Faith-Based Daily Awareness Post 19 December 2024

These updates are shared to help raise the situational awareness of Faith-Based organizations to best defend against and mitigate the impacts from all-hazards threats including physical security, cybersecurity, and natural disasters.

(Name omitted) had disturbing fascination with other school shooters before her deadly rampage

The New York Post reports:

Newly uncovered photos and online accounts purportedly associated with the Wisconsin teen school shooter suggest a deeply disturbing obsession with other school shooters such as Columbine killer (name omitted) — and even show her wearing a T-shirt of his favorite band.

A now-eerie snapshot of (name omitted), 15, was posted on her father’s Facebook page and shows her aiming a rifle at a shooting range wearing a shirt from the German industrial rock band (name omitted).

(Name omitted) was seen in photos also wearing one of the band’s T-shirts before he and (name omitted) went on to murder 13 people in the 1999 Columbine High School massacre.

Additional Articles:

• School shooter (name omitted) linked to sick website showing beheadings, burnings and gruesome deaths
• Wisconsin shooter contacted California man planning separate attack, reports say | Reuters
• Wisconsin school shooter had 2 guns and got messages from man accused of plotting his own attack

Analyst Comments:

The ODNI’s U.S. Violent Extremist Mobilization Indicators Booklet, highlighted in yesterday’s  18 December Daily Awareness Post, lists the following Motivation Indicators that can be observed by family, friends, and school staff:

• Producing, promoting, or extensively consuming violent extremist content online or in person, including violent extremist videos, narratives, media, and messaging for suspected criminal purposes
• Posing with weapons and imagery associated with violent extremism in photos or videos, especially if paired with threats or expressed interest in carrying out violence against an ideological target for suspected criminal purposes
• Praising, or researching to emulate, past successful or attempted attacks or attackers

Anyone observing this type of behavior should report this information to local law enforcement or on the FBI Electronic Tip Form. For emergencies or immediate threat to life, call 911.

In a related issue, the Dont Name Them campaign recommends “Don’t sensationalize the names of the shooters in briefings – or in reporting about active attack events.”

The campaign gives the following reasons not to name the suspects:

• Some suspects are motivated by a desire for fame, notoriety, and/or recognition.
• When the media focuses on the attacker, they provide this fame, notoriety and recognition.
• This focus allows the attacker to accomplish one of their goals, and validates their life and actions.
• Media coverage can create a contagion effect producing more shootings.
• Some shootings/attacks may be prevented by removing one of the incentives.
• We encourage the media and others not to name the suspects or focus on their lives.
• The shooters/attackers should be as unrecognized in their deaths as they were in their lives.
• Media coverage should focus on the victims and the heroes.

CDC Confirms First Severe Case of H5N1 Bird Flu in the United States

From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website:

A patient has been hospitalized with a severe case of avian influenza A(H5N1) virus (“H5N1 bird flu”) infection in Louisiana. This marks the first instance of severe illness linked to the virus in the United States. The case was confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday, December 13. Since April 2024, there have been a total of 61 reported human cases of H5 bird flu reported in the United States.

…

The best way to prevent H5 bird flu is to avoid exposure whenever possible. Infected birds shed avian influenza A viruses in their saliva, mucous, and feces. Other infected animals may shed avian influenza A viruses in respiratory secretions and other bodily fluids (e.g., in unpasteurized cow milk or ‘raw milk’).

• • As a general precaution, whenever possible, people should avoid contact with sick or dead animals, in particular wild birds, and poultry.
  • For individuals with direct/close contact with wild birds or sick or dead poultry or other animals, wear recommended personal protective equipment (PPE).Wild birds can be infected with avian influenza A viruses even if they don’t look sick.
  • Do not touch surfaces or materials (e.g., animal litter or bedding material) contaminated with saliva, mucous, or animal feces from wild or domestic birds or other animals with confirmed or suspected avian influenza A virus infection.

For more information on H5 bird flu in the U.S. and CDC’s response, including regularly updated case counts, visit the H5 Bird Flu: Current Situation page.

Related Article:

• Newsom declares State of Emergency due to bird flu (The declaration is meant to streamline California’s response to bird flu.)
• Wisconsin reports presumptive avian flu in poultry worker as California declares emergency

Analyst Comments:

Faith-Based Organization members should consider following the CDC’s precautions at their facilities and in their personal life.