Secret Service study of yoga class shooting shows misogyny

WASHINGTON (AP) — A man who signed up for a yoga class in Tallahassee, Florida, and opened fire there in 2018 had a well-documented history of disturbing behavior — warning signs that were missed. The shooting that left two women dead and wounded six others spotlights the growing concern posed by extremists with hatred toward women, according to a case study the U.S. Secret Service released Tuesday.

The deep look at the killings, conducted by the Secret Service’s National Threat Assessment Center, was an effort to study how contempt for women can radicalize men and spark violent and deadly behavior. The research is aimed at helping to train law enforcement, school and community officials to better identify potential attackers and stop them before they strike.

So-called misogynistic extremism has increased in recent years, proliferating on the internet. Though this attacker didn't have a specific label, he identified with the growing movement of men who call themselves anti-feminists, male supremacists or incels — involuntary celibates. Many recent mass shooters had a history of violence against women, officials said.

“The hatred of women requires increased attention from everyone,” said Steve Driscoll, a research specialist at the center.

The shooter, 40-year-old Scott Paul Beierle, killed himself after opening fire at Hot Yoga Tallahassee, law enforcement officials said.

The case study stressed the importance of speaking up when someone's behavior is concerning and the need for community stakeholders — including residents, school officials, law enforcers and business owners — to have a role in helping to prevent violence.

“Over and over again, we see a tolerance for these objectively concerning behaviors,” said Dr. Lina Alathari, chief of the National Threat...