The Wire - October 2, 2025

//The Wire//2300Z October 2, 2025//
//ROUTINE//
//BLUF: TERROR ATTACK STRIKES MANCHESTER. FAKE ACTIVE SHOOTER CALLED IN AT NEW JERSEY MILITARY BASE. BOMB THREAT DISRUPTS SERVICES AT MIAMI CHURCH.//

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-International Events-

United Kingdom: This morning a complex terror attack was carried out in Manchester. One assailant began the initial phase of the attack by ramming his vehicle into the perimeter fence at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue. Once the vehicle came to a halt, the attacker exited the vehicle and attempted to gain entry to the facility. Police were immediately on scene, and as the crowd scattered, police were able to corner the assailant. The attacker attempted to detonate a suicide belt that he was wearing, but the S-Belt did not explode (the belt was determined later to be either fake or not a viable explosive). A few moments later, the suspect was shot by armed police, ending the attack. Concerning casualties, 2x people were killed and 3x others wounded during the attack.

Analyst Comment: The attacker (who has not yet been identified) was probably targeting Yom Kippur events (which is today). Some time after the incident, two other individuals were reportedly arrested in conjunction with this incident a short distance from the initial attack site. However the status of these individuals is unknown, along with how these arrests are related to the initial attack.

-HomeFront-

New Jersey: Yesterday afternoon a fake active shooter incident was called in at JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. Local authorities arrested Malika Brittingham (a civilian employee working for the US Navy) for calling in the fake active shooting, which resulted in the base locking down and local schools enacting active shooter protocols. Authorities state that Brittingham called in the active shooter because she was feeling ostracized by her coworkers, and that faking the active shooting would allow her to "trauma bond" with her fellow employees.

Washington D.C. - Politics continues as the government remains shut down. This morning, several media outlets claimed to have access to a leaked letter that was sent from the White House to Congress. The letter allegedly contains a notice to Congress that the United States is now involved in a "noninternational armed conflict" regarding central/south American drug cartels.

Analyst Comment: If this letter is being accurately described by journalists (which is a big "if"), this is quite the eyebrow-raising declaration. Since the letter itself is being withheld by media groups, there's no way to independently verify the information or if the context is being described accurately. Either way, the phrase "noninternational armed conflict" is an interesting choice of words as it sounds a lot like a war declaration without a war declaration.

Until some level of clarification is obtained, it's all conjecture. However, the absolute lowest-hanging fruit of an assessment is that the conflict down south will not be ending or de-escalating anytime soon.

Florida: Monday afternoon a man was arrested after making a bomb threat during the Liturgy at St. Andrew Greek Orthodox Church in Miami. This incident occurred on Sunday, however it's just now gaining wider attention due to the details of the case. Local authorities state that a man was clutching a backpack and was acting suspiciously during services on Sunday, which prompted a Deacon to approach the man. Upon making contact, the man handed the backpack to the Deacon, and stated that it was a bomb. The Deacon took the backpack, which was making a ticking noise, and placed off to the side of the nave.

The church was not evacuated, and services continued as before. After a few minutes, a loud, piercing alarm was emitted from the suspect (which later was revealed to be the suspect's phone), along with an audible countdown to detonati