The El Paso Shooting and the Gamification of Terror

In the wake of the Christchurch shooting I published my first Bellingcat article about 8chan. I was interviewed by numerous media agencies about the website, and I warned all of them that additional attacks would follow – every month or two – until something was done. This prediction has proven accurate. Until law enforcement, and the media, treat these shooters as part of a terrorist movement no less organized, or deadly, than ISIS or Al Qaeda, the violence will continue. There will be more killers, more gleeful celebration of body counts on 8chan, and more bloody attempts to beat the last killer’s “high score”.

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This is one of the more interesting takes I have seen on the recent shooting in El Paso. While the author doesn't take the position being pushed by many of the Right that these shooters commit these atrocities due to video games, he does point out that many of these killers do seem to be treating this like a game. Using phrases like high score to refer to body counts.

He also brings up the fact that 8chan seems to be a hotbed for people with this mentality. Just this year three mass killers have been linked to the site. In every instance numerous users expressed their support of the killer. I think the author makes a very compelling statement that if this site were linked to Islam it would be labeled as a terror organization. Hell, people want Antifa to be labeled as a terror organization and they have a kill count of zero.

In the end, it definitely seems like certain corners of the internet are encouraging attacks like these. Or at least catering to the people that would commit them. Unfortunately I don't really know what is a realistic solution. I don't want to see the internet being censored and regulated in any way. At the same time, I assume law enforcement are aware of many of these sites so there must be something they can do to prevent these tragedies from occurring. But then you risk verging into Minority Report territory,

Like I said, there's no easy solution.

a reply to: Xcalibur254

I've visited 4chan and 8chan before just to see what goes on their.

I've also read some of the archives hot bed threads just to see for myself how dark they can be.

I don't think most of them have a strong political ideology, they seem to just be outcasts of society. They compete to see who the biggest edge lord is by constantly saying and doing things that are extreme counter culture.

They will find new platforms to find like minded peers.

the solution is simple.

1. no more fake taxes
2. no more fake wars
3. no more internati0nalists running the media, creating hatred

unfortunately, those concepts do not fit into their plans.
i wish people would just turn off the newz, mtv, etc.

It starts with the media for me, they need to show greater accountability, we all know video games don't turn people into white supremacists, and the mental health argument is a pointless tautology. Do the difficult thing and go as hard on these 8chan racists as they did with ISIS terrorists and hate preachers, find everyone involved and charge them.

The other problem is what if these young men are being indoctrinated by Russian accounts? Either way they should be seen as a serious enemy rather than isolated loners.

This isn't a left vs right or gun thing it is intel agencies grabbing one of these fkers, fixing them up mentally, and letting them loose. These are organized events.


Sorry not one, multiple.

a reply to: TheGreatWork

Agreed, these alleged manifestos are not even real. They are pre typed and simply uploaded when an attack occurs.

originally posted by: worldstarcountry
a reply to: TheGreatWork

Agreed, these alleged manifestos are not even real. They are pre typed and simply uploaded when an attack occurs.

If someone is willing to go out in fire or rott in jail, don't you think they'd want to share a message as to why.

Surely if they get pushed to that and it's premeditated, many would type up a reason.

Not all of them do, but some do...

Why do you say what you said as if it's factual?

a reply to: CriticalStinker

The process is designed as a psy-op to generate (read trigger) random follow up killers. The math has been calculated a hundred times.
I believe an incident from 2016 where a man burgled a weapos shop and sent a manifesto was a big tell. Alleged he threatened POTUS and a big shoot out. I predicted it to be a psy-op after key variables were identified as trigger mechanisms targeted towards individuals who fit a similar profile received it during a mass broadcast/ media report.

He was detained without incident and not spoken of again, exactly as I expected. The same thing happened in my own town with a case of a guy who totally disappeared from public court records after being arrested in a joint FBI/atf operation.

I tell you in the age of deception, everything clearly marketed to influence hearts and minds is a lie.

a reply to: worldstarcountry

It's a theory you have, yet you speak in absolutes and fact.

Occam's Razor would say sometimes crazy people will do crazy things. The government constantly shows their incompetence yet people still act like not a thing happens that isn't orchestrated by them.

a reply to: CriticalStinker
Yes they will do crazy things. We know to what degree it will occur in certain demographics based on a number of variables. What we do not know is the time or place. Because different people are set off by different triggers. Sometimes all it takes to send the right person over the edge is one more single push by a seemingly mundane act during a difficult time. Rhetoric certainly feeds this, but not in itself a trigger.

I would say we should keep a closer eye on introverted types of folks. How often do extrovert personalities generate mass casualty incidents??