Secret Service reports warns of rising 'incel' threats

Federal authorities have recognized the potential threat posed by so-called involuntarily celibate men, commonly referred to as “incels,” reports CNN.

The U.S. Secret Service’s National Threat Assessment Center released a report Tuesday that defines “incel” as “men who feel unable to obtain romantic or sexual relationships with women, to which they feel entitled.”

The report is a case study of a 2018 shooting at a Tallahasee, FL, yoga studio carried out by a 40-year-old single male. Scott Beierle walked into an evening hot yoga class and open fire, killing two women and injuring four others, before turning the gun on himself.

"The Hot Yoga Tallahassee attacker was motivated to carry out violence by his inability to develop or maintain relationships with women, along with his perception of women's societal power over men," Steven Driscoll, the assistant director of the National Threat Assessment Center, told CNN.

Investigators discovered a long history of hatred toward women, sexual assault allegations, and homophobic and racist comments.

"This attacker's history highlights the specific threat posed by misogynistic extremism," researchers wrote in the case study. "This gender-based ideology, sometimes referred to as 'male supremacy' has received increased attention in recent years from researchers, government agencies and advocacy groups due to its association with high-profile incidents of mass violence."

The Secret Service’s case study identifies common behavioral patterns and highlights opportunities for intervention.

One theme researchers found is the Beierle facing a lack of consequences for his violent behavior, noting that he had been charged multiple times with battery but the charges were dropped.

Other behavioral threat assessment themes in the report include failed aspirations, lack of financial stability, bizarre behavior, harassment and homicidal ideations.

The report was spurred by an increase of misogynistically motivated murders and other mass casualty events, researchers said.

"The body of research examining misogyny as an extreme ideology and incels specifically, as well as its intersection with other ideologies like white supremacy, as a field of research, is growing," said Driscoll.