Rogers Statement on El Paso Shooting

“Our hearts are with those affected by this abhorrent act of hatred. I stand by the community of El Paso at this very difficult time. No American should be subjected to violence based on their race or ethnicity.

“The Homeland Security Committee has been closely tracking the accelerating pace of online radicalization. I have made clear that hateful ideologies amplified by 8chan and other fringe websites are propelling young people toward violence before law enforcement is able to act. Yesterday’s events were yet again enabled by the echo chambers these fringe websites have created.

“While there is no silver bullet to stopping violence before it occurs, we can take steps to reduce future violence. These steps include working with law enforcement and industry to develop a comprehensive strategy to detect and disrupt online terror fronts, expanding community outreach to both educate people about how radicalization occurs and find ways to to help troubled individuals early enough to stop attacks, and encouraging people to reach out to law enforcement if they see or hear something suspicious.”

BACKGROUND: Rogers noted the role of fringe websites and online radicalization at a Homeland Security Committee hearings related to domestic terror in May And June.

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