Overview

• Guy Christensen, a 19-year-old TikTok influencer with over 3 million followers, called the DC shooter Elias Rodriguez a 'resistance fighter' and justified the attack as opposition to Israeli policies.
• The video, which labeled the victims as 'war criminals,' was removed three times by TikTok for violating community guidelines after garnering over 632,500 views.
• Initially condemning the attack, Christensen later reversed his stance, urging support for Rodriguez and framing the killings as resistance against alleged Israeli actions in Gaza.
• The incident has intensified scrutiny on social media platforms’ role in regulating extremist content and addressing hate speech.
• Public officials and experts have expressed concern over the influence of online radicalization and the responsibility of platforms to curb such rhetoric.