,” CNN, December 19, 2013, http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/19/world/europe/uk-soldier-killing-profiles/. During Adebolajo’s sentencing in February 2014, the judge identified him as the leader of the attack, sentencing Adebowale to 45 years in prison and Adebolajo to life in prison.“Lee Rigby murder: Adebolajo and Adebowale jailed,” BBC News, February 26, 2014, http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-26357007.

Almost a decade later, in May 2022, Adebolajo reportedly attempted to take yoga classes while in prison to “improve his mental health.” However, prison officials denied Adebolajo from participating, fearing he would “spread extremist views” to fellow inmates.Jonathon Rose, “Lee Rigby's killer Michael Adebolajo is 'gutted' after being banned from taking 'relaxing' yoga classes in prison to improve his mental wellbeing 'over fears he'll spread extremist views to other participants',” Daily Mail, May 2, 2022, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10774585/Lee-Rigbys-killer-Michael-Adebolajo-gutted-banned-taking-yoga-classes-prison.html.

Faisal Shahzad is a Pakistani-born naturalized U.S. citizen who in May 2010 attempted to detonate a car bomb in Times Square, Manhattan. According to the U.S. government, Shahzad had previously trained alongside the Pakistani Taliban, or the Tehrik-e-Taliban (TTP), in Pakistan.“Faisal Shahzad Sentenced in Manhattan Federal Court to Life in Prison for Attempted Car Bombing in Times Square,” United States Attorney Southern District of New York, October 5, 2010, 2. Following the May 2010 attack, Shahzad told investigators that he had been inspired by the online sermons of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) cleric Anwar al-Awlaki.Shane, Scott and Mark Mazzetti, “Times Sq. Bomb Suspect Is Linked to Militant Cleric,” New York Times, May 6, 2010, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/07/world/middleeast/07awlaki-.html.

Shahzad was born in Pakistan and moved to the United States in 1998, gaining U.S. citizenship in May 2009.Adams, Lorraine and Ayesha Nasir, “Inside the mind of the Times Square bomber,” Guardian (London), September 18, 2010, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/sep/19/times-square-bomber;
“Profile: Faisal Shahzad,” BBC News, October 5, 2010, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11475789. One month later, Shahzad returned to Pakistan. In December 2009, he began training with TTP militants in Waziristan, Pakistan. Shahzad lived and trained alongside TTP militants for approximately two months, five days of which he spent learning to build explosives.Adams, Lorraine and Ayesha Nasir, “Inside the mind of the Times Square bomber,” Guardian (London), September 18, 2010, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/sep/19/times-square-bomber.

Shahzad returned to the United States in February of 2010 after living and training with the TTP for two months. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, between February and April of 2010, Shahzad received two separate payments totaling $12,000 from the TTP via the informal hawala system. Hawala—an ancient payment system with Middle Eastern and South Asian roots—allows people to transfer money across the world by way of brokers, or hawaladar, who collect and pay money out of their own funds before balancing their accounts with one another. Shahzad used the $12,000 to purchase materials for the attack, including bomb materials and a car.“Faisal Shahzad Sentenced in Manhattan Federal Court to Life in Prison for Attempted Car Bombing in Times Square,” United States Attorney Southern District of New York, October 5, 2010, 1-2; West, Ben and Scott Stewart, “Uncomfortable Truths and the Times Square Attack,” Stratfor, May 6, 2010, https://www.stratfor.com/weekly/20100505_uncomfortable_truths_times_square_attack;
Benjamin Weiser, “Charges of Getting Cash to Failed Times Sq. Bomber,” New York Times, September 15, 2010, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/16/nyregion/16shahzad.html?rref=collection%252Ftimestopic%252FTimes%2520Square%2520Bomb%2520Attempt%2520(May%25201%252C%25202010)&_r=0;
Mohammed El-Qorchi, “The Hawala System,” Global Development Research Center, December 2002, http://www.gdrc.org/icm/hawala.html.

