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o TCPALM.COM I SUNDAY, JUNE 5, 2022 1 29A <br />Pro -gun extremism proliferates online <br />Expert predicts <br />increase in US <br />mass shootings <br />David Klappar <br />AssOCiATEOPRESS <br />The young man in the <br />jeans and sunglasses <br />proudly shows off his gun <br />In the YouTube video, <br />then instructs his million <br />subscribers how to fit an <br />extra clip in his gun belt, <br />and offers a chilling ob- <br />servation. <br />"Pretty —1 for active <br />shooter stuff, if you need <br />extra mags." <br />It's atypical video, one <br />of thousands teaching <br />military -style training <br />and tactics to civilian gun <br />owners, offering in druc- <br />tions, on silencers and <br />grenade launchers, on <br />shooting from vehicles or <br />into buildings. Other <br />websites sell ghost gun <br />kits, gas masks and body <br />armor. <br />.You shouldn't be <br />scared of the NRA. You <br />should be scared of us," <br />one online ghost gun <br />dealer tweeted last week. <br />As Americans reel <br />from repeated mass <br />shootings, law enforce- <br />ment officials and ex- <br />perts on extremism are <br />takingincreasing notice <br />of the sprawling online <br />space devoted to guns <br />and gun rights: gun fo- <br />rums, tactical training <br />videos, websites that sell <br />unregistered gum kits and <br />social media platforms <br />where far -right gun own- <br />ers swap pranical tips <br />with talk of dark plots to <br />take their weapons, <br />It's an ecosystem rich <br />with potential reendts for <br />extremist groups exploit- <br />ing the often blurry line <br />separating traditional <br />support for a Constitu- <br />tional right from militant <br />anti-government move- <br />ments that champion <br />racism and violence. <br />White supremacists <br />have carried out most of <br />the deadliest attacks on <br />U.S. soil in the last five <br />years, including a 2018 <br />shooting inside a Plus - <br />burgh synagogue and a <br />2019 rampage in which a <br />gunman targeting His- <br />panics inside a Texas <br />Walmart killed 23 people. <br />The gunman who per- <br />petrated last month's <br />rampage in Buffalo, for <br />example, claimed in a <br />rambling metal diatribe <br />that he was radicalized <br />when pandemic boredom <br />led him to fer-right social <br />media groups and tacti- <br />cal raining videos he <br />found online. <br />One of the companies <br />specifically cited by the <br />gunman sells firearm ac- <br />cessories and operates <br />popular social media <br />channels boasting hun- <br />dreds of training videos. <br />The videos cover topics <br />like shooting from cera, <br />assaulting a building, us- <br />ing gas masks while <br />shooting, and night vi- <br />sion goggles. <br />"I think we're going to <br />see an increase in these <br />kinds of attacks," said <br />Kurt Braddock, a profes- <br />sor and extremism re- <br />searcher at the Polariza- <br />tion and Extremism Re- <br />search and Innovation <br />Lab at American Univer- <br />sity. "Until we're able to <br />figure out a way to ad- <br />dress this, this kind of <br />disinformation is going to <br />keep spreading, and with <br />it the risk of increased <br />radicalization and vio- <br />lence." <br />Elected leaders in <br />some states are consider- <br />ing <br />onsidering howto address the in- <br />ternet's rote in radicaliz- <br />ing extremists. New York <br />lawmakers, for example, <br />recently introduced leg- <br />islation to require social <br />media companies to set <br />policies on "hateful can- <br />duct"and to create mech- <br />aniams for users to report <br />disturbing posts they <br />may read. <br />New York Attorney <br />General Letitia James Ini- <br />tiated an investigation <br />Into some of the plat- <br />forms used by the Buffalo <br />gunman, who streamed <br />his attack on Twitch, <br />which Is owned by Ama- <br />zon. Twitchpulledthe Ifv- <br />esream after about two <br />minutes. <br />Federal authorities <br />have also taken notice, <br />himeasing funding fur in- <br />vestigations into domes- <br />tic terrorism, a challenge <br />that FBI Director Christo- <br />pher Wray last year de- <br />As Americans reel from repeated shootings, law enforcement officials and experts on extremism are taking <br />Increasing notice of the sprawling online space devoted to guns and gun rights. JAE c HONG/AP RLE <br />scribed as "metastasiz. <br />Personalized <br />sibility for unfounded stars of tactical training <br />ing: But there's little few <br />conspiracy theories <br />Videos posted on plat - <br />enforcement can do but <br />"You shouldn't be <br />about federal plots to <br />forms like YouTube say <br />monitor as extremistsseize <br />Bob Anderson, WMS <br />Americans guns, <br />their intended audience <br />use the threat affirm con- <br />Stared of the <br />according to Braddock. <br />is law enforcement, oth- <br />tml to recruit new mem- <br />NRA. You should <br />"What'sthefirstrulein <br />ers say their subscriber <br />bers. <br />9ea,i,in u,l lornwra Wvivua MaW amgl Le,N Fm <br />Fieuia.LLC IYWaNesev RXRMIIC <br />salesmanship?It's to cre- <br />base ismostly those lack - <br />Extremists paint any <br />be scared of m" <br />ate the need for the item. <br />ing to arm themselves <br />effort to regulate firearms <br />We think about guns as <br />against the government. <br />as the prelude to wide- <br />online ghost gun dealer <br />something different - <br />Despite their alarm, <br />spread gun seizures, ac- <br />and they are because <br />law enforcement officials <br />cording to Callum Hood, <br />way in the U.S. in dec- <br />they're instruments ofvi- <br />and experts on extrem- <br />director of research at the <br />ades. <br />olence - but they're also <br />ism caution there's little <br />Center for Countering <br />Rather ftum be under <br />commodities sold in huge <br />to do about the growing <br />Digital date, a UK -based <br />threat, guns are Flourish- <br />quantities," Braddock <br />online spaces devoted to <br />organization that re- <br />ing. Since 2000, the year <br />said. "They're creating <br />military -style weaponry <br />searches online extrem- <br />after the Columbine <br />the illusion of need." <br />unless they find evidence <br />ism and abuse. <br />school shooting in Colo- <br />Contacted by The As- <br />of illegal gun sales or oth- <br />"The message quickly <br />rado, the number of fire- <br />sociated Press, one web- <br />er crimes. <br />becomes 'the govern- <br />arcus manufactured in <br />site selling ghost gun kits <br />For their part, tech <br />ment is coming to take <br />the U.S. hastripled. There <br />responded with a state- <br />companies and social <br />your guns and leave you <br />are now an estimated <br />ment saying "ail ques- <br />media platforms like <br />undefended; "Hoodsaid. <br />400million guns in the <br />tions" about regulating <br />Facebook and Twitter say <br />That's despite the obvi- <br />U.S. - more than one for <br />firearms amount to "na- <br />they have ndes to prohib- <br />ous political challenges <br />everyone in the country- <br />ked attempts to disarm <br />It violent threats, hate <br />that even modest at- <br />giving the nation the <br />traditional Americans, <br />speech and other content <br />tempts at gun control <br />world's highest gun own- <br />weaponize the govern- <br />that poses a direct harm. <br />face in the U.S. Despite a <br />ership rate. <br />merit against them, and <br />Some platforms also pro- <br />long and growing list of <br />Gun manufacturers <br />subject them in the igno- <br />built the sale of firearms. <br />mass shootings, gun <br />and industry groups like <br />rant and vicious tools of <br />rights have not been re- <br />the National Rifle Associ- <br />federal power" <br />stricted in any significant <br />ation bear some respon- <br />while some of the cre- <br />BEFORE THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS <br />INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA <br />NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER <br />ADOPTING A RESOLUTION FOR THE DISPOSITION <br />OF 2022 COUNTY SURPLUS PROPERTIES FOR <br />AFFORDABLE HOUSING <br />NOTICE IS HERESY GIVEN that the Board of County <br />Commissioners of Inclian River County, Florida, shall role a Public <br />hearing to considar the adoption of a county resoanion to, the <br />dispoalbon or M22 county owned surplus lends fon affil ise <br />housing, aids regWar ~IN rent on Tuesday, June 21, 2022 at <br />aw a.m. w as soon Iheraefter as the maser may be heard, in the <br />County Commission Chambers of County mahiNshation Buildw <br />A. located al 1801 27th Street, Vero Beach, Ronde. All interested <br />persons are inAtad to aaend and as heard. <br />The list of county owned lands may be inspepNtl by the Wait: at <br />the Community Development Oe uarnarl located on the County <br />Abri W ehon Suilding A boated at 1801 27th Street, Vero Beach, <br />Fords, between Ihehwrs W 8:30 a.m. Into 5:00 P.I. on weekdays. <br />For note kA,.mmation, caused IM long Range Planning Section at <br />(772) 226-1250. Amendments to the proposed rewlwm may be <br />made by the Boats of County Conammorers at the punk soriW <br />ANYONE WHO MAY WISH TO APPEAL ANY DECISION <br />WHICH MAY BE MADE AT THIS MEETING WILL NEED TO <br />ENSURE THAT A VERBATIM RECORD OF THE PROCEEDINGS <br />IS MADE, WHICH INCLUDES THE TESTIMONY AND EVIOENCE <br />UPON WHICH THE APPEAL IS BASED. <br />ANYONE WHO NEEDS A SPECIAL ACCOMMODATION FOR <br />THIS MEETING MUST CONTACT THE COUNTYS AMERICANS <br />WITH DISABILITIES ACT COORDINATOR AT (772) 226-1223, AT <br />LEAST QHOURS IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING. <br />INDIAN RIVER COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS <br />By: -e- Petr D. O'Bry rr, Chairman <br />Personalized <br />Investment <br />Advice <br />Stock a Bonds <br />Mutual Funds -CD's <br />IRA's e Life Insurance <br />Bob Anderson, WMS <br />President/Financial Advisor (LFF) <br />772-978-0404 <br />ANDERSON WEALTH <br />MANAGEMENT <br />Serving Indian River <br />1515 Indian River Blvd., Suite A243 <br />County since 1998 <br />Vero Beach, FL 32960 <br />9ea,i,in u,l lornwra Wvivua MaW amgl Le,N Fm <br />Fieuia.LLC IYWaNesev RXRMIIC <br />www.AndersonWM.com <br />