Introduction
The definition of terrorism has always been considered rather vague in the paradigm of global and national law. As a result, mass shootings with the intention to promote violence and cause terror among civilians are not always perceived as terrorist attacks. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) defines domestic terrorism as a “violent, criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups to further ideological goals stemming from domestic influences, such as those of a political, religious, social, racial, or environmental nature” (para. 3). The primary purpose of this essay is to analyze the 2002 Beltway Sniper Case through the lens of this definition in order to decide whether this precedent was a terrorist act. The preliminary assumption is that this case is an example of a violent spree shooting, yet the motivation of the incident does not indicate terrorist intentions.
Case Description
The Beltway Sniper Case took place in 2002 in Washington, D.C. A minor, Lee Boyd Malvo and John Muhammad, a 41-year-old male at the time, killed ten people over three weeks with no explicitly stated motive. Three people were also heavily injured (Gershenson & Tekin, 2018). Muhammad was sentenced to death, whereas Malvo was given a life sentence with no parole. Later, the sentence was altered in 2018 to a life sentence with the possibility of parole because Malvo was a minor at the time of arrest (Montanaro, 2019). Both men underwent psychiatric expertise, and Malvo’s attorney presented evidence of several depressive disorders and the failure to act reasonably under the influence of Muhammad (Gershenson & Tekin, 2018). Although both the prosecution and the public presented the possibility of shootings being an act of terrorism, no evidence of terrorism intentions was found. Nonetheless, this case is considered a serious precedent to mass violence and civilian danger in the United States.
The Definition of Terrorism
With an ongoing debate on the matter of definition of terrorism, it is rather hard to differentiate between a mass shooting and a terrorist attack. Since the outcomes of both are similar to the civilian population, the primary ground for comparison concerns the motive of a violent act. In the definition mentioned at the beginning, specific attention should be paid to terrorists’ intention to further a certain belief or ideology, whether it concerns a political system or a religious mission. In the case with Beltway Snipers, no working theory on the motives for the mass shooting was indicated both during the trial and after a thorough homicide investigation: “though we would go on to investigate any possible connection or motive that would have explained Franklin’s being specifically targeted, the shooting appeared to be just as random” (Reichenbaugh, 2018, p. 96). For this reason, any assumption that the initial incentive was to spark an ideological crisis would come across as biased, especially considering the fact that both shooters belonged to a racial minority.
Concluding Remarks
Having analyzed the premise of the 2002 Beltway Sniper Case, one may conclude that no evidence indicates the motive strong enough for the shooting to be regarded as a terrorist act. This assumption by no means makes the precedent itself less cruel and violent in the social context. However, when using the word “terrorize” to describe the act random and mass shooting, no context of ideological motive should be tied to the case as long as there is no sufficient proof.
References
Federal Bureau of Investigation. (n.d.). Terrorism. Web.
Gershenson, S., & Tekin, E. (2018). The effect of community traumatic events on student achievement: Evidence from the beltway sniper attacks. Education Finance and Policy, 13(4), 513-544. Web.
Montanaro, D. (2019). Supreme court to take up D.C. Sniper case, raising issue of sentencing minors. Web.
Reichenbaugh, D. (2018). In pursuit: The hunt for the Beltway snipers. University Press of New England.