I'm struck by how much the shooter's mindset appears completely detached from those of his friends and loved ones [View all]

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...it appears he had conjured up an image of himself as something of an avenger against Charlie Kirk's offensive rhetoric, yet found nothing but incredulousness when his violent act was revealed to his friends and people he ostensibly loved.

To me, that's more revealing of his relatively conservative upbringing with the guns, republicanism, and the victim-mentality of the modern republican party politics; than with any true 'leftist' impetus or imperative whose core ideology has traditionally eschewed guns, weapons, and violence, often advocating in defense against right wihg extremism that can't seem to live peacefully with Americans as we exist.

To the point, that 22 year-old had a lot more in common with Capitol-rioting republicans in how he looks to have reasoned and rationalized his way through harming another person just because he disagreed with them.

It wasn't exactly politics that he was trying to advantage, either, because it looks like he never voted.* The relatively young shooter was assuaging his OWN anger and hatred toward his victim which resulted in alienating just about everyone he knew and loved from any cause he may have supported.

Lashing out at one side or the other in response to this tragic incident seems as pointless as this young man's mindset when he grabbed his grandfather's gun and made Charlie Kirk the object of his personal ire.

...excerpt from the movie 'His Girl Friday,' when the killer, Earl Williams rationalizes why he shot a man.

Williams: He [the soap-box speaker] said everything should be made use of.
Hildy: It makes quite a bit of sense, doesn't it?...Now look, Earl, when you found yourself with that gun in your hand, and that policeman coming at you, what did you think about?...You must have thought of something...Could it have been, uh, 'production for use'?...What's a gun for Earl?
Williams: A gun?...Why to shoot, of course.
Hildy: Oh. Maybe that's why you used it.
Williams: Maybe.
Hildy: Seems reasonable?
Williams: Yes, yes it is. You see, I've never had a gun in my hand before. That's what a gun's for, isn't it? Maybe that's why.
Hildy: Sure it is.
Williams: Yes, that's what I thought of. Production for use. Why, it's simple isn't it?
Hildy: Very simple.
Williams: There's nothing crazy about that, is there?
Hildy: Nope. Nothing at all.
Williams: You'll write about that in your paper, won't you?
Hildy: You bet I will.

[in her story] And so, into this little tortured mind came the idea that that gun had been produced for use. And use it he did. But the state has a 'production-for-use' plan too. It has a gallows. And at seven a.m. unless a miracle occurs, that gallows will be used to separate the soul of Earl Williams from his body...