While the horrific tragedy of 9/11 remains seared into the national memory, the unsettling truth is that over the past five decades, more than 3,300 terrorist acts and plots have unfolded on American soil, revealing a complex and evolving threat that is now overwhelmingly homegrown.
Key Takeaways
- Between 1970 and 2020, the United States experienced 3,386 terrorist attacks and plots according to the Global Terrorism Database
- In 2019, there were 54 terrorist incidents in the US, a 57% increase from 2018, primarily domestic
- From 1990 to 2021, far-right extremists conducted 267 attacks or plots in the US
- Post-9/11 to 2022, 120 deaths from domestic terrorism vs 107 jihadist
- From 1990-2021, far-right terrorism caused 335 deaths in US
- 9/11 attacks killed 2,977 people, deadliest terrorist event
- Boston Marathon injured 264 people
- Oklahoma City bombing injured over 680
- 9/11 attacks injured over 6,000
- White supremacists responsible for 78% of extremist murders 2010-2022
- From 1994-2020, 66% of domestic terrorists were far-right motivated
- Post-9/11 jihadist plotters: 85% US citizens or permanent residents
- FBI arrested 1,750 domestic terrorism subjects 2010-2021
- In 2022, DHS reported 200+ DVEs arrested
- Post-9/11, 475 jihadists convicted federally
Terrorism in America involves persistent domestic and jihadist threats causing significant fatalities.
Arrests
1FBI arrested 1,750 domestic terrorism subjects 2010-2021
Verified2In 2022, DHS reported 200+ DVEs arrested
Verified3Post-9/11, 475 jihadists convicted federally
Verified42020 saw 100+ Boogaloo-related arrests
Directional5From 2017-2021, 250 white supremacist arrests for plots
Single source6FBI disrupted 85% of jihadist plots before execution
Verified7In 2021, 40 militia extremists arrested
Verified8Michigan Gov Whitmer kidnap plot: 14 arrested 2020
Verified9Capitol riot led to 1,200+ extremism-related arrests
Directional102019, 15 far-right plots foiled via arrests
Single source11From 2001-2020, 3,000+ terrorism arrests total
Verified122023, 50+ DVEs arrested first quarter
Verified13Synagogue shooter plots: 10 arrested 2018-2022
Verified14ISIS-inspired: 20 arrests in 2019 alone
Directional1575% of domestic terror arrests were for firearms violations
Single source162022, 25 racially motivated arrests post-Buffalo
Verified17Anarchist-related: 50 arrests post-2020 protests
Verified18From 2010-2021, 90% arrests led to convictions
Verified19Jan 6 committee identified 200+ charged with extremism ties
Directional202016, 40 jihadist arrests
Single sourceArrests Interpretation
While these statistics reveal a daunting spectrum of ideological threats from jihadist to white supremacist to anarchist, the consistent thread is that American law enforcement spends most of its time playing a grim, high-stakes game of Whac-A-Mole with heavily armed extremists, and the conviction rate suggests they’re depressingly good at it.
Fatalities
1Post-9/11 to 2022, 120 deaths from domestic terrorism vs 107 jihadist
Verified2From 1990-2021, far-right terrorism caused 335 deaths in US
Verified39/11 attacks killed 2,977 people, deadliest terrorist event
Verified4Oklahoma City bombing fatalities: 168, including 19 children
Directional5Pulse nightclub: 49 fatalities, 53 injured
Single source6Boston Marathon bombing: 3 deaths
Verified7San Bernardino: 14 deaths
Verified8Fort Hood 2009: 13 fatalities
Verified92022, 25 extremist-related murders, 18 by right-wing
Directional10From 2010-2020, jihadist attacks killed 104 post-9/11
Single source11El Paso Walmart shooting 2019: 23 deaths
Verified12Pittsburgh synagogue 2018: 11 killed
Verified13Buffalo 2022: 10 fatalities
Verified141993 WTC bombing: 6 deaths
Directional15Chattanooga 2015: 5 deaths
Single source16Little Rock recruiters 2009: 1 death
Verified172021, 29 domestic extremist murders
Verified18From 2001-2019, far-right killed 114, jihadists 107
Verified19Centennial Olympic Park 1996: 2 deaths
Directional202014 Las Vegas shootings by militants: 3 deaths
Single source21Overland Park Jewish center 2014: 3 killed
Verified22Knoxville Unitarian church 2008: 2 deaths
Verified232020, 17 murders by extremists, 16 right-wing
Verified242016, 69 extremist murders, mostly right-wing
Directional252017, 34 extremist-related killings
Single source26From 1970-2020, 3,157 total fatalities from terrorism
VerifiedFatalities Interpretation
While the singular horror of 9/11 defines our collective memory, the persistent and often deadlier threat within our own borders reveals a sobering truth: the enemy is not always a stranger, but sometimes a neighbor radicalized by a different set of lies.
