Date of Award
2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Criminal Justice and Homeland Security (D.P.S.)
Department
Division of Criminal Justice and Homeland Security
First Advisor
Keith Cozine
Abstract
Domestic violent extremist (DVE) attacks in the U.S. present a fluid and dynamic threat to national security. While past research has extensively examined the ideological drivers of DVE violence, relatively little focus has been placed on their geographic mobility, particularly how far DVE actors travel from their hometowns to attack sites and what insights this provides for intelligence and law enforcement. This dissertation explores how geographic proximity, ideological motivation, and logistical constraints shape DVE travel patterns. Using a comprehensive dataset covering U.S.-based DVE incidents from 2001 to 2025, this study employs a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative geospatial analysis with qualitative case studies using an explanatory sequential design. The research examines statistical trends in residence-to-target distances, ideological differences in mobility patterns, and outlier cases where extremists travel significantly beyond expected geographic norms. The findings reveal that most DVEs operate within a localized radius, but a growing outlier subset exhibits long-distance mobility, particularly among Salafi-jihadist actors, racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist (REMVE), and anti-government, anti-authority violent extremist (AGAAVE) actors. The study further explores how digital radicalization, ideological networking, and target selection strategies influence extremist travel decisions. This research has critical implications for law enforcement, homeland security, and intelligence professionals, offering data-driven insights for proactive threat detection, potential predictive modeling, and interagency coordination. By identifying mobility patterns and spatial trends in extremist attacks, policymakers can refine early-warning systems, travel surveillance mechanisms, and regional threat assessments. The dissertation concludes with policy recommendations aimed at improving counterterrorism measures, intelligence-sharing frameworks, and investigative techniques for tracking mobile domestic extremist actors.
Recommended Citation
McDonnell, Kyle W., "HAVE GUN, WILL TRAVEL: THE DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE IMPLICATIONS OF TRAVEL-TO-TARGET DISTANCES IN DOMESTIC VIOLENT EXTREMIST ATTACKS" (2026). Theses and Dissertations. 1084.
https://scholar.stjohns.edu/theses_dissertations/1084