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Range:
In the 296 incidents involving firearms and rockets, 72% occurred at close range (fewer than 25 feet), and only 28% were launched from more than 25 feet.

Duration:
In the 319 incidents involving firearms, knives, and blunt instruments, 73% of the attacks were over within five seconds, and 27% of the attacks lasted longer than five seconds.

Situation:
77% occurred outdoors, and 23% of the attacks were carried out indoors. In addition, 42% occurred while the target was seated in, or riding in a car, 40% of the attacks occurred at the target's home or office, 20% occurred while the target was moving to or from a vehicle or a building (arrivals and departures). Attacks in or around vehicles, including arrival/departure situations, accounted for 62% of the attacks.

STARS:
In only 6% of the cases was it clear that some benefit arose from protector action or strategies during the attack. Among these few cases in which protector actions or strategies clearly had an important and favorable influence on safety, the benefit arose approximately 4% of the time from protector action after the incident. Approximately 48% of the time, benefit resulted from direct protector action at the scene of the incident, and 48% of the time, the benefit was the result of protective strategies or resources at the scene (e.g., effective positioning, an armored car, advance arrangements, logistics, weapons detection, deterrence).

Conclusion:
Recent attacks on public figures around the world, in which the target was killed or injured, have resulted in many more deaths than injuries. The most targeted groups were other government officials (such as ambassadors and cabinet ministers), followed by national leaders (such as former officials, political candidates, and religious leaders). Note that these targets are highly recognized, but less protected than heads of state. Accordingly, successful attacks are more likely, and there is less risk for attackers. Thus, targets in this category (famous but with less protection than heads of state) bring all the benefits in terms of political statement and media attention with less risk and greater likelihood of success.

Targets were most often attacked by multiple assailants, using a firearm. The preferred weapon was the long gun (automatic weapons, etc.) and the attack was most often launched from fewer than 25 feet. Bodyguards had little time to react, since the majority of the attacks were over in fewer than five seconds. The attacks were usually carried out outdoors. Less than one half of the attacks were conducted at the target's home or office. The most dangerous situations are when the target is riding in a car, or moving between a car and a building, referred to as "arrival/departure situations."

Unsuccessful Attacks Within the U.S.

(The cases analyzed for this category appear in
Section 1C
.)

Number:
We analyzed 25 incidents in which a public figure within the United States was attacked, and escaped unharmed. (Others may have been harmed during incidents discussed in this section.)

Status of Target:
The 25 incidents involved 32% heads of state; 24% members of Congress; 24% state, county, or local officials; 8% court officials; 8% movie/sports/media celebrities; 4% business executives. In 88% of the incidents, the target was a government official.

Mortality:
None of the public figures were injured.

Assailants: 88% had only one assailant, and in 12% of the attacks, there was likely more than one assailant.

Weapon:
40% involved handguns, 24% involved explosive devices, 16% involved another weapon (1 airplane, 1 matches, and 2 ricin), 12% involved long guns (rifle, assault weapon, submachine gun), 8% involved knives or edged weapons. Combining handguns and long guns, 52% of the attacks involved firearms. Of the 9 incidents involving bombs, ricin, and matches, 55.5% of these weapons were delivered in the mail.

Range:
In the 13 attacks involving firearms, 69% were launched from more than 25 feet, and 31% occurred at close range (fewer than 25 feet).

Duration:
In the 15 attacks involving firearms and knives, 67% were over in less than five seconds, and 33% of the attacks lasted longer than five seconds.

Situation:
52% of the attacks occurred indoors, and 48% occurred outdoors. In addition, 80% of the attacks occurred at the target's home or office, 4% occurred while the target was moving to or from a vehicle or a building (arrivals and departures), and 4% occurred while the target was seated in or riding in a vehicle. Attacks in or around vehicles, including arrival/departure situations, accounted for 8% of the attacks.