On the evening of May 1, 2010, Shahzad attempted to detonate three bombs—built from fertilizer, gasoline, and a gun safe—in his newly purchased car.Ben West and Scott Stewart, “Uncomfortable Truths and the Times Square Attack,” Stratfor, May 6, 2010, https://www.stratfor.com/weekly/20100505_uncomfortable_truths_times_square_attack. Shahzad parked in Times Square near 45^th Street and Seventh Avenue, and walked a few blocks away to wait for the explosion. However, Shahzad had mistakenly set the timer—which ran on military time—to 07:00 rather than 19:00. When no explosion occurred, Shahzad returned to his home in Connecticut.Adams, Lorraine and Ayesha Nasir, “Inside the mind of the Times Square bomber,” Guardian (London), September 18, 2010, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/sep/19/times-square-bomber. Police disarmed the car bomb after a street vendor reported seeing smoke rising from the back vents.Al Baker, William K. Rashbaum, “Police Find Car Bomb in Times Square,” New York Times, May 1, 2010, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/02/nyregion/02timessquare.html.

Two days after the attack, FBI agents arrested Shahzad at New York’s John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport after he boarded a flight to Dubai.“Times Square suspect had explosives training, documents say,” CNN, May 5, 2010, http://edition.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/05/04/new.york.car.bomb/index.html. Shahzad told investigators that he had been inspired by Anwar al-Awlaki, having listened to his lectures online. According to an unnamed U.S. official, “[Shahzad] listened to [Awlaki], and he did it,” referring to the attempted Times Square attack.Shane, Scott and Mark Mazzetti, “Times Sq. Bomb Suspect Is Linked to Militant Cleric,” New York Times, May 6, 2010, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/07/world/middleeast/07awlaki-.html.

Following the attack, both AQAP and the TTP featured Shahzad in their propaganda material. AQAP’s English-language magazine Inspire—released in June 2010—quoted an email from Shahzad in which he condemned peaceful protests in favor of jihad.Scott Shane and Mark Mazzetti, “Times Sq. Bomb Suspect Is Linked to Militant Cleric,” New York Times, May 6, 2010, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/07/world/middleeast/07awlaki-.html;
“Hear the World… A collection of quotes from friend and foe,” Inspire, June 2010, Issue 1, https://azelin.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/aqap-inspire-magazine-volume-1-uncorrupted.pdf. Shahzad was further featured in a TTP propaganda video released in July 2010. The video was filmed at some point between late 2009 and early 2010 while Shahzad lived alongside the TPP in Pakistan. In the video, Shahzad urged Muslims to “fight against the enemy of Islam,” and to carry out attacks on the United States. The video also featured clips of Western media coverage of the Times Square attack.“United States v. Faisal Shahzad: Government’s Memorandum in Connection with the Sentencing of Faisal Shahzad,” United States District Court Southern District of New York, September 29, 2010, 5-7.

In October 2010, Shahzad was charged on 10 counts including attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and attempting to commit an act of international terrorism. Shahzad pled guilty to all 10 charges on June 21, 2010. Prosecutors sentenced Shahzad to life in prison on October 5, 2010.Michael Wilson, “Shahzad Gets Life Term for Times Square Bombing Attempt,” New York Times, October 5, 2010, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/06/nyregion/06shahzad.html?_r=1;
“Faisal Shahzad Pleads Guilty in Manhattan Federal Court to 10 Federal Crimes Arising from Attempted Car Bombing in Times Square,” Department of Justice: Office of Public Affairs, June 21, 2010, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/faisal-shahzad-pleads-guilty-manhattan-federal-court-10-federal-crimes-arising-attempted-car;
“Faisal Shahzad Sentenced in Manhattan Federal Court to Life in Prison for Attempted Car Bombing in Times Square,” United States Attorney Southern District of New York, October 5, 2010, 1.

Elton Simpson was an American-born ISIS supporter who attacked a “Draw Muhammad” cartoon contest in Garland, Texas, on May 3, 2015, alongside Nadir Soofi. The pair shot and wounded a security guard with AK-47s before they were both shot dead by police.“Phoenix Man Convicted of Conspiracy to Support ISIL and Other Terrorism-Related Offenses,” U.S. Department of Justice, March 17, 2016, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/phoenix-man-convicted-conspiracy-support-isil-and-other-terrorism-related-offenses. ISIS swiftly claimed responsibility for the attack and referred to Simpson and Soofi as its “soldiers.”Holly Yan, “Texas attack: What we know about Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi,” CNN, May 5, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/05/us/texas-shooting-gunmen/.

