Charlie Kirk’s murder puts spotlight on online extremism

Following the recent murder of US political figure Charlie Kirk, there are growing concerns about the rise of online extremism and radicalisation resulting in violence.

Kirk’s suspected killer, Tyler Robinson is a 22 year old man who US authorities have said frequented online communities such as Discord and made reference to various internet subcultures on bullet casings found at the crime scene.

For many, Kirk’s murder has sparked a conversation into why predominantly young men are engaging with extremist ideologies within these online communities that lead to radicalisation.

Image: Images: Shutterstock – Maxim Elramsisy, Diego Thomazini

Produced By: Maeve Groom

Featured In Story: Dr Imogen Richards – Senior Lecturer in Criminology and member of the AVERT Research Network at Deakin University

First aired on The Wire, Wednesday 24 September 2025