As the U.S. reels from another political assassination this week on top of a series of such killings, some of the killers and suspects stand out for their young age. Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old Utah resident who has been taken into custody for allegedly killing conservative influencer Charlie Kirk on Sept. 10, is just the latest 20-something associated with shooting a high-profile person. Luigi Mangione, now 27 and awaiting trial, was 26 when he was accused of shooting and killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan in December.
Thomas Matthew Crooks was killed by law enforcement at age 20 after attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump during a July 2024 rally in which a spectator was killed and Trump’s ear was hit by a bullet. Young people sometimes lack the maturity and empathy that often come with age, some experts say. A lack of empathy may worsen over time “so that the young adults are not able to see their targets, either those they harm or those they hate or discriminate against, as humans,” says Laurie Kramer, Northeastern professor of applied psychology. “Instead, they may see themselves as victims of inequities, which may make it easier for them to feel justified in acting on their rage,” she says.
