The San Diego Mosque Shootings Were a Crime Made for and by the Internet
The New York Times • • general
Key Points:
- Two teenagers from the San Diego area, radicalized online and bonded by shared hatreds, met in person and carried out a deadly attack on the Islamic Center of San Diego, killing three people.
- The attackers livestreamed the shooting while dressed in camouflage tactical gear displaying a white supremacist symbol.
- Authorities found that one of the teens had access to a large arsenal of weapons at home, and a document outlining their extremist religious and racial beliefs was discovered after the attack.
- The FBI emphasized that the attackers harbored wide-ranging hatred without discrimination and highlighted the danger posed by alienated young men with access to guns who are influenced by hateful online communities.
- The incident underscores ongoing concerns about online radicalization leading to real-world violence, particularly targeting minority communities.