Simpson, Soofi, and their roommate Abdul Malik Abdul Kareem began planning an attack in support of ISIS as early as June 2014, according to U.S. prosecutors. They allegedly discussed targeting military bases, individual military service members, shopping malls, and the Glendale, Arizona, Super Bowl. They decided on the so-called “Muhammad Art Exhibit and Contest” in Garland, Texas, hosted by conservative political activist Pamela Gellar’s American Freedom Defense Initiative. On the morning of May 3, 2015, Simpson and Soofi drove from their home in Phoenix, Arizona, to the contest at Garland’s Curtis Culwell Center. Upon arrival they began firing assault rifles at security personnel, wounding one guard. A local traffic officer then shot and killed Simpson and Soofi.“Phoenix Man Convicted of Conspiracy to Support ISIL and Other Terrorism-Related Offenses,” U.S. Department of Justice, March 17, 2016, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/phoenix-man-convicted-conspiracy-support-isil-and-other-terrorism-related-offenses. Kareem was found guilty of conspiring alongside Simpson and Soofi to provide material support to ISIS in March 2016.“Phoenix Man Convicted of Conspiracy to Support ISIL and Other Terrorism-Related Offenses,” U.S. Department of Justice, March 17, 2016, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/phoenix-man-convicted-conspiracy-support-isil-and-other-terrorism-related-offenses;
Dan Frosch and Ana Campoy, “One of Texas Gunmen Had Previously Drawn FBI’s Attention,” Wall Street Journal, May 4, 2015, http://www.wsj.com/articles/one-of-texas-gunmen-had-previously-drawn-fbis-attention-1430753373.

In the hours before the May 3, 2015, attack, Simpson pledged allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi over Twitter.“Two California Men Arrested on Charges of Conspiring to Provide Material Support to ISIL,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 22, 2015, https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/losangeles/news/press-releases/two-california-men-arrested-on-charges-of-conspiring-to-provide-material-support-to-isil. Police suspect that Simpson used a Twitter account with a profile picture featuring the late al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) propagandist Anwar al-Awlaki. Awlaki had repeatedly endorsed violence against cartoonists who allegedly insulted Islam’s Prophet Muhammad.Manny Fernandez, Richard Perez-Pena, and Fernanda Santo, “Gunman in Texas Shooting Was F.B.I. Suspect in Jihad Inquiry,” New York Times, May 5, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/05/us/garland-texas-shooting-muhammad-cartoons.html.

The FBI reportedly began monitoring Simpson months before the Texas attack because of pro-ISIS statements he made over social media.Adam Goldman, Craig Whitlock, and Maurice Richter, “One Texas suspect was accused in 2010 FBI terror case, Washington Post, May 4, 2015, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/suspect-in-texas-attack-previously-face-trial-on-terrorism-charge/2015/05/04/438df596-f279-11e4-bcc4-e8141e5eb0c9_story.html. Authorities allege that now-deceased ISIS recruiter Junaid Hussain radicalized and directly encouraged Simpson to carry out the Garland attack.Elliott C. McLaughlin, “ISIS jihadi linked Garland attack has long history as hacker,” CNN, May 7, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/06/us/who-is-junaid-hussain-garland-texas-attack/;
Colleen Curry, “A British Mother Reportedly Left Welfare Behind and Is Now Helping Recruit For The Islamic State,” Vice News, December 22, 2014, https://news.vice.com/article/a-british-mother-reportedly-left-welfare-behind-and-is-now-helping-recruit-for-the-islamic-state. Almost immediately following the attack, Hussain praised Simpson and Soofi on Twitter and called for death to “those that Insult the Prophet.”Evan Perez, Pamela Brown, and Jim Sciutto, “Texas attacker had private conversations with known terrorists,” CNN, May 7, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/07/politics/fbi-warning-elton-simpson-cartoon-event-attack/index.html.

