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Right-wing extremist terror attacks: A timeline

In the past 10 years, there have been numerous attacks targeting Muslim and Jewish communities, as well as people of color. DW examines some of the world's major right-wing extremist terror attacks.

  • A picture of Marwa El-Sherbini, who was stabbed to death in a court in Dresden, Germany (picture-alliance/dpa/M. Hiekel)

    Germany 2009: Stabbing of woman in Dresden court

    Marwa El-Sherbini, a pharmacist who lived with her husband and son in Dresden, was killed in Dresden's district court on July 1, 2009. She was stabbed by a 28-year-old Russian-German man shortly after testifying against him in a verbal abuse case. He'd previously called her a "terrorist" and "Islamist." El-Sherbini is considered to be the first murder victim of an Islamophobic attack in Germany.

  • People gather around a memorial to the victims of terror attacks in Oslo, Norway (picture-alliance/dpa/R. Berit)

    Norway 2011: Mass murderer Breivik carries out terror attacks

    Right-wing extremist Anders Behring Breivik killed 77 people in two lone-wolf terror attacks on July 22, 2011. He first set off a bomb in the government district in Oslo before killing young people attending a summer camp on the island of Utoya. Prior to the attack, Breivik published a manifesto where he decried multiculturalism and the "Islamization of Europe."

  • University students take part in a candlelight vigil for three students who were murdered in Chapel Hill, North Carolina (picture-alliance/landov/Raleigh News & Observer)

    USA 2015: Chapel Hill shooting

    Three university students — Deah Barakat, his wife Yusor Abu-Salha, and her sister Razan Abu-Salha — were shot dead by their 46-year-old neighbor on February 10, 2015. The shooter described himself as an opponent of organized religion and reportedly repeatedly threatened and harassed the victims. The killings sparked outrage online, with millions of tweets using the hashtag #MuslimLivesMatter.

  • A woman comforts her daughter as they stand in front of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church following a mass shooting in Charleston, South Carolina (Getty Images/J. Raedle)

    USA 2015: Church massacre in Charleston

    On June 17, 2015, a white supremacist opened fire at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Nine African-American worshipers were killed, including a pastor at the church, which is one of the oldest black congregations in the United States. The 21-year-old suspect was convicted of a federal hate crime and sentenced to death.

  • A memorial outside of the Olympia shopping mall in Munich, Germany where a mass shooting took place (Getty Images/J. Simon)

    Germany 2016: Mass shooting in Munich

    A mass shooting at a shopping mall in Munich on July 22, 2016 wounded some 36 people and killed 10 — including the 18-year-old shooter. The perpetrator, a German of Iranian descent, made xenophobic and racist comments and idolized school shooters, according to police. He also suffered from depression, was frequently bullied and wanted to take revenge on people with immigrant backgrounds.

  • Authorities remove a van that struck pedestrians near a mosque at Finsbury Park in north London. (picture-alliance/AP Photo/F. Augstein)

    UK 2017: Attack on Finsbury Park mosque

    On June 19, 2017, a 47-year-old man killed one person and wounded another 10 after driving a van into a group of pedestrians near the Finsbury Park mosque in north London. All of the victims were Muslims who were on their way to take part in special night prayers during Ramadan. The perpetrator later stated that he was motivated by a "hatred of Islam" and was sentenced to life in prison.

  • People receive first-aid after a car rammed into counter-protesters at a rally in Charlottesville, Virginia (Getty Images/AFP/P.J. Richards)

    USA 2017: Car attack during neo-Nazi march in Charlottesville

    One woman was killed and dozens were wounded when a white nationalist drove his car into a crowd of counterprotesters in Charlottesville, Virginia on August 12, 2017. The counterprotesters had been demonstrating against the Unite the Right rally, a gathering of white supremacists, white nationalists and neo-Nazis. The suspect was sentenced to life in prison.

  • Police officers are seen near a mosque after a shooting in Quebec City, Canada (Reuters/M. Belanger)

    Canada 2017: Attack on mosque in Quebec

    A gunman opened fire on worshipers at the Islamic Cultural Center in Quebec City in late January 2017, killing six people and wounding over a dozen. The shooting took place during evening prayers. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the shooting as "a terrorist attack on Muslims in a center of worship and refuge."

  • A person stands in front of Stars of David that are displayed in front of the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, USA (picture-alliance/AP/M. Rourke)

    USA 2018: Tree of Life Synagogue shooting

    On October 27, 2018, a 46-year-old gunman opened fire at a synagogue in the US city of Pittsburgh, killing 11 people and wounding seven. He reportedly shouted anti-Semitic slurs during the attack and previously posted conspiracy theories online. It was the deadliest attack on Jewish people in US history.

  • Police tape off the site where a (picture-alliance/dpa/M. Kusch)

    Germany 2019: New Year's attack in Bottrop and Essen

    Shortly after midnight as people were out celebrating, a 50-year-old man carried out targeted attacks on immigrants in the western German cities of Bottrop and Essen — injuring eight people, one seriously. He deliberately drove his car at two Syrian and Afghan families who were out celebrating with their children in Bottrop. German authorities said "he had a clear intent to kill foreigners."

  • Police cars stationed outside of a mosque that was the site of a terror attack in Christchurch, New Zealand (picture-alliance/empics/PA Wire/D. Lawson)

    New Zealand 2019: Twin terror attacks on mosques in Christchurch

    At least 50 people were killed and dozens others were injured in twin terror attacks at mosques in Christchurch. Officials called it a "right-wing extremist attack" and the deadliest shooting in New Zealand's history. One of the gunmen livestreamed the attack and posted a racist manifesto online before the attack. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern called it "one of New Zealand's darkest days."


