BLUF [Huffpoo] These "lone wolves," are therefore anything but "lone." Though the media, government, and even terrorists like ISIS themselves use the term, these new terror recruits are still connected to the group, even if such people do not have face-to-face contact or fly to the Middle East or some domestic compound for training. These new recruits bring in family members, or even other like-minded individuals. Yet we found cases like the Boston Marathon Bombing, the Oklahoma City Bombing, or even 9/11 attacks carried out by "lone wolves." We found that in 24 cases between 2013 and 2015, 22 were labeled "lone wolves" even though only a third actually involved a solitary attacker. This research coincides with evidence found from pre-2013 studies.
A senior professor at the panel agreed with our assessment, and added that perhaps one reason why the "lone wolf" term is used is hardly an accident. It's easier to describe the attack as one that can't be stopped, instead of realizing that these individuals are hardly alone. Links still exist and there are dots to be connected. That's often why in the wake of such an attack, those connections gradually surface, showing that few really were "lone wolves."