The FBI first began monitoring Simpson in 2006 because of his alleged ties to Hassan Abu Jihaad, a former U.S. Navy sailor convicted of disclosing classified information.“Texas shooting: FBI had monitored gunman Elton Simpson since 2006,” Guardian (London), May 5, 2015, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/may/05/elton-simpson-fbi-had-monitored-texas-gunman-since-2006;
“Former Member of U.S. Navy Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Disclosing Classified Information,” U.S. Department of Justice, April 3, 2009, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-member-us-navy-sentenced-10-years-federal-prison-disclosing-classified-information. In 2009, while under FBI surveillance, Simpson purchased a plane ticket to South Africa to allegedly attend a religious school. In a conversation recorded by the FBI, Simpson told a friend that the school was a “front,” and that he would join a terror group in Somalia at the earliest convenience. Simpson later denied any intention to travel to Somalia in an interview with the FBI.Dan Frosch and Ana Campoy, “One of Texas Gunmen Had Previously Drawn FBI’s Attention,” Wall Street Journal, May 4, 2015, http://www.wsj.com/articles/one-of-texas-gunmen-had-previously-drawn-fbis-attention-1430753373.

Simpson was arrested in January 2010 on charges of lying to federal agents in connection with terrorism. He was convicted in March 2011 for falsifying information in relation to domestic and international terrorism, and placed on three years of probation. According to the court, prosecutors had not proven that Simpson’s travel plans were “sufficiently ‘related’ to international terrorism.” Simpson’s former public defender, Kristina Sitton, told CNN that she did not observe any signs of radicalization while meeting with Simpson in the Somalia case. Instead, she described Simpson as “kind-hearted” and “respectful.”Holly Yan, “Texas attack: What we know about Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi,” CNN, May 5, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/05/us/texas-shooting-gunmen/. Simpson was reportedly added to the federal no-fly list after the sentencing.Dan Frosch and Ana Campoy, “One of Texas Gunmen Had Previously Drawn FBI’s Attention,” Wall Street Journal, May 4, 2015, http://www.wsj.com/articles/one-of-texas-gunmen-had-previously-drawn-fbis-attention-1430753373.

Ahead of the Garland attack, Simpson had reportedly been in contact via Twitter with propagandist Muhammad Abdullahi Hassan, a.k.a. Mujahid Miski. Ten days before the attack, Miski praised the January 2015 Charlie Hebdo shooting over Twitter and said, “It’s time for brothers in the #US to do their part.” Miski then told Simpson, “One individual is able to put a whole nation onto it’s [sic] knees.”Brian Ross, Rhonda Schwartz, Randy Kreider, and James Gordon Meek, “The American Terror Recruiter’s Link to Texas Shooting,” ABC News, May 5, 2015, http://abcnews.go.com/US/american-terror-recruiters-link-texas-shooting/story?id=30827653. Simpson also reportedly communicated over Twitter with suspected ISIS supporter Erick Jamal Hendricks of North Carolina. Hendricks was arrested on August 4, 2016, after he allegedly attempted to purchase an AK-47 and ammo from an undercover law enforcement officer.“North Carolina Man Charged with Conspiring to Provide Material Support to ISIL,” U.S. Department of Justice, August 4, 2016, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/north-carolina-man-charged-conspiring-provide-material-support-isil.

After the Garland attack, Simpson’s former attorney, Sitton, said that Simpson had “seemed pretty normal” and “harmless” when she represented him. Minutes before he and Soofi carried out the Garland attack, Simpson tweeted, “May Allah accept us as mujahideen,” with the hashtag #Texasattack.‘Profile: Texas gunmen Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi,” BBC News, May 5, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-32582704.

Chérif Kouachi was a French citizen of Algerian origin and one of two brothers who carried out the January 2015 attack against the Paris offices of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.Harriet Alexander, “How did the Paris terrorists get hold of their weapons?” Daily Telegraph (London), January 17, 2015, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/11351855/How-did-the-Paris-terrorists-get-hold-of-their-weapons.html. According to Yemeni intelligence, both brothers had trained alongside al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in mid-2011 in Yemen, where they met Anwar al-Awlaki, the AQAP cleric killed by a U.S. drone strike in September of that year.“Kouachi brothers had weapons training in Yemen,” Al Jazeera America, January 11, 2015, http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/1/11/kouachi-france.html.

