(Photo Source: theintercept.com)

FBI Says Beware Of Copycat Shooters

After two mass shootings over the weekend–one at a Wal-Mart in El Paso and one outside a strip of bars in Dayton, Ohio the FBI is warning that “copycat” shootings are a potential threat. The FBI reminded the public to report all suspicious behavior or threats to authorities.

The day after the back-to-back mass shootings, a man named Wayne Lee Padgett threatened to commit mass murder at his local Wal-Mart in Gibsonton, Florida. He told police he was “intrigued” by the El Paso and Dayton shootings.

The shooting in El Paso is believed to be the work of a white supremacist who posted a racist screed online before the attack. The FBI is urging the public to take such threats seriously, saying hate groups might be feeling emboldened by the weekend’s shootings.

“The attack in El Paso underscores the continued threat posed by domestic violent extremists and perpetrators of hate crimes,” the FBI said in a statement. “The FBI remains concerned that U.S.-based domestic violent extremists could become inspired by these and previous high-profile attacks to engage in similar acts of violence. The FBI asks the American public to report to law enforcement any suspicious activity that is observed either in person or online.”