John S. Hollywood
The attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump on July 13 raises concerns about possible copycat, opportunistic, or retaliatory attacks on public figures and, more broadly, on the public. The best way to defend against such attacks is to prevent them.
Shootings, bombings, and the like are most commonly prevented when members of the public report their suspicions. This is not always possible, of course. As of this writing, no advance warning signs about the would-be assassin's intentions are known to have been found. Nonetheless, when researchers at RAND examined data on 325 mass attacks that were prevented, almost two-thirds were foiled by a tip from the public.
What kinds of warning signs should we all be on the lookout for in the weeks and months ahead? Not hostile comments or even idle threats on social media. Instead, look for intentions and actions among those in your circle of acquaintance that reveal a commitment to carrying out an attack.
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