By Kevyn Dufresne, J & Washington Associate
In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination at the hands of a lone assailant, a national conversation around the shooter’s supposed ideology has polarized all sides of the political spectrum. With Kirk being such a controversial public figure, many online figures have rushed to point fingers at one political ideology or another. However, this epidemic of public violence is not a new phenomenon, and the recent wave of violence committed by Gen Z teens and young adults may be a symptom of something far deeper than political radicalism.
Gen Z’s coming of age has been marked by widespread insecurity and chaos around the world. Many of the young voters that voted in 2024 had no perception of pre-Trump politics, and social media has become the main receptor of information for many of these people. While this has had a globalizing effect on the youth, it has also led to an increase in loneliness and isolation.
This isolation, coupled with a general lack of faith in institutions, has driven a sort of internet-based radicalism. Kirk’s shooter, Tyler Robinson, wrote multiple niche references on his shell casings. These writings were not a clear political statement as with the shell casings left by Luigi Mangione in the United Healthcare shooting, but references motivated by a desire to “troll” the authorities. One message referenced the videogame Helldivers 2, and one seemingly references an antifascist Italian song. These messages are not direct statements of political belief, but sardonic memes contrasted with a serious act of violence.
Tyler Robinson, no matter what his particular ideology, was immersed in a deeply online world, one that contributed to a lack of engagement with polite society. Another example of this phenomenon can be seen in Natalie Rupnow, the perpetrator of the Abundant Life Christian School Shooting. While Rupnow did have racist views, her manifesto is essentially a nihilistic rant reflecting her hatred of society. She described humanity as “filth” and was obsessed with the Columbine High School shooting. Natalie was isolated online and was radicalized by engagement with extremist platforms that glorified violence and devalued human life. Her radicalization didn’t end with just her, as months later one of her online friends Solomon Henderson committed his own school shooting at Antioch High School.
On the same day that Charlie Kirk was killed, a school shooting occurred in Colorado. The shooter, Desmond Holly, was similarly radicalized online with the Anti-Defamation League finding that Holly had been active on online “gore” forums. All three of these shooters encountered far-right political beliefs, but the acts of violence that they all committed were fundamentally a reflection of the nihilistic worldview that has become prevalent across many young adults.
Ultimately, this current wave of violence committed by young people is a symptom of our societal ills. Young people have lost their faith in society and themselves, and this continues to manifest itself as escalating acts of violence for violence’s sake. The solutions to this problem are complex, and the increasingly polarized nature of our political climate continues to fuel the flames of radicalism.
Kevyn Dufresne is an Associate of J & Washington LLC, Political Innovators, in Orange County, Florida. Kevyn is a University of Central Florida student currently studying Advertising and Public Relations. Kevyn is increasingly interested in pursuing success in local politics and aspires to be a campaign strategist. In his capacity as a Social Media Associate, Kevyn creates engaging and persuasive content for J & Washington’s social media accounts and podcast network. He aims to help J & Washington and it’s clients reach new demographics and diverse interest groups.