The killing of far-right influencer Charlie Kirk last month by a 22-year-old suspect has brought into focus the epidemic of gun violence in the United States. While Kirk was a victim of political violence, investigators are now pointing to a growing trend where shooters are not necessarily inspired by a clear-cut political ideology.
Federal law enforcement officials have started using “nihilistic violent extremists” to describe perpetrators who do not easily subscribe to one ideology but appear to be motivated by a desire to, as one expert put it, “gamify” real-life violence.
The description appeared in a March search warrant application involving a Wisconsin teenager who was active on a Telegram network dubbed Terrorgram. Nikita Casap, now 18, is accused of killing his mother and stepfather in part of a larger plot to assassinate President Donald Trump, foment a political revolution and “save the white race” from “Jewish-controlled” politicians, investigators said, quoting from a document on Casap’s phone.
This “extremism” is not new, but the label seems to be.
“Nihilistic violent extremists”, a federal law enforcement officer wrote in the
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