The Copycat Effect: How Online Extremism Inspires Violence in America

The San Diego mosque shooting, where two teenage shooters killed three men before taking their own lives, is the latest example of a disturbing trend: hate-motivated violence inspired by online extremist networks. What’s striking about this case – and many others like it – is not just the scale of the carnage, but the eerie similarity between these crimes.

The shooters’ 75-page manifesto detailed their extremist views, which included hatred for Muslim and Jewish people, Black people, the LGBTQ+ community, women, and both major political parties. The document is a masterclass in how online extremists are now copying and pasting from one another’s manifestos, creating a toxic template for violence that’s as familiar as it is frightening.

The manifesto referenced other mass shooters, including Brenton Tarrant, who killed 51 people at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. This is not an isolated incident – far from it. High-profile shootings are now being studied, emulated, and even admired by young men radicalized online.

Matthew Kriner of the Institute for Countering Digital Extremism notes that these shooters aren’t constrained by traditional political binaries like Democrat or Republican. Instead, their views are a toxic mashup of fascist ideals and despair about the world’s state of disrepair. This ideology is both anti-Christian and anti-American, as Vice President JD Vance put it.

This trend isn’t limited to right-wing extremists or white supremacists. Research shows that high-profile shootings in the US are increasingly committed by people heavily influenced by online spaces. These networks don’t care about your politics; they only care about recruiting vulnerable young men into their ranks.

The Rise of Nihilistic Violent Extremism

The White House’s counter-terrorism strategy, released earlier this month, makes no mention of white supremacist violence or young people being radicalized online. This is a glaring omission, especially given federal officials’ previous acknowledgments of the risks these networks pose. We’re dealing with something far more insidious: nihilistic violent extremism (NVE).

This brand of hate-motivated violence is motivated by a desire to cause societal collapse through indiscriminate chaos. Researchers and the FBI have warned about an increase in NVE, which includes acts of terrorism and sexual violence. At least 350 people across the US are being investigated by the FBI for connections to NVE networks.

The Copycat Effect

The San Diego shooters’ manifesto is a chilling example of how online extremists are now copying and pasting from one another’s manifestos. This isn’t just about ideology; it’s about creating a sense of belonging among disaffected young men who feel disconnected from society. They’re inspired by other mass shooters, but they’re also emulating the actions of their peers – including those who’ve committed atrocities in Christchurch, El Paso, and Charleston.

Kriner notes that these shooters aren’t motivated by traditional political beliefs; instead, they’re driven by a sense of despair about the world’s state of disrepair. This ideology is both anti-Christian and anti-American, but it’s also eerily familiar – a toxic mashup of fascist ideals and nihilistic violent extremism.

What This Means for America

The San Diego mosque shooting is just the latest example of a disturbing trend: hate-motivated violence inspired by online extremist networks. But what does this mean for America? It means that we’re facing a crisis unlike any other – one that requires us to rethink our approach to counter-terrorism and social media regulation.

We can’t afford to ignore the warning signs anymore; it’s time to take action against online extremism and its insidious influence on vulnerable young men. This means addressing the root causes of nihilistic violent extremism, including the glorification of violence and the exploitation of social media platforms by extremist networks.

The San Diego mosque shooting is a stark reminder that we’re living in a world where hate-motivated violence is inspired by online spaces. It’s time to take responsibility for creating a safer, more compassionate society – one that rejects the toxic ideologies of nihilistic violent extremism and promotes a culture of empathy and understanding instead.