Former US attorney calls mass shootings 'organized domestic terrorism'
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - After a weekend of several mass shootings including the racist attack in a Buffalo grocery store, at a California church and at a Milwaukee entertainment area, we're asking why.
According to former U.S. Attorney David Hickton, these mass shootings are not lone wolf attacks. He believes many of the shooters cite each other and praise their actions before committing their own atrocity.
Buffalo is one of the latest cities to fall victim to acts of hate as a gunman killed 10 people inside a grocery store.
'We need to stop burying our heads in the sand about what it is. It is organized domestic terrorism and the community outrage needs to swell," Hickton said.
He said the alleged shooter cited other mass shooters and used similar language in his alleged manifesto to the supposed Tree of Life Synagogue shooter. He said these hate-filled attacks are connected.
"We have domestic Al-Qaeda going on in this country and many of the perpetrators look like you and me," Hickton told KDKA's Chris Hoffman.
Now at Pitt with their Institute with Cyber Law, Policy and Security, Hickton says these shooters feel they are taking orders from someone to commit these acts of violence. That could be organized nationalist groups and even signals from some political leaders. With the connectivity of the web, it's easier for alleged shooters to find this hateful rhetoric.
"The ability of people to hide in the anonymity of the internet has increased this risk," Hickton said.
That's why state police call on the community to report suspicious activity if they see it. There are tools online and on your phone to alert troopers if something doesn't feel right. They include the Safe2Say program, See Something Send Something App, tips@pa.gov and 888-292-1919. Some suspicious activity could include someone making diagrams or using cameras to monitor a building, testing security measures and responses, stocking up on ammunition or explosives, rehearsing their act and out of the normal transactions.
"It could even be something as harmless as a meme that tags a school that kind of goes the wrong way," Trooper Rocco Gagliardi said.
State police also provide trainings and risk assessments to facilities to help prevent tragedies.
Hickton adds there's another dynamic that comes up just about every time after a mass shooting: the topic of gun control.
"We have it within our power to stop it, so why aren't we stopping it?" Hickton said over Zoom.
Hickton said to put an end to this hate once and for all, we need to remember that each of us here are Americans and neighbors. We can't allow for mass shootings to just be a norm of life.
