Teenage Neo-Nazi Inspires American Mass Shooters with Extremist Online Content

Strategic Insights -

A 19-year-old from Derbyshire, who defaced a George Floyd mural, created online content that inspired at least two American mass shooters, including one who killed 10 people in a racially motivated attack in Buffalo, New York.

Harris, who was on probation, spent up to 14 hours a day at home posting hate-fuelled messages and videos, some of which were viewed by Payton Gendron, a 19-year-old who carried out the Buffalo attack. Harris also created a video homage to Thomas Mair, who murdered MP Jo Cox in 2016, while claiming to be engaged with a deradicalisation programme.

Key Takeaways:

  • Daniel Harris, 19, from Derbyshire, was sentenced to 11-and-a-half years' detention for five counts of encouraging terrorism and one count of possession of material for terrorist purposes.
  • Harris's online content was viewed by at least two American mass shooters, Payton Gendron and Anderson Lee Aldrich, who respectively carried out attacks in Buffalo, New York, and Colorado Springs.
  • Harris glorified mass murderers and encouraged others to emulate them by carrying out similar attacks, producing videos such as 'How to Achieve Victory' that advocated for the "total extermination of sub-humans once and for all".
  • Harris was previously engaged with a deradicalisation programme, but was found to have demonstrated "a level of deceit and cunning" while making claims about his lack of interest in politics.
  • Investigations revealed a link between Harris's videos and the Colorado Springs shooting, with the Crown saying it demonstrates "that individuals of the greatest concern have accessed the material produced by Mr Harris".

Statistics:

  • Harris spent up to 14 hours a day creating online content while on probation.
  • 10 people were killed in the Buffalo, New York, attack carried out by Payton Gendron.
  • 5 people were killed and 17 others were wounded in the Colorado Springs shooting carried out by Anderson Lee Aldrich.
  • Harris was 17 years old when he began creating online content that was later linked to American mass shootings.
  • Harris was 18 when he wrote to Payton Gendron, saying "I have loved these 18 years on Earth and have learnt quite a lot".

Sources:

  • [Harris sentenced to 11 years for encouraging terrorism](https://www.skynews.com.au/details/2022-03-18/harris-sentenced-to-11-years-for-encouraging-terrorism/1af26797-5308-4670-8e96-7c38318b5721)
  • [Teenage neo-Nazi Daniel Harris 'inspired US mass shooters'](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/03/17/teenage-neo-nazi-daniel-harris-inspired-us-mass-shooters/)
  • [Derbyshire teenager Daniel Harris 'encouraged terrorism'](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-61384061)
  • [Teenager who encouraged terrorism online 'inspired' US mass shooters](https://www.itv.com/news/central/2022-03-18/teenager-who-encouraged-terrorism-online-inspired-us-mass-shooters)