How open source intelligence can help prevent shootings?

Shootings pose a serious threat to social stability and have sparked a discussion on how to take effective measures before they happen. Often, shooting incidents are preceded by warning signs, and what actions should we take when those warning signs surface? This article will explore how Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) can help better identify potential threats and take proactive preventative measures.

According to the FBI, active shooter incidents have been on the rise in recent years. According to the FBI's Active Shooter Incidents in the United States in 2021 report, the number of shootings in 2021 is 52.5% higher than in 2020 and 96.8% higher than in 2017 .

Between 2017 and 2021, the FBI categorized 61 shootings as active shooter incidents, with a total of 103 deaths and 140 injuries.

Many shooters leave a trail of activity online, and social media is one of the most popular online activities. According to Statista, more than 82 percent of the U.S. population has a social networking account. While there is no direct way to stop violent behavior, open-source intelligence can prevent such behavior from escalating into violent acts by searching these online platforms and identifying individuals who show signs of anger, isolation or resentment. This can be accomplished in three steps.

1. Understanding hate symbols

Emojis and other symbols are often used on social media platforms as a tool for fringe mentality, conspiracy theories, or hate group propagation. Law enforcement and the public have a great opportunity to intervene if they have a better understanding of what these symbols or acronyms mean. Many hate symbol databases and tools are available to help law enforcement, educators, and the public identify potential hateful mentalities.

OSINT can also help identify shifts in mood. For example, if a young person who regularly posts pictures of animals has recently changed to posting pictures of assault rifles, parents and educators can intervene before the situation escalates.

2. Bridging the resource gap with automated technologies

Tracking online activity on open platforms, online forums, and the dark web is a wide-ranging and daunting task. Typically, most agencies are unable to monitor online web activity and social media on a consistent basis, and by the time they begin to focus on a noteworthy individual, it is often too late.

To address time and resource constraints, law enforcement agencies need to utilize automated platforms powered by artificial intelligence, such as Knowlesys Intelligence System, to create mechanisms for early warning of potential threats. Such automated platforms can help law enforcement agencies detect potential dangers earlier by analyzing large-scale data streams and identifying patterns and behaviors that warrant attention.

3. Artificial intelligence support

Security agencies need to have platforms that can proactively seek out and integrate a variety of unique sources of information. An automated, open-source intelligence platform powered by artificial intelligence can provide analysts and investigators with the ability to sift through, aggregate, and organize information, enabling analysts to identify and analyze data and patterns that may not be possible to process manually.

Additionally, these platforms can be localized and run continuously in the background, with continuous monitoring ensuring the ability to proactively detect threats and enabling security organizations to quickly respond to emerging risks.

However, it is worth emphasizing that while the use of AI tools can greatly improve efficiency, the involvement of human analysts is still required, as their judgment and expertise are critical in understanding intelligence. The synergy between technology and humans is therefore key to ensuring effective intelligence analysis.