STARS:
In 40% of the cases it was clear that some benefit arose from protector action or strategies during the attack. Among these cases in which protector actions or strategies clearly had an important and favorable influence on safety, the benefit arose approximately 40% of the time from direct protector action at the scene of the incident, and 60% of the time, the benefit was the result of protective strategies or resources at the scene (e.g., effective positioning, an armored car, advance arrangements, logistics, weapons detection, deterrence).

Conclusion:
Recent attacks on public figures within the United States, in which the target escaped unharmed, have been rare events. Nearly all of the targeted individuals were politicians/government officials. Nearly every attack involved a lone assailant, most often armed with a firearm. The preferred weapon was a handgun, and most of the attacks were carried out from further than 25 feet, indicating that distance clearly played a role in the failure of the attack. This speaks to the benefits of effective advance work, most notably White Space, wherein protectees are afforded the benefit of distance from members of the general public while arriving and departing at events, home, work site, etc. Bodyguards had little time to react, since most of the attacks were over in fewer than five seconds. The attacks were carried out as often indoors as outdoors. Most of the attacks occurred at the target's home or office. Few of the attacks occurred while the target was in or around a vehicle, indicating that attacks carried out at these locations are most often successful, while attacks at the target's home or office are least often successful. It is apparent that at least 28% of these attacks were made unsuccessful by alert security personnel and effective security responses.

Unsuccessful Attacks Outside the U.S.

(The cases analyzed for this category appear in
Section 1D
.)

Number:
We analyzed 165 attacks in which a public figure outside the United States was attacked, and escaped unharmed.

Status of Target:
The 165 attacks involved 45% heads of state (president, Pope, king, prime minister, etc.); 28% other government officials (ambassador, minister, vice president, etc.); 10% state and local officials (governor or mayor); 9% national figures (first lady, political official, etc.); 4% members of Parliament; 2% court officials; 1% business executives; and 1% movie/sports/media celebrities. In 90% of the incidents, the target was a government official.

Mortality:
None of the public figures were killed or injured.

Assailants:
53% involved a single assailant, and 47% involved more than one assailant.

Weapon:
48% involved explosive devices (bomb, grenade); 40% involved long guns (rifle, shotgun, assault weapon); 5% involved handguns; 4% involved knives; 3% involved vehicles as weapons; and 1% involved mobs. Combining handguns and long guns, 45% of the attacks involved firearms. Of the 77 incidents involving bombs, 2.5% of these weapons were delivered in the mail.

Range:
In the 74 attacks involving firearms or rocket projectiles, 89% were launched from more than 25 feet, and only 11% occurred at close range (fewer than 25 feet). The longest distance was a rocket attack from two miles away.

Duration:
In the 81 attacks involving firearms, knives, and rocket projectiles, 62% of the attacks lasted longer than five seconds, and 38% were over in fewer than five seconds.

Situation:
91% occurred outdoors, and 9% occurred indoors. In addition, 51% occurred while the target was seated in, or riding in a vehicle, 29% of the attacks occurred at the target's home or residence, and 4% occurred while the target was moving to or from a vehicle or a building (arrivals and departures). Considering when the target was in or around a vehicle, 55% of the attacks occurred during those situations.

STARS:
In 57% of the cases it was clear that some benefit arose from protector action or strategies during the attack. Among these cases in which protector actions or strategies clearly had an important and favorable influence on safety, the benefit arose approximately 52% of the time from direct protector action at the scene of the incident, and 48% of the time, the benefit was the result of protective strategies or resources at the scene (e.g., effective positioning, an armored car, advance arrangements, logistics, weapons detection, deterrence).

Conclusion:
Attacks on public figures outside the United States, in which the target escaped unharmed, occur rather often. The preferred weapon was an explosive device, including roadside bombs, rockets, and hand grenades. The majority of the attacks were carried out from further than 25 feet, indicating that distance played a role in the failure of the attack. The majority of attacks lasted more than five seconds, probably due to the distances involved, giving bodyguards more time to react in many of the attacks. The majority of the attacks occurred outdoors. Most of the attacks occurred while the target was in or around a vehicle. About one-third of the attacks occurred at the target's home or office. It is apparent that at least 23% of these attacks were made unsuccessful by alert security personnel and effective security responses.

