Terrorism and Targeted Violence (T2V) in the United States: Weapon Types

This research brief examines the weapons that were used, or were intended to be used, in 1,306 terrorism and targeted violence crimes that were committed in the United States from January 1, 2023, through July 31, 2024. The data for this brief come from the Terrorism and Targeted Violence (T2V) in the United States database, which includes comprehensive information on foiled, failed, and successful attacks in the U.S. and its territories that were designed to have a significant impact on public safety or the security of critical infrastructure and key resources. The data include terrorism events, premeditated hate crimes, school-based targeted violence, workplace targeted violence, and public mass violence events that were motivated by personal grievances. More information about the T2V database can be found in the “About T2V” section at the end of this brief. The analysis presented here explores how often the perpetrators of T2V events used or planned to use various weapons, including firearms, explosives, incendiary devices, and vehicles. It also examines the average lethality of attacks based on the types of weapons used in the incidents.

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