On the morning of January 7, 2015, Kouachi and his older brother Saïd Kouachi forcibly entered the Charlie Hebdo office armed with assault rifles, submachine guns, pistols, and a rocket launcher.Harriet Alexander, “How did the Paris terrorists get hold of their weapons?” Daily Telegraph (London), January 17, 2015, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/11351855/How-did-the-Paris-terrorists-get-hold-of-their-weapons.html. Within 10 minutes, they murdered 11 people, six of whom were cartoonists.“Charlie Hebdo attack: Three days of terror,” BBC News, January 14, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30708237. While fleeing the premises, the brothers shouted that they had carried out the attack on behalf of AQAP.Mohammed Ghobari, “Exclusive: Paris attack suspect met prominent al Qaeda preacher in Yemen – intelligence source,” Reuters, January 9, 2016, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-shooting-yemen-idUSKBN0KI0PW20150109. The pair killed another police officer outside on the street, but managed to evade capture for two days. On January 9, French police confronted and killed both brothers in a shootout in Dammartin-en-Goële, 22 miles northeast of Paris.“Charlie Hebdo hunt: Bloody end to sieges,” BBC News, January 10, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30752239.

According to former CIA deputy director Michael Morell, the Kouachi brothers targeted Charlie Hebdo because the magazine had depicted and published cartoons of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Their motive was “absolutely clear,” said Morell, who added that the brothers were “trying to shut down a media organization that lampooned the Prophet Muhammad.”Dan Bilefsky and Maïa de la Baume, “Terrorists Strike Charlie Hebdo Newspaper, Leaving 12 Dead,” New York Times, January 7, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/08/world/europe/charlie-hebdo-paris-shooting.html?_r=1.

The Kouachi brothers, of Algerian descent, grew up in France. Their father died during the brothers’ early teenage years. Their mother sent them to a state school for special-needs children because she was unable to care for them. The Kouachis’ mother died before they completed school and they did not proceed to university. The brothers moved to Paris’s 19th arrondisement, a neighborhood known for its large and poor immigrant population.Scott Bronstein, “Cherif and Said Kouachi: Their path to terror,” CNN, January 14, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/13/world/kouachi-brothers-radicalization/index.html.

Chérif was known to French authorities one decade before the Charlie Hebdo massacre. In the 19th arrondisement, the brothers attended Adda’wa mosque, a.k.a. La Mosquee de Stalingrad, with French Islamist cleric Farid Benyettou. Chérif would later tell a French court that Benyettou first introduced him to the concept of jihad and encouraged him to go fight in Iraq. Chérif claimed that he committed to the idea of jihad during Ramadan in 2004 and told friends he was going to go fight in Syria.Scott Bronstein, “Terror suspect Cherif Kouachi: ‘I was ready to go and die in battle,’” CNN, January 10, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/09/europe/cherif-kouachi-court-documents/index.html. Benyettou allegedly taught Chérif how to use a Kalashnikov rifle and other weapons.Scott Bronstein, “Terror suspect Cherif Kouachi: ‘I was ready to go and die in battle,’” CNN, January 10, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/09/europe/cherif-kouachi-court-documents/index.html. Chérif was arrested and detained in 2005 for his connection to a terror cell that recruited young French Muslims to join al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI). Chérif was reportedly arrested before he was able to travel to Iraq via Syria in order to fight alongside AQI’s founder Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.Andrew Higgins and Maïa de la Baume, “Two Brothers Suspected in Killing Were Known to French Intelligence Services,” New York Times, January 8, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/08/world/two-brothers-suspected-in-killings-were-known-to-french-intelligence-services.html?_r=0. According to Chérif’s accomplices at the time of his arrest, Chérif was “ready to firebomb and to destroy Jewish shops in Paris.”Scott Bronstein, “Terror suspect Cherif Kouachi: ‘I was ready to go and die in battle,’” CNN, January 10, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/09/europe/cherif-kouachi-court-documents/index.html. He later admitted to anti-Semitic thoughts to French authorities but denied that he would take such action.Scott Bronstein, “Terror suspect Cherif Kouachi: ‘I was ready to go and die in battle,’” CNN, January 10, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/09/europe/cherif-kouachi-court-documents/index.html. In a 2007 deposition in French court, Chérif said that he was ready to “die in battle” to avenge “the torture that the Americans have inflicted on the Iraqis.”Scott Bronstein, “Cherif and Said Kouachi: Their path to terror,” CNN, January 14, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/13/world/kouachi-brothers-radicalization/index.html. French prosecutors eventually convicted Chérif in 2008 and sentenced him to three years in prison.Andrew Higgins and Maïa de la Baume, “Two Brothers Suspected in Killing Were Known to French Intelligence Services,” New York Times, January 8, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/08/world/two-brothers-suspected-in-killings-were-known-to-french-intelligence-services.html?_r=0. He was immediately released, however, having already served three years in pre-trial detention.Andrew Higgins and Maïa de la Baume, “Two Brothers Suspected in Killing Were Known to French Intelligence Services,” New York Times, January 8, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/08/world/two-brothers-suspected-in-killings-were-known-to-french-intelligence-services.html?_r=0.