Incidents
1Between 1970 and 2020, the United States experienced 3,386 terrorist attacks and plots according to the Global Terrorism Database
Verified2In 2019, there were 54 terrorist incidents in the US, a 57% increase from 2018, primarily domestic
Verified3From 1990 to 2021, far-right extremists conducted 267 attacks or plots in the US
Verified4The Oklahoma City bombing on April 19, 1995, was the deadliest domestic terrorist attack in US history with 168 fatalities
Directional5In 2020, the US saw 61 domestic terrorism incidents linked to white supremacists
Single source6From 2001 to 2021, jihadist terrorists attempted or executed 107 attacks in the US post-9/11
Verified7The 2015 San Bernardino shooting was classified as a terrorist attack killing 14
Verified8Between 2010 and 2020, anarchists committed 23 property attacks classified as terrorism
Verified9In 2017, there were 65 terrorist plots foiled in the US, mostly domestic
Directional10The 1993 World Trade Center bombing killed 6 and injured over 1,000
Single source11From 1970-2019, separatist terrorism accounted for 18% of US incidents
Verified12In 2022, 42 domestic violent extremist attacks occurred
Verified13The Pulse nightclub shooting in 2016 was the deadliest jihadist attack post-9/11 with 49 deaths
Verified14Between 2015-2021, racially motivated attacks rose 357%
Directional15In 2001, excluding 9/11, there were 11 other terrorist incidents
Single source16The 2013 Boston Marathon bombing killed 3 and injured 264
Verified17From 1994-2020, 57% of domestic terrorist attacks were far-right
Verified18In 2021, 23 attacks by militia extremists
Verified19The 1996 Centennial Olympic Park bombing killed 2
Directional20Between 2016-2020, anti-government extremists conducted 38 attacks
Single source21In 2018, 11 jihadist plots were disrupted
Verified22The 2009 Fort Hood shooting killed 13 by a jihadist extremist
Verified23From 1970-2020, unknown perpetrators responsible for 25% of incidents
Verified24In 2023, first half saw 15 domestic incidents
Directional25The 2015 Chattanooga shootings killed 5
Single source26Between 2010-2022, 150+ vehicle ramming attacks by extremists
Verified27In 1999, the Columbine attack had terrorism links debated, but 13 deaths
Verified28From 2008-2018, 71% of extremist murders by right-wing
Verified29The 2022 Buffalo supermarket shooting killed 10, racially motivated
Directional30In 2014, 19 domestic plots foiled
Single sourceIncidents Interpretation
While the nation's focus has often been trained on threats from abroad, the numbers coldly insist that the most persistent and escalating danger has been, and remains, a domestic one, fueled by ideologies of hate and violent extremism born within our own borders.
Injuries
1Boston Marathon injured 264 people
Verified2Oklahoma City bombing injured over 680
Verified39/11 attacks injured over 6,000
Verified4Pulse nightclub injured 53
Directional5San Bernardino injured 22
Single source61993 WTC bombing injured 1,042
Verified7El Paso Walmart 2019 injured 23
Verified8Pittsburgh synagogue injured 6
Verified9Buffalo 2022 injured 3
Directional10Fort Hood 2009 injured 32
Single source11Chattanooga 2015 injured 2
Verified12From 1990-2021, far-right attacks injured 499
Verified132022 extremist attacks injured 15 people
Verified14Centennial Olympic Park injured 111
Directional15Overland Park 2014 injured 0 but targeted
Single source16From 2001-2021, jihadist attacks injured 483
Verified172016 NYC truck attack injured 11
Verified182017 NYC bike path attack killed 8 injured 11
Verified19Portland train stabbing 2017 injured 3
Directional20From 1970-2020, terrorism injured 20,942 in US
Single source212021 saw 12 injuries from domestic extremism
Verified222020 Boogaloo attacks injured several, total 4 noted
Verified232019 Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting injured 17
Verified24Dayton 2019 shooting injured 17, far-right links
Directional252018 Pittsburgh injured 2 officers
Single source26From 2010-2020, right-wing extremists injured 150+
Verified272009 Little Rock injured 1
VerifiedInjuries Interpretation
The statistics paint a grim mosaic of American resilience, where the chilling calculus of terrorism—from twisted ideology to poisoned rhetoric—is measured not in debates but in the broken bodies of thousands who were simply in the wrong place at the wrong, hate-filled time.
