Was Tyler Robinson Radicalized Online? How About the Rest of Us?

"After spectacular acts of violence, the hunt for suspects' online trails - and the sources of their presumptive radicalization - often begins before a name has even been officially confirmed. Sometimes, as in the case of the 23-year-old mass shooter who targeted a Minneapolis Catholic school in August, posts provide evidence of nihilistic ideologies or other motivations (in that instance, an apparent idolization of other mass shooters and a desire to perform for aspiring ones)."

"Expectations were high for some sort of evidence, and not unreasonably so: Kirk was a divisive figure with a huge audience on social media; he was a comprehensively meme-ified man with predictable antagonists on the left and unlikely but organized enemies to his right; he was a figure with more than enough self-awareness to know who was angry at him, why, and how to make the most of it."

"Before the suspect was named or apprehended, a rifle was recovered alongside shell casings engraved with messages including "Catch this, fascist!" but also a set of inscrutable memes; one reads, "If you Read This, You Are GAY Lmao," while another is a reference to a popular video game. Once he was identified as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, assumptions and theories, based on scraps of real and inauthentic online evidence, abounded about the suspect's digital life:"

Searches for suspects' online histories often begin immediately after spectacular violence, frequently before a name is confirmed. Online posts sometimes reveal clear motivations, such as nihilistic ideologies, idolization of other mass shooters, or a desire to perform for aspiring attackers. Other online profiles can appear ordinary or confounding until a manifesto or violent act surfaces. The killing of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk prompted an immediate hunt for digital traces, amplified by his divisiveness and large social-media audience. A rifle with engraved shell casings and inscrutable memes was recovered, and once a suspect was identified, speculation about political alignment and intent proliferated.

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