Federal Authorities Warn of Lone-Wolf Terror Threats Ahead of July 4 Festivities
Law enforcement officers work at the scene after an attack that injured multiple people in Boulder, Colorado, June 1, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Kevin Mohatt
Federal authorities have warned that lone-actor attacks pose the greatest terrorism threat to Fourth of July celebrations, amid a rise in violent incidents and extremist threats across the country.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are closely monitoring potential threats ahead of July 4 festivities, raising concerns about lone-wolf attacks similar to the New Year’s car-ramming incident in New Orleans that killed 14 people.
“We are concerned about the potential threat of copycat attacks inspired by the 2025 New Year’s Day vehicle-ramming attack in New Orleans and continued [foreign terrorist organizations] messaging calling for attacks against Western targets,” a threat assessment bulletin obtained by ABC News said.
The bulletin warned that “special events with high attendance and media coverage … remain attractive targets” for both domestic and foreign terrorists, as well as violent extremists seeking to “cause mass casualties or draw attention to their causes.”
Although no specific or credible threats have been identified, authorities warn that US-based extremists and lone actors pose the greatest risk to Independence Day gatherings.
According to the bulletin, authorities are concerned about the potential use of chemicals in attacks on crowds, similar to the Boulder incident where a man threw Molotov cocktails into a group of Jewish demonstrators raising awareness about hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza, killing one person and injuring 13 others.
“The Department of Homeland Security is working closely with the FBI and other federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to ensure a safe and secure Independence Day across the nation,” a spokesperson for DHS told Newsweek.
“We are enhancing security measures and coordinating intelligence-sharing to proactively address potential risks, including those from lone wolf actors. At this time, DHS is not aware of any specific, credible threats to Fourth of July celebrations,” the agency said.
With escalating tensions in the Middle East — including the war in Gaza and Israel’s conflict with Iran — the United States has seen a rise in antisemitic attacks and terrorist threats, prompting concerns that similar violence could erupt on July 4.
“Most attackers motivated at least in part by the Israel-HAMAS conflict have selected targets with a symbolic link to Israel, houses of worship, or locations associated with houses of worship,” the threat assessment said.
“Individuals with grievances linked to the conflict could also perceive large gatherings, such as Independence Day celebrations, as opportunistic targets symbolic of the West in general,” it continued.
Two weeks before the firebombing of a march for Israeli hostages in Colorado, a gunman murdered two Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington, DC, as they were leaving an event at the Capital Jewish Museum hosted by the American Jewish Committee.
The suspect charged for the double murder, 31-year-old Elias Rodriguez from Chicago, also yelled “Free Palestine” while being arrested by local police after the shooting, according to video of the incident.
Last week, the US Department of Justice said it is closely tracking potential threats to the Jewish community nationwide amid growing concerns over Iranian sleeper cells launching attacks and the fallout from recent American and Israeli military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi reiterated the Trump administration’s recent warnings about potential Iran-linked sleeper cells and domestic radicalization, following escalating tensions in the Middle East during the 12-day Iran-Israel war.
Following the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites, law enforcement agencies across the country have ramped up surveillance of Iran-backed operatives amid growing fears of retaliation.
Although no specific or credible threats have yet emerged, US Customs and Border Protection says the threat of sleeper cells has “never been higher.”
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