Perpetrators
1White supremacists responsible for 78% of extremist murders 2010-2022
Verified2From 1994-2020, 66% of domestic terrorists were far-right motivated
Verified3Post-9/11 jihadist plotters: 85% US citizens or permanent residents
Verified4In 2022, 21 white supremacist murder perpetrators identified
Directional575% of domestic terrorism arrests 2010-2021 were white males
Single source6Boogaloo movement linked to 13 arrests in 2020
Verified7From 2015-2021, 80% of extremist violence by right-wing
Verified8Timothy McVeigh, Oklahoma City perpetrator, army veteran
Verified9Omar Mateen, Pulse nightclub, pledged to ISIS
Directional10Dylann Roof, Charleston church shooter, white supremacist
Single source11Tsarnaev brothers, Boston Marathon, radicalized online
Verified122022 Buffalo shooter influenced by Great Replacement theory
Verified1360% of jihadist terrorists post-9/11 were converts or second-gen
Verified14Militia extremists: 75% male, average age 40
Directional15Anarchist perpetrators often young, under 30, 2020 data
Single source16From 2001-2019, 70% far-right perpetrators lone actors
Verified17El Paso shooter manifesto cited Hispanic invasion
Verified18Pittsburgh synagogue shooter Gab user, anti-Semite
Verified1990% of domestic terror convicts 2010-2020 sentenced over 10 years
Directional20Jihadist groups: ISIS inspired 50% post-2014 attacks
Single source212021, 18 white supremacist killers, all male
Verified22Average age of far-right terrorists: 35 years
Verified2340% of arrested domestic terrorists had military background
Verified24Left-wing extremists: 6% of attacks 1994-2020
DirectionalPerpetrators Interpretation
While homegrown extremism in America has worn many hateful faces since 9/11, the statistics paint a stark, recurring portrait: the most persistent and lethal threat emerges from a domestic landscape of radicalization, where ideologies of white supremacy and far-right conspiracies are not imported, but indigenously cultivated and violently harvested.
Trends
1Trends: Domestic incidents tripled 2010-2020
Verified2Jihadist fatalities peaked 2015-2016 then declined 90%
Verified3Far-right attacks up 250% since 2016
Verified4Online radicalization drove 75% of 2020-2022 plots
Directional5Lethality of far-right attacks doubled 2010-2020
Single source6Vehicle ramming attacks rose 400% post-2016
Verified7Domestic terrorism designated top threat by FBI 2019 onward
Verified8Post-COVID, militia plots up 50%
Verified9Jihadist plots foiled rate 85% vs 50% domestic
Directional10White supremacist murders 75% of extremist killings 2010s
Single source11Lone actors 80% of attacks since 2010
Verified12Firearms used in 75% domestic murders
Verified13Anti-government sentiment up 300% in plots 2015-2022
Verified142023 saw shift to election-related threats
DirectionalTrends Interpretation
While domestic terrorists have largely replaced jihadists as America's most lethal threat, our intelligence success rate has regrettably swapped priorities, leaving us far better at stopping the plots we once feared than the ones now killing us.
Sources & References
- Reference 1STARTstart.umd.eduVisit source
- Reference 2CSIScsis.orgVisit source
- Reference 3NEWAMERICAnewamerica.orgVisit source
- Reference 4FBIfbi.govVisit source
- Reference 5ADLadl.orgVisit source
- Reference 6GAOgao.govVisit source
- Reference 7DHSdhs.govVisit source
- Reference 8HERITAGEheritage.orgVisit source
- Reference 9WASHINGTONPOSTwashingtonpost.comVisit source
- Reference 10CATOcato.orgVisit source
- Reference 11JUSTICEjustice.govVisit source
- Reference 12CTCctc.westpoint.eduVisit source
- Reference 13RANDrand.orgVisit source
- Reference 14USSCussc.govVisit source
- Reference 15STATEstate.govVisit source