Unsuccessful Attacks Worldwide

Number:
Combining the summaries from within and outside the U.S., we analyzed 190 attacks in which a public figure was attacked, but escaped unharmed.

Status of Target:
The 190 attacks involved 44% heads of state (president, Pope, king, prime minister, etc.); 24% other government officials (ambassador, minister, vice president, etc.); 12% state and local officials (governor or mayor); 8% national figures (first lady, political official, etc.); 7% members of Congress or Parliament; 3% court officials (judge or prosecutor); 2% movie/sports/media celebrities; and 1% business executives. In 89% of the incidents, the target was a government official.

Mortality:
None of the public figures were injured.

Assailants:
58% involved a single assailant, and 42% involved more than one assailant.

Weapon:
44% involved explosive devices (bomb, rocket, grenade); 36% involved long guns (rifle, shotgun, assault weapon), 10% involved handguns, 5% involved knives, and 5% involved other weapons (5 vehicles as weapon, 2 ricin, 2 mobs, 1 matches). Combining handguns and long guns, 46% of the attacks involved firearms. 4% of the weapons were delivered by mail.

Range:
In the 87 attacks involving firearms and rocket projectiles, 86% were launched from more than 25 feet, and 14% occurred at close range (fewer than 25 feet).

Duration:
In the 96 attacks involving firearms, knives, or rocket projectiles, 58% of the attacks lasted longer than five seconds, and 42% were over in fewer than five seconds.

Situation:
86% occurred outdoors, and 14% occurred indoors. In addition, 45% occurred while the target was seated in or riding in a vehicle, 35% attacks occurred at the target's home or residence, and 4% occurred while the target was moving to or from a vehicle or a building (arrivals and departures). Considering when the target was in or around a vehicle, 49% of the attacks occurred during those situations.

STARS:
In 54% of the cases it was clear that some benefit arose from protector action or strategies during the attack. Among these few cases in which protector actions or strategies clearly had an important and favorable influence on safety, the benefit arose approximately half of the time from direct protector action at the scene of the incident, and half of the time, the benefit was the result of protective strategies or resources at the scene (e.g., effective positioning, an armored car, advance arrangements, logistics, weapons detection, deterrence).

Differences Between Foreign and Domestic Attacks:
In comparing the percentages from the 25 failed attacks in the U.S. with the 164 failed attacks outside the U.S., we see that security forces were faced with multiple assailants four times more often outside the U.S. than inside. Outside the U.S., single assailants were often members of a terrorist group but acting alone at the scene of the attack (such as suicide bombers), while few of the U.S. assailants were terrorists. Handguns were used nearly ten times more often in U.S. than outside the U.S. Long guns (usually automatic weapons) were used three times more often in foreign attacks. Bombs were used twice as often in foreign attacks. Far more attacks occurred at close range in the U.S. than in foreign attacks, no doubt due to the choice of weapons. More attacks were over in fewer than five seconds in the U.S. than in foreign attacks, again, probably because of the longer ranges during attacks abroad. Far more attacks occurred outdoors in foreign countries than in the U.S. Attacks at the target's home or office occurred three times more often inside the U.S. Attacks carried out in situations where the protectee was in or around vehicle happened ten times more often outside the U.S.

Conclusion:
It is important to consider that this section examines attacks that failed. We studied 190 attacks directed at public figures around the world, in which the public figure escaped unharmed. The majority of the attacks were carried out by one individual. Bombs and firearms were the preferred weapons, and the majority of the attacks were launched from more than 25 feet away. Most of the attacks lasted longer than five seconds, giving bodyguards more time to react, and there were many more cases of effective bodyguard response than in other categories of attack. The majority of these failed attacks occurred outdoors. Nearly half of the attacks occurred while targets were in or around their vehicle. It is apparent that distance played a large role in the failure of the attack to kill or injure the target. It is apparent that at least 24% of these attacks were made unsuccessful by alert security personnel and effective security responses.