Secret Service Report Identifies Patterns to Help Prevent Workplace Violence
WHO:
ABC News - The U.S. Secret Service’s National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) produced the report. NTAC studies targeted violence and publishes research.
ABC News - Lina Alathari, who has a Ph.D. in cognitive neuropsychology, leads NTAC and discussed the report with ABC News.
ABC News - Nearly all attackers in the 50 workplace attacks studied were males acting alone.
NBC News Politics - The Secret Service, an agency known for protecting the president, is applying its knowledge to workplace-violence prevention.
WHAT:
ABC News - The Secret Service released its first report on workplace violence, identifying behaviors of concern that often occur before attacks.
ABC News - Nearly three-quarters of workplace attackers exhibited behaviors of concern; about two-thirds had prior criminal charges.
ABC News - Domestic violence was present in 53% of the 50 workplace-attacker cases, compared with more than 40% of attackers in a broader mass-attack report, Alathari said.
ABC News - Nearly all attackers experienced some kind of stressor. Retail sites were the most targeted, followed by restaurants and manufacturing or distribution centers.
ABC News - Half of employees who carried out workplace violence had disciplinary records.
ABC News - A man opened fire on his estranged wife, a special-needs teacher, at an elementary school in San Bernardino, California, killing her and a student before killing himself. He had a history of domestic violence.
ABC News - A 22-year-old service member faced chronic pain after a motorcycle accident, a loved one’s poor health, peer harassment, and workplace reprimands and citations for poor performance and tardiness before an attack that killed two people on base and injured a third.
ABC News - Another employee shot and killed four coworkers during an HR meeting after being told he was being terminated.
ABC News - The report identifies threats or disturbing statements, unusual behavior, stalking, harassment, and violence against partners or relatives—including cases involving protective or restraining orders—as warning behaviors.
ABC News - Attackers were familiar with the workplace as current or former employees, romantic partners of employees, or customers.
WHERE:
ABC News - The report’s incidents included workplaces such as retail locations, restaurants, manufacturing or distribution centers, and a military base; one cited attack occurred at an elementary school in San Bernardino, California.
WHEN:
ABC News - The study examined incidents from 2016 to 2020. Alathari said workplace attacks continue to occur on a “monthly or weekly basis.”
WHY:
ABC News - The report aims to help organizations identify concerning behavior and prevent future workplace attacks.
HOW:
ABC News - The Secret Service recommends securing senior-executive support to establish a team responsible for concerning behavior, training employees to recognize warning signs, and providing ways to report them. Alathari described the framework as a scalable blueprint for organizations of any size.
(UPDATED October 21, 2026 19:24 UTC)
The U.S. Secret Service has released its first report on workplace violence, identifying warning signs that can help organizations prevent attacks. The National Threat Assessment Center studied 50 attacks from 2016 to 2020, finding nearly three-quarters of attackers showed concerning behavior and about two-thirds had faced criminal charges. Nearly all were men acting alone and had experienced stress. Domestic violence was present in 53% of cases, and half of the attackers had workplace disciplinary records. Warning signs included threats, disturbing statements, unusual behavior, stalking, harassment, and violence against partners or relatives. Retail sites were targeted most often, followed by restaurants and manufacturing or distribution centers. The Secret Service recommends executive-backed teams, employee training to recognize warning signs, and clear ways to report concerns. NTAC director Lina Alathari says the approach can be adapted for organizations of any size.