While Chérif was prison, he reportedly came in contact with other jihadists who furthered his radicalization, including Djamel Beghal, an al-Qaeda recruiter of Algerian descent who had plotted to attack the U.S. embassy in Paris in 2001.Scott Bronstein, “Cherif and Said Kouachi: Their path to terror,” CNN, January 14, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/13/world/kouachi-brothers-radicalization/index.html. Beghal reportedly became a mentor to Chérif in prison. While in prison Chérif also met Amedy Coulibaly.Scott Bronstein, “Cherif and Said Kouachi: Their path to terror,” CNN, January 14, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/13/world/kouachi-brothers-radicalization/index.html.

After Beghal’s release from prison in 2009, Chérif and Coulibaly continued to visit him.Scott Bronstein, “Cherif and Said Kouachi: Their path to terror,” CNN, January 14, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/13/world/kouachi-brothers-radicalization/index.html. During their meetings, Beghal, Coulibaly, and the Kouachi brothers reportedly plotted to break Smain Ali Belkacem—convicted for the 1995 Paris metro bombing—out of prison.Carol Kuruvilla and Jaweed Kaleem, “Amedy Coulibaly, Paris Kosher Market Terrorist, Had History Of Ties To Violence,” Huffington Post, January 10, 2015, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/09/amedy-coulibaly-paris-kosher-market_n_6444418.html; “Paris attacks: Suspects’ profiles,” BBC News, January 12, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30722038. Police monitoring the group arrested the men in May 2010 before they could carry out the prison break.Greg Botelho and Ray Sanchez, “France: Raids kill 3 suspects, including 2 wanted in Charlie Hebdo attack,” CNN, January 21, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/09/europe/charlie-hebdo-paris-shooting/. The Kouachi brothers were implicated in the plot, but were not charged due to lack of evidence.Carol Kuruvilla and Jaweed Kaleem, “Amedy Coulibaly, Paris Kosher Market Terrorist, Had History Of Ties To Violence,” Huffington Post, January 10, 2015, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/09/amedy-coulibaly-paris-kosher-market_n_6444418.html.

Both Chérif and his brother are reported to have had contact with Anwar al-Awlaki. According to an unnamed Yemeni security official, at some point between late July and early August 2011, the brothers traveled to Yemen where they received training from AQAP and met with Awlaki.“Kouachi brothers had weapons training in Yemen,” Al Jazeera America, January 11, 2015, http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/1/11/kouachi-france.html. On January 9, 2015, during the final siege in Dammartin-en-Goële, Chérif told French media over a phone call interview that his trip to Yemen had been financed by Awlaki.“Charlie Hebdo shooter says financed by Qaeda preacher in Yemen,” Reuters, January 9, 2015, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-shooting-yemen-finance-idUSKBN0KI1Y320150109.

