What motivates youthful assassins like suspected Charlie Kirk killer Tyler Robinson?
From Luigi Mangione to Thomas Matthew Crooks to Tyler Robinson — why are young people becoming killers in the name of politics?
As the U.S. reels from another political assassination this week on top of a series of such killings, some of the killers and suspects stand out for their young age.
Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old Utah resident who has been taken into custody for allegedly killing conservative influencer Charlie Kirk on Sept. 10, is just the latest 20-something associated with shooting a high-profile person.
Luigi Mangione, now 27 and awaiting trial, was 26 when he was accused of shooting and killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan in December.
Thomas Matthew Crooks was killed by law enforcement at age 20 after attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump during a July 2024 rally in which a spectator was killed and Trump’s ear was hit by a bullet.
Young people sometimes lack the maturity and empathy that often come with age, some experts say.
A lack of empathy may worsen over time “so that the young adults are not able to see their targets, either those they harm or those they hate or discriminate against, as humans,” says
Laurie Kramer, Northeastern professor of applied psychology.
“Instead, they may see themselves as victims of inequities, which may make it easier for them to feel justified in acting on their rage,” she says.
While the political nature of the events is shocking, the age of the suspects shouldn’t be, says
James Alan Fox, a Northeastern research professor of criminology and author of “Extreme Killing: Understanding Serial and Mass Murder.”
Most homicides committed by young
“Take mass shootings,” Fox says. “Almost 50% (of killers) are under 30, and many of them are even younger than that, much younger than that. For homicide, generally, the peak age is about 21.”
As for motivation, he says, “There are some who see the opportunity for attention.”
“But more generally, there are youth who feel insignificant and committing an act that’s high profile like this can make them feel important,” Fox says.
Not all killers motivated by politics are young.
Vance Boelter, accused of murdering Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband and shooting a state senator and his wife in a series of terrifying nighttime attacks against Democrats in June, is 57.
But in general, older individuals tend to have connections and career commitments that keep them from acting out on aggressive ideological passions, Fox says.
“Young people often see things as catastrophic. Part of it is just immaturity,” he says. With age, family, work, friendships and community become “more important and other issues in life take a back seat to that.”
Rage and victimization
Unspent cartridges allegedly left behind by Robinson
carry political messages, including “Hey, fascist! Catch!” and references to video games.
“Young people are more likely to advertise their point of view, with signs, T-shirts and, in this case, bullets,” Fox says.
It’s currently unknown at this time whether and to what extent social media played a role in Robinson’s decision-making before he allegedly took to the roof of Utah Valley University and killed Kirk, 31, with a single shot to the neck from a
high-powered, bolt-action rifle.
“Older individuals don’t have the time, inclination or maybe even the technical skill to spend time in chat rooms and find groups that agree with them,” Fox says.
However horrible your point of view is, you can find other people online who feel the same, he says. “That reinforces and solidifies your point of view.”
“Social media can unfortunately play a negative role in encouraging the expression of feelings of rage,” Kramer says.
Robinson’s father, a 27-year veteran of the Washington County Sheriff’s Department in Utah, helped turn his son over to law enforcement.
