A new research brief from the University of Maryland’s National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) offers a detailed look at terrorism and targeted violence trends across the United States, documenting 2,976 incidents between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2025.
According to the report, 781 attacks — representing 26.2% of all incidents in the Terrorism and Targeted Violence (T2V) database — resulted in casualties. Those attacks led to 491 victim deaths and 1,231 injuries among victims.
The T2V database captures successful, failed, and foiled acts of terrorism, premeditated hate crimes, school-based targeted violence, workplace violence, public mass violence, and other targeted attacks affecting public safety or critical infrastructure. Researchers recorded an average of 2.7 terrorism and targeted violence incidents per day during the three-year period.
The report found that terrorism incidents increased during the study period, rising from 256 events in 2023 to 332 in 2025. Workplace violence also increased, while premeditated hate crimes declined. School-based targeted violence remained a significant concern, accounting for more than 200 incidents annually during each year studied.
Geographically, terrorism and targeted violence incidents occurred in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and several U.S. territories. California recorded the highest number of incidents with 340 events, followed by Texas, Florida, New York, and Pennsylvania. Overall, 1,401 cities experienced at least one terrorism or targeted violence event during the three-year period.
Private citizens and property were the most common targets, accounting for 36.6% of incidents. Educational institutions ranked second at 21.7%, followed by businesses, law enforcement, government facilities, and religious institutions.
Firearms remained the most frequently used weapon, appearing in nearly 57% of incidents. Incendiary devices and explosive devices were the next most common weapon types. Researchers also documented a small number of plots involving chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear materials.
Nearly half of all perpetrators intended to carry out mass-casualty attacks involving four or more victims, according to the report. At the same time, researchers noted that 42.3% of all plots were foiled before they could be carried out, often as a result of community members or family members providing information to law enforcement.
START’s T2V database is designed to provide policymakers, practitioners, and researchers with a comprehensive picture of violent incidents that threaten public safety, critical infrastructure, and community security across the United States. The latest brief highlights both the persistence of terrorism-related threats and the broader spectrum of targeted violence facing communities nationwide.
Source: START, Terrorism and Targeted Violence (T2V) in the United States: Overview of 2023-2025 Data.
