(U//FOUO) Increasing Similarities Between Involuntary Celibates (Incel) Community and Violent Extremist Groups
(U//FOUO) Increasing Similarities Between Involuntary Celibates (Incel)
Community and Violent Extremist Groups
(U//FOUO) Scope: The Colorado Information Analysis Center (CIAC) has prepared this Situational Awareness Bulletin
to provide information to law enforcement and public safety partners regarding the increasing similarities between
Incels and violent extremist groups.
(U//FOUO) The ideologies of Involuntary Celibates (Incel) include the belief of “male supremacy” and
that they have a right to sex, often encouraging rape and sexual assault crimes against women. Incels
blame women and “alpha males” for their sexual and dating difficulties. Incels believe their rejection
when it comes to dating or romance is out of their control, and believe themselves as being “forever
alone”.1 Some agencies consider them a gender-based violent extremist group because they elicit social
change through violence and online radicalization.
2,3,4 Their online nature and “lone wolf” attacks, make
them difficult to track and identify. Some Incels reportedly prefer attacks that include vehicles, acid
attacks, food poisoning, and mass sexual assaults.
5 In recent years the Incel community has shown
increasing similarities to violent extremist groups.
6
(U) Since 2014, there have been at least five reported Incel-motivated attacks in North America using
similar tactics favored by violent extremist groups.
(U) On 23 May 2014, Elliot Rodger, 22, shot and killed six people and injured 14 on the
University of California Santa Barbara campus. In addition to creating online videos detailing
hatred for women, he published a manifesto online, detailing his hatred for women and his
sexual frustration.
7 Rodger and his manifesto have become infamous among the Incel
community, with members referring to conducting mass casualty attacks as “going ER”.
8,9
(U//FOUO) On 1 October 2015, Chris Harper-Mercer, 26, killed nine people and wounded 7 on
the Umpqua Community College campus in Roseburg, Oregon.10 Mercer was not a self-
identified Incel, however, he held the same ideologies, praised Rodger’s attack, and participated
in online forums supportive of the “Beta Uprising.” He published a manifesto online outlining
his radical views.11
(U) In Edmonton, Canada, Sheldon Russel Bentley caused fatal injuries to a homeless man by
repeatedly stomping on him, on 31 July 2016. Bentley later referred to himself as an Incel, and
experts testified that Bentley’s Incel status led to his violent behavior.
12
(U) On 23 April 2018, Alek Minassian, 25, killed ten people and injured 15 in Toronto, Canada by
driving his car into a crowd. He commented on social media regarding the “Incel rebellion”.13
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(U//FOUO) In Tallahassee, Florida, Scott Paul Beierle, 40, shot and killed six people at a yoga
studio on 2 November 2018. In a publicly available social media video, he reported his hatred
for women and advocated for violence against “American whores,” while idolizing (Elliot)
Rodger.14
(U) On 22 January 2019, Christopher Wayne Cleary of Colorado was arrested in Provo, Utah
after posting on Facebook that he was planning on “shooting up a public place” and “killing as
many girls as I see” because he had reportedly been rejected by many women.15
(U) The total number of Incels is unknown, but prior to being shut down in late 2018, the Reddit
subreddit “r/Incels” had approximately 40,000 members. Incels are known to be active primarily on
online forums such as 4chan, 8chan, Incel.co, Incel.is, and Incel.me. These online forums allow broad
communication among members, fostering radicalization.
16 They also utilize unique terminology,
shielding communications from the public.17 A robust list of terminology used by Incels can be found at
https://www.reddit.com/r/IncelTears/comments/aoekwm/incel_language_dictionary/.
(U) Source Summary Statement
(U//FOUO) Information utilized in this Situational Awareness Bulletin was derived from open source and law
enforcement reporting. When possible, open source information has been corroborated through other law
enforcement and government sources. Information in this bulletin is not considered fully evaluated or finished
intelligence.
(U) Consumers: CO Law Enforcement
CO Emergency Managers
CO State Agencies
CO Fire/EMS
Fusion Centers
Federal Partners
(U) For questions or comments regarding this Situational Awareness Bulletin, please contact the
Colorado Information Analysis Center by email at cdps_ciac@state.co.us or at 877-509-2422.
(U) This report addresses the following CIAC Standing Information Needs: CIAC SIN-01, CIAC SIN-05,
CIAC SIN-09, CIAC SIN-23, HSEC-1, and HSEC-8.
CIAC Survey
(U) Please take a moment to complete this survey and help evaluate the quality, value, and
relevance of our intelligence product. Your response will help us serve you more effectively
and efficiently in the future. Thank you for your cooperation and assistance.
Click here to take survey.
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(U) Endnotes
1 (U) Sam Louie; Psychology Today; “The Incel (Involuntary Celibacy) Problem: Blaming and externalizing the problem”; 24 APR
2018; https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/minority-report/201804/the-incel-involuntary-celibacy-problem; Accessed 8
MAY 2019; Website; (U);
2 (U//FOUO) New York State Intelligence Center; Field Intelligence Report; 13 NOV 2018; “(U//FOUO) Characteristics of Incel-
Motivated Attacks Similar to Other Violence Extremist Incidents”; Accessed 3 MAY 2019; Extracted information is U//FOUO;
Overall document classification is U//FOUO; (U//FOUO); 3 (U) Steven Crimando; Security Management: A Publication of ASIS International; “Alone Together and Angry: An Incel
Revolution”; 1 MAR 2019; https://sm.asisonline.org/Pages/Alone-Together-and-Angry-an-Incel-Revolution.aspx; Accessed 3
MAY 2019; Website; (U); 4 (U//FOUO) Washington Regional Threat Analysis Center; Intelligence Assessment; 4 OCT 2018; “Incel Adherent Radicalization
Follows Established Radicalization Framework”; Accessed 3 MAY 2019; Extracted information is U//FOUO; Overall document
classification is U//FOUO; (U//FOUO);
5 (U//FOUO) Ibid. 6 (U//FOUO) Ibid. 7 (U//FOUO) Southern Nevada Southern Counter Terrorism Center; 15 MAY 2018; “Significant Incident Report: Threat to Las
Vegas Event”; Accessed 3 MAY 2019; Extracted information is U//FOUO; Overall document classification is U//FOUO;
(U//FOUO);
8 (U//FOUO) Ibid. 9 (U) Op. cit., endnote 4. 10 (U//FOUO) Op. cit., endnote 2. 11 (U//FOUO) Kentucky Office of Homeland Security and Kentucky Intelligence Fusion Center; 18 DEC 15; “Situational Awareness
Bulletin: Beta Uprising”; Accessed 3 MAY 2019; Extracted information is U//FOUO; (U//FOUO); 12 (U) Zack Beaychamp; Vox; “Our Incel Problem: How a Support Group for the Dateless Became One of the Internet’s Most
Dangerous Subcultures”; 23 APR 2019; https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/2019/4/16/18287446/incel-definition-reddit;
Accessed 3 MAY 2019; Website; (U);
13 (U//FOUO) Op. cit., endnote 2. 14 (U//FOUO) Op. cit., endnote 2. 15 (U) Steve Kiggins; USA Today; “Colorado Man, Unhappy About Being a Virgin, Arrested Over Alleged Threat to Kill ‘as many
girls as I see’”; 22 JAN 2019; https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2019/01/21/colorado-man-arrested-threatening-kill-as-
many-girls-see/2641866002/; Accessed
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