Three times in the last year, fears of terrorism have surfaced in Texas.
Last September, federal agents foiled an attempted attack on a Dallas skyscraper. In November, an army major was arrested for the Fort Hood rampage that killed 12 people. He remains hospitalized, from his injuries.
And now, this plane crash in Austin, which some are calling a domestic act of terrorism. Dealing with acts like this one, is one of the top priorities for local law enforcement.
Police say to stop a terrorist plot they have to rely on information from the community.
Texas has become a target for terror. The Dallas police has a high tech fusion center that monitors potential threats in Dallas. They helped foil the plot when a man was planning on blowing up the Bank of America building.
Stopping domestic terrorism is one of the biggest challenges police face but extremists are nothing new to Texas.
A faction of the Republic of Texas Militia took hostages in April 1997, spouting anti-government ideology. Timothy McVeigh plotted the Oklahoma City bombing in retaliation to the government's raid on the branch Davidian compound in Waco.
"You kind of have a threat from a community that is kind of homegrown domestically. We have a history in Texas of constitutionalists and republic of Texas entities and the like," said UNT terrorism expert, Robert Taylor.
Police departments say the lone wolf terrorist is a challenge. That's why law enforcement frequently share intelligence about potential suspects.
Four years ago, Dallas Police put alert on Kimberly Al-Homsi because she was scouting runways at Love Field.
On Saturday, she was arrested allegedly with pipe bombs in her car.
"Because everyone's eyes and ears are the voices that could be heard and could help stop something they see. Something they find unusual or disturbing," said Taylor.
The Dallas police department held a panel today to educate its lieutenants about terrorism threats on the border.
These experts say the suspect in Austin may not be linked to a terrorist group but they say he was a domestic terrorist.
They say it's important for people to let law enforcement know when they see someone this deeply disturbed.
"If you ignore that then who is really to blame? The shooter or the person who saw this coming but did nothing about it?" Taylor added.
Dallas police almost on a weekly basis puts out information on people they consider to be a threat.
Police do try to keep track of them. But they say when someone really wants to do damage, it's very difficult to stop them, if they are determined.
