You Can Buy T-Shirts Glorifying Mass Shootings Almost Anywhere Online
A new report finds that a digital community obsessed with Columbine and similar attacks is promoting apparel modeled after clothing worn by the perpetrators.
Mass shooting-themed apparel is readily available online, according to a recent report by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue. The report reveals that retailers such as TikTok Shop, Redbubble, Temu, Etsy, AliExpress, and Walmart are selling tees modeled after the Columbine shirts, including slogans like "Wrath," "Natural Selection," and "Humanity Is Overrated."
These shirts, according to the report, are promoted by a group known as the True Crime Community, which is fascinated with mass killers regardless of their motivation. The group uses statement shirts to signal interest in and glorify violence, often without the broader online community noticing. Teenagers have been arrested wearing such shirts, and they are also traded tips on how to disguise the meaning of such paraphernalia.
Although the mere purchase of the shirts doesn't indicate planning of an attack, it can be a warning sign if coupled with other factors like access to weapons or expressed violent intent. Retailers with these products could prevent their sale by strictly enforcing their safety policies.
Written by urgent.news from Wired's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
