Stopping lone wolf attacks is exceptionally difficult. When an individual travels abroad to fight in Syria or is in contact with ISIS handlers, U.S. intelligence can pick up on the communication and interaction. And by going abroad to fight for a jihadist group, an individual is committing a crime and can be arrested. Lone wolves, by definition, lack such links. The San Bernardino attackers were not on law enforcement’s radar screen before striking. And given permissive U.S. gun laws, even someone like Mateen who allegedly abused his spouse and was repeatedly investigated by the FBI, could legally purchase an semi-automatic weapon because he had not yet openly supported a terrorist group.* The FBI is already aggressive against potential terrorists to the point that civil liberties groups criticize it for entrapment and otherwise using stings too aggressively.
Because even a struggling ISIS retains its appeal and at least some of its supporters will stay off the radar screen, lone wolf attacks are likely to continue. In addition to continuing aggressive law enforcement efforts, the best thing U.S. leaders could do is to promote a sense of resilience and avoid demonizing Muslim Americans, recognizing that even as we mourn the tragic deaths of so many of our countrymen we must ensure that someone like Mateen is portrayed as hateful and pathetic, not as a representative of a broader threat among American Muslims or part of some grandiose ISIS plot.
