An 18-year-old man shot and killed 10 people in Buffalo. The perpetrator is a right-wing extremist who acts out of “loneliness” and sees himself in the tradition of Anders Breivik. Expert Florian Hartleb explains how this phenomenon is spreading globally – and why we should take references to online games more seriously.
Mr. Hartleb, for many years you have been dealing with shootings and attacks like the one in the USA. What did you think when you heard about the Buffalo shooting? The chain of attacks continues, we are seeing a global, international phenomenon here. I’ve looked at the perpetrator’s manifesto and the role models are obvious. For example the attack in Halle, but above all that in Christchurch, where in March 2019 someone with a helmet camera and a live streamed shootout killed 51 people, seriously injuring dozens. Christchurch was a role model for Halle and now for Buffalo in the USA, as well as for other acts, including the recently failed amoktry in Essen.
