Killing for the Cause: A Content Analysis Examining the Influence of the White Supremacist Movement on Mass Shootings
Open AccessIn the past decade, the rise in mass shootings has coincided with the increase in prominence of the White supremacist movement and its hateful ideologies. While previous researchers have studied mass shootings generally, there is limited research that examines the connection between mass shootings and the influence of the White supremacist movement. For many mass shooters, their attacks result in their own deaths and thus leave the public with no explanation as to why they chose to commit an attack. However, a small subset of mass shooters have left written manifestos that illustrate their motivations for committing an attack. Similar to studies that examined written manifestos from a psychological perspective (e.g., Hamlett 2017; Knoll 2012), the current study uses Knoll’s (2012) framework to explore several manifestos and considers the possibility that some mass shooters have been influenced by the White supremacist movement. Additionally, using Framing Theory, Differential Association Theory, Social Bond/Social Control Theory, and Rational Choice Theory, this study investigates what societal factors played a role in forming motivations based on hateful beliefs. The manifestos that were analyzed revealed several common themes and characteristics of mass shooters who internalized the hateful ideologies of the White supremacist movement. These themes included a perceived justification for committing an attack, the pursuit of a collective interest versus an individual grievance, the presence of toxic masculinity and misogyny, perceived allegiance to the larger White supremacist movement, the symbolic representation of the victims, and the need for recognition by the world. The current study highlights the influence that the existence of the White supremacist movement had on past mass shootings. These findings, while only suggestive, contribute to the limited literature that provides an evidentiary relationship between mass shootings and the White supremacist movement.
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