NCJ Number
235489
Journal
Homicide Studies Volume: 15 Issue: 2 Dated: May 2011 Pages: 177-203
Date Published
May 2011
Length
27 pages
Annotation
This paper examines homicide events perpetrated by far-right extremists in the United States.
Abstract
The current study comparatively examines homicide events perpetrated by far-right extremists and "average" homicide events in the United States. Recent violence has highlighted the threat that far-right extremists pose to public safety and national security. To date, however, little is known about how such events compare to more common forms of homicide. Drawing from research on homicide, "hate crimes," and domestic terrorism, this study addresses this gap in the research. Original open-source data on far-right extremist perpetrated homicide are integrated with traditional homicide data to overcome methodological and other substantive obstacles that have precluded the study of this form of violence. A number of similarities and differences across these forms of homicide demonstrate the heterogeneity in the nature of homicide in the United States. Implications for policymakers and law enforcement, as well as the broader study of homicide and domestic extremism, are discussed. (Published Abstract)