  • A picture of Marwa El-Sherbini, who was stabbed to death in a court in Dresden, Germany (picture-alliance/dpa/M. Hiekel)

    Germany 2009: Stabbing of woman in Dresden court

    Marwa El-Sherbini, a pharmacist who lived with her husband and son in Dresden, was killed in Dresden's district court on July 1, 2009. She was stabbed by a 28-year-old Russian-German man shortly after testifying against him in a verbal abuse case. He'd previously called her a "terrorist" and "Islamist." El-Sherbini is considered to be the first murder victim of an Islamophobic attack in Germany.

  • People gather around a memorial to the victims of terror attacks in Oslo, Norway (picture-alliance/dpa/R. Berit)

    Norway 2011: Mass murderer Breivik carries out terror attacks

    Right-wing extremist Anders Behring Breivik killed 77 people in two lone-wolf terror attacks on July 22, 2011. He first set off a bomb in the government district in Oslo before killing young people attending a summer camp on the island of Utoya. Prior to the attack, Breivik published a manifesto where he decried multiculturalism and the "Islamization of Europe."

  • University students take part in a candlelight vigil for three students who were murdered in Chapel Hill, North Carolina (picture-alliance/landov/Raleigh News & Observer)

    USA 2015: Chapel Hill shooting

    Three university students — Deah Barakat, his wife Yusor Abu-Salha, and her sister Razan Abu-Salha — were shot dead by their 46-year-old neighbor on February 10, 2015. The shooter described himself as an opponent of organized religion and reportedly repeatedly threatened and harassed the victims. The killings sparked outrage online, with millions of tweets using the hashtag #MuslimLivesMatter.

  • A woman comforts her daughter as they stand in front of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church following a mass shooting in Charleston, South Carolina (Getty Images/J. Raedle)

    USA 2015: Church massacre in Charleston

    On June 17, 2015, a white supremacist opened fire at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Nine African-American worshipers were killed, including a pastor at the church, which is one of the oldest black congregations in the United States. The 21-year-old suspect was convicted of a federal hate crime and sentenced to death.

  • A memorial outside of the Olympia shopping mall in Munich, Germany where a mass shooting took place (Getty Images/J. Simon)

    Germany 2016: Mass shooting in Munich

    A mass shooting at a shopping mall in Munich on July 22, 2016 wounded some 36 people and killed 10 — including the 18-year-old shooter. The perpetrator, a German of Iranian descent, made xenophobic and racist comments and idolized school shooters, according to police. He also suffered from depression, was frequently bullied and wanted to take revenge on people with immigrant backgrounds.

  • Authorities remove a van that struck pedestrians near a mosque at Finsbury Park in north London. (picture-alliance/AP Photo/F. Augstein)

    UK 2017: Attack on Finsbury Park mosque

    On June 19, 2017, a 47-year-old man killed one person and wounded another 10 after driving a van into a group of pedestrians near the Finsbury Park mosque in north London. All of the victims were Muslims who were on their way to take part in special night prayers during Ramadan. The perpetrator later stated that he was motivated by a "hatred of Islam" and was sentenced to life in prison.

  • People receive first-aid after a car rammed into counter-protesters at a rally in Charlottesville, Virginia (Getty Images/AFP/P.J. Richards)

    USA 2017: Car attack during neo-Nazi march in Charlottesville

    One woman was killed and dozens were wounded when a white nationalist drove his car into a crowd of counterprotesters in Charlottesville, Virginia on August 12, 2017. The counterprotesters had been demonstrating against the Unite the Right rally, a gathering of white supremacists, white nationalists and neo-Nazis. The suspect was sentenced to life in prison.

  • Police officers are seen near a mosque after a shooting in Quebec City, Canada (Reuters/M. Belanger)

    Canada 2017: Attack on mosque in Quebec

    A gunman opened fire on worshipers at the Islamic Cultural Center in Quebec City in late January 2017, killing six people and wounding over a dozen. The shooting took place during evening prayers. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the shooting as "a terrorist attack on Muslims in a center of worship and refuge."

  • A person stands in front of Stars of David that are displayed in front of the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, USA (picture-alliance/AP/M. Rourke)

    USA 2018: Tree of Life Synagogue shooting

    On October 27, 2018, a 46-year-old gunman opened fire at a synagogue in the US city of Pittsburgh, killing 11 people and wounding seven. He reportedly shouted anti-Semitic slurs during the attack and previously posted conspiracy theories online. It was the deadliest attack on Jewish people in US history.

  • Police tape off the site where a (picture-alliance/dpa/M. Kusch)

    Germany 2019: New Year's attack in Bottrop and Essen

    Shortly after midnight as people were out celebrating, a 50-year-old man carried out targeted attacks on immigrants in the western German cities of Bottrop and Essen — injuring eight people, one seriously. He deliberately drove his car at two Syrian and Afghan families who were out celebrating with their children in Bottrop. German authorities said "he had a clear intent to kill foreigners."

  • Police cars stationed outside of a mosque that was the site of a terror attack in Christchurch, New Zealand (picture-alliance/empics/PA Wire/D. Lawson)

    New Zealand 2019: Twin terror attacks on mosques in Christchurch

    At least 50 people were killed and dozens others were injured in twin terror attacks at mosques in Christchurch. Officials called it a "right-wing extremist attack" and the deadliest shooting in New Zealand's history. One of the gunmen livestreamed the attack and posted a racist manifesto online before the attack. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern called it "one of New Zealand's darkest days."


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