The Kouachi brothers’ attack on Chalie Hebdo was also linked to Coulibaly’s January 9, 2015, attack on Paris’s Hyper Cacher kosher supermarket.Griff Witte, “In a kosher grocery store in Paris, terror takes a deadly toll,” Washington Post, January 9,2015, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/paris-kosher-market-seized-in-second-hostage-drama-in-nervous-france/2015/01/09/f171b97e-97ff-11e4-8005-1924ede3e54a_story.html?utm_term=.2d7aacfbb438; Angus Berwick, “Spanish police arrest man suspected of arming Paris supermarket gunman,” Reuters, April 13, 2016, http://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFKCN0XA1JA?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0. Coulibaly took 16 occupants hostage, and reportedly demanded that police allow the Kouachi brothers to escape their hideout in Dammartin.Griff Witte, “In a kosher grocery store in Paris, terror takes a deadly toll,” Washington Post, January 9,2015, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/paris-kosher-market-seized-in-second-hostage-drama-in-nervous-france/2015/01/09/f171b97e-97ff-11e4-8005-1924ede3e54a_story.html?utm_term=.2d7aacfbb438; John Lichfield, “Paris attackers interview with French TV station: ‘We are defenders of the Prophet… We took vengeance’, said Charlie Hebdo killer Cherif Kouachi,” Independent (London), January 10, 2015, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/paris-attackers-gave-interview-to-french-tv-station-we-are-defenders-of-the-prophet-we-took-9969749.html; Ricky Ben-David, “4 dead as French forces storm kosher supermarket, kill gunman; Charlie Hebdo terrorist brothers also killed,” Times of Israel, January 10, 2015, http://www.timesofisrael.com/terror-onslaught-in-paris/. Coulibaly claimed in a phone interview that he had “coordinated [with the Kouachi brothers] from the beginning.”Griff Witte, “In a kosher grocery store in Paris, terror takes a deadly toll,” Washington Post, January 9,2015, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/paris-kosher-market-seized-in-second-hostage-drama-in-nervous-france/2015/01/09/f171b97e-97ff-11e4-8005-1924ede3e54a_story.html?utm_term=.2d7aacfbb438; “Paris gunman appears in video, declares loyalty to Islamic State,” Reuters, January 11, 2015, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-shooting-video-gunman-idUSKBN0KK0BL20150111; John Lichfield, “Paris attackers interview with French TV station: ‘We are defenders of the Prophet… We took vengeance’, said Charlie Hebdo killer Cherif Kouachi,” Independent (London), January 10, 2015, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/paris-attackers-gave-interview-to-french-tv-station-we-are-defenders-of-the-prophet-we-took-9969749.html. On January 10, a video was distributed online in which Coulibaly claimed to have synchronized his attacks with the Kouachi brothers.Fidelma Cook, Lucy Crossley, Tom Kelly, and Claire Duffin, “Hebdo killers in ISIS martyrdom video – as French police discover his massive arms cache and link him to another shooting two days earlier,” Daily Mail (London), January 11, 2015, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2905302/Calm-stare-Jewish-deli-terrorist-Jihadist-s-ISIS-suicide-video-emerges-confirms-link-Charlie-Hebdo-killers-calls-fellow-vigorous-Muslims-defend-prophet-Mohammed.html.

Dahir Adan was the suspect in the September 17, 2016, stabbing spree in St. Cloud, Minnesota, allegedly injuring 10 people at a mall in before being shot dead by an off-duty police officer. Hours after the attack, ISIS claimed responsibility through its Amaq news agency, saying that Adan was “a soldier of the Islamic State” who had “carried out the operation in response to the [call to attack] citizens of countries belonging to the [international] coalition [against ISIS].”“Dahir Adan: What we know,” Star Tribune, September 19, 2016, http://www.startribune.com/dahir-adan-what-we-know/394013681. Law enforcement has since been investigating the attack in St. Cloud as a potential act of terrorism, but have not determined whether Adan had direct contact with the terrorist organization.Joe Sterling, Max, Blau, and Rosa Flores, “Stabbing Suspect Had Gone to Mall to Buy an iPhone, Source Says,” CNN, September 19, 2016, http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/19/us/minnesota-mall-stabbing;
Mitch Smirh and Richard Perez Pina, “Friends Say Minnesota Attacker Was ‘Normal American Kid,’” New York Times, September 19, 2016, http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/20/us/obama-st-cloud-minnesota.html.

