Former White Supremacist Explains Why Young White Men Join Extremist Groups

Young white men have been responsible for many of the most recent mass shootings in this country.

Minutes before he killed 22 people in El Paso, Texas, the suspected gunman posted on an online forum, warning of a "Hispanic invasion” of Texas that would push out white Americans.

Former white supremacist Christian Picciolini says he used to believe those types of hate-filled statements as well.

“The rhetoric that I'm hearing today in our society is very similar to the rhetoric that I used to say 30 years ago that was part of our white supremacist neo-Nazi movement. Everything from the words ‘invasion’ to the idea that people are going to replace whites,” he says. “Those are all ideas that I used to spout when I was a neo-Nazi in the ‘80s and ‘90s.”