Americans at July 4th celebrations warned of lone wolf terrorist threat
Americans at July 4th celebrations warned of lone wolf terrorist threat
Security expert warns of heightened alert following Trump administration’s successful strikes on Iranian nuclear sites
By Published July 1, 2025 4:00am EDT
Ex-Secret Security agent warns Fourth of July ‘an opportune time’ for US adversaries to carry out retaliatory attack
The Lake Forest Group Founder and CEO Michael Verden, a former Secret Service agent and law enforcement officer, said certain Fourth of July activities and travel will see increased security due to a “heightened threat environment.”
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Federal officials are warning of lone wolves who pose the biggest terror threat to Fourth of July celebrations amid tensions between the United States and the Middle East.
Tensions escalated on June 22, when the U.S. Military bombed three key nuclear sites in Iran, according to Trump administration officials.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the agency is “working closely with the FBI and other federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to ensure a safe and secure Independence Day across the nation.”
“We are enhancing security measures and coordinating intelligence-sharing to proactively address potential risks, including those from lone wolf actors. At this time, DHS is not aware of any specific, credible, threats to Fourth of July celebrations,” DHS said.
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Security expert Michael Verden of The Lake Forest Group warns of possible terrorist activity on the Fourth of July amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and Middle East. (Adam Gray/Getty Images)
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she has been “briefed consistently over the previous few weeks on the current threat landscape given heightened tensions around the world.”
“Our federal partners reiterated yesterday that lone wolf actors remain the greatest potential threat including during the upcoming July 4th holiday. Keeping New Yorkers safe is my top priority — especially as families gather to celebrate this holiday weekend,” Hochul said.
The governor added that “New York’s law enforcement personnel have already been in an increased alert posture following the recent conflict in the Middle East, but at my direction, State Police will have an increased presence at large events throughout the state,” and the governor’s office “will be closely coordinating with local and federal law enforcement partners to ensure the safety of all involved.”
People watch fireworks at the Leesburg, Florida Fourth of July celebration at Venetian Gardens on July 4, 2023. (Cindy Peterson/For the Daily Commercial | USA TODAY NETWORK)
“National Guard personnel also remain deployed at major transportation hubs, as well as at key bridges and tunnels within New York City. We are also actively monitoring social media activity and continue to be on high alert for any cyberthreats,” Hochul said. “New Yorkers should never be intimidated by threats of violence or terror. I urge everyone to enjoy the holiday weekend with family and friends and to stay alert. If you see something, say something.”
Federal authorities are also concerned that San Francisco’s fireworks show, which is expected to draw around 200,000 people, provides “a broad set of soft targets … for a mass casualty attack,” reads a “Joint Special Event Threat Assessment” bulletin obtained by ABC News from the FBI, Homeland Security, Coast Guard San Francisco and Northern California Regional Intelligence Center.
Officials expressed concerns of copycats following a New Year’s Day terrorist attack in New Orleans, when Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a Texas native inspired by ISIS online, rammed his truck through Bourbon Street in the early morning hours of Jan. 1, killing 14 civilians and injuring 57 others.
Portable chairs are left behind after gunfire erupted at a Fourth of July parade route in the wealthy Chicago suburb of Highland Park, Illinois, U.S. Jul. 4, 2022. (REUTERS/Max Herman)
“Due to the Iran conflict, the Department of Homeland Security has a National Threat Advisory System, and as of June 22, we are at a heightened threat environment,” Michael Verden, founder and CEO of security firm The Lake Forest Group, told Fox News Digital. “That level will stay in place until September 22, and it could be extended based on the conflict in Iran.”
Verden, a former USSS agent and law enforcement officer, added that certain 4th of July activities and travel will see increased security and precautionary measures “because of this heightened threat environment.”
DHS said in a June 22 bulletin that “Iran also has a long-standing commitment to target US Government officials it views as responsible for the death of an Iranian military commander killed in January 2020.”
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People watch the sunset as the Washington Monument reflects in the Capitol Reflecting Pool on a warm evening on Jun. 2, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
“The likelihood of violent extremists in the Homeland independently mobilizing to violence in response to the conflict would likely increase if Iranian leadership issued a religious ruling calling for retaliatory violence against targets in the Homeland,” DHS said. “Multiple recent Homeland terrorist attacks have been motivated by anti-Semitic or anti-Israel sentiment, and the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict could contribute to US-based individuals plotting additional attacks.”
Verden recalled a mass shooting that took place on the Fourth of July in Highland Park, Illinois, in 2022 that left seven people killed, including an 8-year-old boy. While the shooter’s motive has not been described as an act of terrorism, Verden said that shooting three years ago brought more attention to the possibility of bad actors targeting “open-air events.”
In more urban settings, bad actors could also target subterranean spaces, such as subways or threats “from the water,” he said.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth takes a question from a reporter during a news conference at the Pentagon on June 22, 2025, in Arlington, Virginia. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Public and private events will need to coordinate with local law enforcement for the holiday, according to Verden.
“I do believe that federal agencies will have more of an emphasis on identifyin