The attacks in St. Cloud began at approximately 8:15 p.m. on September 17, 2016, when a man later identified as Adan entered the Crossroads Center mall in St. Cloud, Minnesota, 70 miles northwest of Minneapolis.“Dahir Adan: What we know,” Star Tribune, September 19, 2016, http://www.startribune.com/dahir-adan-what-we-know/394013681;
Kristine Guerra, Jessica Contrera, and Brian Murphy, “Minnesota Stabbing Survivor: ‘He Looked Me Dead in the Eyes,’” Washington Post, September 19, 2016, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/09/18/man-shot-dead-after-stabbing-8-people-in-a-minnesota-mall/?utm_term=.f348ed564cc6. Adan soon began stabbing people in the mall’s corridors, reportedly referencing Allah during the attacks and asking at least one victim if he was Muslim before attacking him.“Dahir Adan: What we know,” Star Tribune, September 19, 2016, http://www.startribune.com/dahir-adan-what-we-know/394013681. Adan’s victims—eight men and two women—ranged from ages 15 to 53.Mitch Smirh and Richard Perez Pina, “Friends Say Minnesota Attacker Was ‘Normal American Kid,’” New York Times, September 19, 2016, http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/20/us/obama-st-cloud-minnesota.html;
“Dahir Adan: What we know,” Star Tribune, September 19, 2016, http://www.startribune.com/dahir-adan-what-we-know/394013681. Adan was shot and killed by an off-duty police officer inside the mall’s Macy’s department store minutes after the assault began.“Dahir Adan: What we know,” Star Tribune, September 19, 2016, http://www.startribune.com/dahir-adan-what-we-know/394013681;
Ginger Adams Otis, “Timeline of Terror Attacks from Bombings in New York and New Jersey to Stabbings in Minnesota,” New York Daily News, September 19, 2016, http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/manhattan/timeline-terror-attack-nyc-n-bombs-minnesota-stabbings-article-1.2798864.

The son of Somali refugees, Adan had shown few signs of radicalization, according to several community leaders and classmates who knew him. One community leader, a close friend of Adan’s family, said that Adan had been more interested in sports than religion, describing him as “the most assimilated kid in the neighborhood.”“Dahir Adan: What we know,” Star Tribune, September 19, 2016, http://www.startribune.com/dahir-adan-what-we-know/394013681. Two community leaders nonetheless claimed that Adan had been acting strangely before the attack.“Dahir Adan: What we know,” Star Tribune, September 19, 2016, http://www.startribune.com/dahir-adan-what-we-know/394013681.

Adan was born in Kenya and had immigrated with his family to the United States when Adan was a child.“Dahir Adan: What we know,” Star Tribune, September 19, 2016, http://www.startribune.com/dahir-adan-what-we-know/394013681;
Kristine Guerra, Jessica Contrera, and Brian Murphy, “Minnesota Stabbing Survivor: ‘He Looked Me Dead in the Eyes,’” Washington Post, September 19, 2016, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/09/18/man-shot-dead-after-stabbing-8-people-in-a-minnesota-mall/?utm_term=.f348ed564cc6. Prior to the stabbings, Adan had been studying information systems at St. Cloud State University, last enrolling for classes in spring 2016.“Dahir Adan: What we know,” Star Tribune, September 19, 2016, http://www.startribune.com/dahir-adan-what-we-know/394013681. Adan had also worked as a security guard before quitting his job with Securitas global security firm in June 2016.Mitch Smirh and Richard Perez Pina, “Friends Say Minnesota Attacker Was ‘Normal American Kid,’” New York Times, September 19, 2016, http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/20/us/obama-st-cloud-minnesota.html. Adan had no prior history of violent attacks, though he did have minor traffic violations on his record.Kristine Guerra, Jessica Contrera, and Brian Murphy, “Minnesota Stabbing Survivor: ‘He Looked Me Dead in the Eyes,’” Washington Post, September 19, 2016, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/09/18/man-shot-dead-after-stabbing-8-people-in-a-minnesota-mall/?utm_term=.f348ed564cc6.