Domestic Terrorism and Extremism

Two Pennsylvania men have been accused in an ISIS-inspired failed bomb attack targeting protesters near New York City's Gracie Mansion; one suspect, Balat, allegedly told investigators he wanted to carry out an attack "bigger" than the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. Deradicalized former jihadist Mubin Shaikh says the case exemplifies predatory online recruitment that turns alienated youth into perceived "superheroes" by offering meaning, belonging and grievance-driven ideology—often amplified by jihadi training videos—that can drive imitatory violence.