Assassination as Radicalization Catalyst

Political assassinations or highly symbolic murders can function as catalytic events that rapidly concentrate dispersed extremist networks, turning latent online rage into organized recruitment, fundraising, and political energy across a cohort (here: Gen‑Z Right). The mechanism works through viral amplification, martyr narratives, and immediate moral framing that short‑circuits normal deliberative processes. — If true, a single targeted killing can materially increase domestic political violence risk and reshape party coalitions and policing priorities, so policymakers must treat high‑profile political violence as a national‑security as well as criminal event.