‘Unusual goodbyes’: Feds list post-Jan. 6 indicators for spotting violent extremist family, friends

Federal law enforcement agencies on Friday released their first post-Jan. 6 report designed to help people spot potential violent extremists among family members, friends and peers.

"The lengthy 'see something, say something'-style public service announcement comes at a time when federal law enforcement has pumped out warnings of unsophisticated — but potentially lethal — attacks by lone actors that provide law enforcement with a sparse paper trail," CBS News reports. "The booklet lists 42 'indicators' that range from 'unusual goodbyes or post-death instructions" to 'surveilling potential attack targets' to 'isolating oneself from family and peers, particularly if citing violent extremist doctrine or ideology.'"

Other indicators listed in the 34-page booklet include "posing with weapons and imagery associated with violent extremism in photos or videos," and "deleting, hiding or manipulating social media as part of an effort to plan a specific act of violence," Axios reports.

"Members of the community such as relatives and peers are almost always the first to pick up on hints of violent motivations and are 'often best positioned to witness signs of mobilization to violence,'" according to Axios.

CBS News notes that while the report is not specifically tied to the Capitol insurrection, "families and friends of defendants have played an outsized role turning in relatives after learning of their alleged involvement in the breach."

"In one such instance, prosecutors say Guy Reffitt of Texas, who was indicted on multiple counts including obstructing the official proceeding of counting electoral college votes, threatened his children after they learned of his alleged involvement in the attack," the network reports. "Reffitt allegedly told his son and daughter following January 6, 'If you turn me in, you're a traitor and you know what happens to traitors...traitors get shot.'"

Read the full booklet here.