White Supremacists behind over 80% of Extremism-related Murders in US

By Staff, Agencies

The data released by the Anti-Defamation League [ADL] on Thursday unveiled that mass shootings in the United States were the primary cause of extremism-related deaths in the nation last year, with white supremacists responsible for over 80 percent of the murders.

The advocacy group labeled 25 murders in 2022 as “extremist-related,” with 18 of those “committed in whole or part for ideological motives.” 

The report further noted: “All the extremist-related murders in 2022 were committed by right-wing extremists of various kinds.” 

The majority of the extremist-related deaths in 2022 were caused by two mass shootings: one in May in Buffalo, New York, when an avowed white supremacist shot and killed ten black people, and another in November in Colorado Springs, where five people were slain. 

In most years, white supremacists are the primary perpetrators of domestic terrorism-related murders. Still, in 2022, the proportion was notably high: the ADL study states that white supremacists were responsible for 21 of the 25 murders.