Incident Summary:
05/21/2001: Five members of the Animal and Earth Liberations Fronts (ALF and ELF), William Rodgers, Justin Solondz, Briana Waters, Jennifer Kolar, and Lacey Phillabaum, used timed incendiary devices to set arson to Merrill Hall, housing the Center for Urban Horticulture at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington in the United States. The arson destroyed the building due to extensive interior damage, and the entire structure and its contents sustained extensive heat, charring, smoke, and water damage. The total property loss was $3,312,434. There were no casualties in the incident. The perpetrators sent out a communiqué, claiming the incident in the name of ELF, and stating that they targeted the office of Professor Bradshaw, where remnants of one incendiary were found, because of his research on the genetic engineering of poplar trees, and admitted that the attack was coordinated with the arson at Jefferson Poplar Farms in Oregon a few hours earlier on the same day (521012). The perpetrators were part of a group calling themselves "The Family," which committed nearly 20 arson and ecotage attacks over a 6 year period.
Overview
GTD ID:
200105210007
When:
2001-05-21
Country:
United States
Region:
North America
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Washington
City:
Seattle
Location Details:
at the Horticulture Center at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Facility/Infrastructure Attack |
Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
Target Type: Educational Institution |
Name of Entity |
University of Washington Center for Urban Horticulture |
Specific Description |
office of Professor Bradshaw at Merrill Hall, housing the University of Washington's Center for Urban Horticulture |
Nationality of Target |
United States |
Additional Information
Hostages |
No |
Ransom |
No |
Property Damage |
Yes |
Extent of Property Damage |
Major (likely > $1 million but < $1 billion) |
Value of Property Damage |
$3,312,434.00 |
How
Weapon Information
Type |
Sub-type |
Incendiary |
Gasoline or Alcohol |
Weapon Details |
Five-gallon containers filled with gasoline and electronic timers |
Additional Information
Suicide Attack? | No |
Part of Multiple Incident? | Yes |
Criterion 1 () |
Yes |
Criterion 2 () |
Yes |
Criterion 3 () |
Yes |
Doubt Terrorism Proper () |
No |
Additional Information |
The incident occurred at about 3:20 a.m. and was one in a series of two attacks on this day. The second was an arson at Jefferson Poplar Tree Farm in Oregon, just a few hours earlier. The perpetrators were part of a group calling themselves "The Family, "which was made up of members of both ELF and ALF, and various combinations of members from the group committed nearly 20 arson and ecotage attacks over a 6 year period. William Rodgers was arrested for his involvement in this and other incidents with The Family, but he committed suicide in his jail call while awaiting transport; Justin Solondz remained fugitive as of 2008; Briana Waters was sentenced to six years in prison, Jennifer Kolar was sentenced to five years in prison, and Lacey Phillabaum to three years in prison, for their respective roles in this incident. |
Who
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators |
5 |
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
U.S. Government’s Sentencing Memorandum for CR 06-60069, CR 06-60070, CR 06-60071, CR 06-60078, CR 06-60079, CR 06-60080, CR 06-60120, CR 06-60122, CR 06-60123, CR 06-60124, CR06-60125, and CR 06-60126. U.S. District Court: District of Oregon, Eugene, 2007. |
FBI, "Terrorism 2000/2001,"FBI, DOJ, 2001. |
Paul Shukovsky, "3-Year Prison Term for Arson at UW/ Activist Apologizes:' I acted as a bully and a tyrant,'" Seattle Post-Intelligencer, August 20, 2008. |
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