INDIANAPOLIS -- The mass murder at an Orlando nightclub has the hallmarks of self-radicalization according to a member of Congress who has long talked about it and helped fight against it.
"You have people going online, finding sites or organizations or looking at videos of people who share their ideas," said Rep. Andre Carson (D, Indianapolis). "These views and these ideas...are persuasive to those folks."
Carson is one of two Muslim members of Congress and was dismayed at the news that Omar Mateen, the man who killed at least 50 people at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, apparently had radical views. There were reports that Mateen called 911 prior to the shooting to declare his allegiance to ISIS. Carson has spoken at several conferences and other venues about the effort by the Muslim community to find young people who may have developed dangerous beliefs.
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"What we have to do is we have to push back. We have to crack down on those who are spewing this kind of hatred," Carson said. "Our attempt has been to highlight the Countering Violent Extremism effort launched by the Obama administration."
Those who have self-radicalized, Carson said, are often younger adults, and it isn't always easy to spot. "al-Qaida and ISIS are not standing outside mosques trying to recruit. But we do know there are elements and people who hold hostile views, as well as people who are - quite frankly - mentally ill."
Watch our interview with Congressman Carson here:
