Many Domestic Terrorists Stay Close to Home

Some of the most infamous terrorists in the U.S. traveled hundreds of miles to their targets. But is this typical? Do terrorists usually pick targets far from their homes?

According to researchers, they don't. In fact, most terrorists live close to their targets.

Researchers looked at 60 case studies involving terrorist incidents in the U.S. during the past 25 years. They examined the relationship between where four types of terrorists lived, prepared and attacked. The researchers found:

• Almost half of all the terrorists lived within 30 miles of their targets.
• Most of the terrorists prepared for their attacks close to home — but they committed serious crimes like robbery and burglary, on average, more than 400 miles from home.
• How long terrorists prepared depended on the type of terrorist group.

Read about the study's findings, which could have significant implications for law enforcement, particularly in detecting preparatory activities.