Male Supremacism and Misogyny Was Central to the San Diego Mosque Shooting. Why Did So Much Coverage Miss It?

Despite the extensive misogyny in both shooters’ manifestos, much of the reporting on the San Diego mosque shooting overlooked how male supremacism intersected with xenophobia, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism and white supremacist ideology. Both shooters identified the perpetrators of the 2014 Santa Barbara mass killing and the 1989 Montreal massacre among their inspirations, while one referred to violent attackers as “incel saints” and described himself as deeply involved in online incel culture. The manifestos move fluidly between misogyny, anti-Semitism and racist conspiracies, portraying women as “evil,” using dehumanizing incel slurs and framing immigrants, Black people and LGBTQ people as existential threats. These ideologies are not separate strands of extremism, but part of a broader supremacist worldview rooted in dehumanization and entitlement. Coverage of extremist violence often struggles to grapple with these intersections, isolating one ideology while minimizing the central role of misogyny and anti-feminist conspiracism. The shooters’ lengthy involvement in misogynist online communities also underscores the growing radicalization of young men online—and the urgent need for prevention strategies that begin long before violence occurs. The post Male Supremacism and Misogyny Was Central to the San Diego Mosque Shooting. Why Did So Much Coverage Miss It? appeared first on Ms. Magazine.