Incident Summary:
12/9/2000: Members of the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) used a crude firebomb, made of milk-type containers filled with gasoline and topped with gasoline-soaked sponges and incense sticks, to set fire to the Birchwood at Spring Lake condominium in Middle Island, New York in the United States. There were no casualties in the arson, which caused about $200,000 in damages. Similar incendiaries were found in three adjacent condos, but those failed to ignite. ELF claimed responsibility for the incident in communiqués sent to the Daily News a few days after the incident, stating they were waging "an unbounded war on urban sprawl" and that the condos were going to be used "future dens of the wealthy elite." The group also set arson to homes on Dec. 19 and 30 in Suffolk County, New York. Four teenage activists and members of ELF, George Mashkow, Jared McIntyre, Matthew Rammelkamp, and Conor Cash were charged with the arsons. McIntyre, Mashkow, and Rammelkamp pled guilty and were sentenced to 3.5 years in prison, 1 year in prison, and six months in a federal prison camp, respectively. Cash was acquitted at trial.
Overview
GTD ID:
200012090004
When:
2000-12-09
Country:
United States
Region:
North America
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
New York
City:
Middle Island
Location Details:
at the Birchwood at Spring Lake condominium under construction in Middle Island, NY
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Facility/Infrastructure Attack |
Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
Target Type: Business |
Name of Entity |
Birchwood at Spring Lake condominiums |
Specific Description |
individual homes under construction in the Birchwood at Spring Lake condominiums in Miller Island, NY |
Nationality of Target |
United States |
Additional Information
Hostages |
No |
Ransom |
No |
Property Damage |
Yes |
Extent of Property Damage |
Minor (likely < $1 million) |
Value of Property Damage |
$200,000.00 |
How
Weapon Information
Type |
Sub-type |
Incendiary |
Gasoline or Alcohol |
Weapon Details |
milk-type containers filled with gasoline and topped with gasoline-soaked sponges and incense sticks |
Additional Information
Suicide Attack? | No |
Part of Multiple Incident? | No |
Criterion 1 () |
Yes |
Criterion 2 () |
Yes |
Criterion 3 () |
Yes |
Doubt Terrorism Proper () |
No |
Additional Information |
The four perpetrators were also responsible for the arsons at Miller Place and Mount Sinai on December 19 and 29 in Suffolk County, New York. See incidents 121900 and 123000. |
Who
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators |
4 |
Number of Captured Perpetrators |
4 |
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties |
0 Fatalities / 0 Injured |
Total Number of Fatalities |
0 |
Number of U.S. Fatalities |
0 |
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities |
0 |
Total Number of Injured |
0 |
Number of U.S. Injured |
0 |
Number of Perpetrators Injured |
0 |
Sources
Sources
FBI, "Terrorism 2000/2001,"FBI, DOJ, 2001. |
Dave Salton, "Eco-Terrorists Slam L.I. Shadowy ELF Burns Homes," Daily News (New York), January 7, 2001. |
David Winzelberg, "Earth Liberation Member Gets 3 1/2 Years for Arsons," The New York Times, August 1, 2004. |
Criteria
Criteria 1
The act must be aimed at attaining a political, economic, religious, or social goal. In terms of economic goals, the exclusive pursuit of profit does not satisfy this criterion. It must involve the pursuit of more profound, systemic economic change.
Criterion 2
There must be evidence of an intention to coerce, intimidate, or convey some other message to a larger audience (or audiences) than the immediate victims. It is the act taken as a totality that is considered, irrespective if every individual involved in carrying out the act was aware of this intention. As long as any of the planners or decision-makers behind the attack intended to coerce, intimidate or publicize, the intentionality criterion is met.
Criterion 3
The action must be outside the context of legitimate warfare activities. That is, the act must be outside the parameters permitted by international humanitarian law (particularly the prohibition against deliberately targeting civilians or non-combatants.
Doubt Terrorism Proper
The existence of a "Yes" for "Doubt Terrorism Proper?" records reservation, in the eyes of GTD analysts, that the incident in question is truly terrorism. Such uncertainty, however, was not deemed to be sufficient to disqualify the incident from inclusion into the GTD. Furthermore, such a determination of doubt is subsequently coded by GTD analysts as conforming to one of four possible alternative designations: 1) Insurgency/Guerilla Action; 2) Internecine Conflict Action; 3) Mass Murder; or 4) Purely Criminal Act.
Alternate Designation
The determination of "yes" for "Doubt Terrorism Proper" by GTD analysts is coded as conforming to one of four possible alternative designations: 1) Insurgency/Guerilla Action; 2) Internecine Conflict Action; 3) Mass Murder; or 4) Purely Criminal Act.
Successful Attack
Success of a terrorist strike is defined according to the tangible effects of the attack. For example, in a typical successful bombing, the bomb detonates and destroys property and/or kills individuals, whereas an unsuccessful bombing is one in which the bomb is discovered and defused or detonates early and kills the perpetrators. Success is not judged in terms of the larger goals of the perpetrators. For example, a bomb that exploded in a building would be counted as a success even if it did not, for example, succeed in bringing the building down or inducing government repression.
Type of Attack
This field captures the general method of attack and often reflects the broad class of tactics used. It consists of the following nine categories:
- Assassination
- Armed Assault
- Unarmed Assault
- Bombing/Explosion
- Hijacking
- Hostage taking (Barricade Incident)
- Hostage taking (Kidnapping)
- Facility / Infrastructure Attack
- Unknown
Target Information
This field captures the general type of target. It consists of the following 22 categories:
- Abortion Related
- Airports & Airlines
- Business
- Government (General)
- Government (Diplomatic)
- Educational Institution
- Food or Water Supply
- Journalists & Media
- Maritime (includes Ports and Maritime facilities)
- Military
- NGO
- Other
- Police
- Private Citizens & Property
- Religious Figures/Institutions
- Telecommunication
- Terrorists
- Tourists
- Transportation (other than aviation)
- Unknown
- Utilities
- Violent Political Parties