MSNBC aired a discussion on Wednesday suggesting that pandemic-era isolation and online video gaming may contribute to the radicalization of young people toward violence, following the Catholic school shooting in Minneapolis.
National security analyst Christopher O’Leary told the network that a combination of social and cultural issues are increasingly cited by security professionals as pathways to extremist thinking.
“Whether it’s a terrorist organization or the variety of ideologies that different people follow, they’re following them because they have susceptibility,” O’Leary said.
“Maybe it’s some kind of mental break. Maybe it’s their life has gone down the toilet and they have no hope. Maybe they have bad parenting—a variety of things.”
He pointed directly to the COVID-19 lockdowns as a key factor.
“The effects of COVID and the isolation and what’s called the gamification influence where young men are growing up being raised by video games—all of those things are involved in really people mobilizing towards violence more routinely,” O’Leary said.
The analyst also claimed that radicalization can occur entirely within gaming platforms without individuals accessing other online forums.
“You will also see people get radicalized solely on these video games through headsets,” he said. “They may never go on the internet otherwise.”
The shooting took place Wednesday morning at a Catholic school in Minneapolis.
Authorities identified the shooter as Robin, born Robert Westman.
The suspect reportedly viewed himself as transgender.
Police stated multiple calls came in reporting shots fired on school grounds, prompting a heavy law enforcement response.
Officers secured the campus and began investigating shortly after the attack.
Law enforcement said that a YouTube account under the username “robinw” was linked to the suspect. The account was deleted following the incident, per The Post Millennial (TPM).
A fifth grader at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis said his friend shielded him from gunfire during Wednesday’s mass shooting inside the school’s church, taking a bullet to the back while protecting him.
Ten-year-old Weston Halsne told CNN he was sitting near the windows when the gunfire began.
At first, he said he was unsure of what the noise was, but he quickly dove under a pew and covered his head when he realized the danger.
Halsne recalled the moment his classmate acted to protect him.
“My friend, Victor, like saved me though. ’Cause he laid on top of me. But he got hit,” Halsne said. “My friend got hit in the back.”
Victor was taken to the hospital after the shooting.
Authorities have not released his full name or details about his current medical condition.
TPM further noted that the attack began at approximately 8:15 a.m. inside the school’s church. At that time, students were gathering for the morning.
Minneapolis police confirmed that two children, ages 8 and 10, were killed in the shooting.
In addition to the two fatalities, 17 people were injured, including 14 children.
Police said several of the wounded were taken to area hospitals, where they are receiving treatment.
Law enforcement reported that the gunman died at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Authorities confirmed the shooter took his own life inside the church following the attack.
Investigators said Westman used a rifle to fire through the windows of the church before entering the building and continuing the assault.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said in a press briefing that the shooting was a “deliberate act of violence against innocent children.”
The FBI is working with local police on the case.
FBI Director Kash Patel stated that the bureau “is investigating this shooting as an act of domestic terrorism and hate crime targeting Catholics,” TPM highlighted.
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The post MSNBC Links COVID Lockdowns, Video Games to Minneapolis Nightmare as Fifth Grader Credits Friend With Saving His Life During Catholic School Shooting appeared first on Resist the Mainstream.
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Author: Jordyn M.
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