OCT 2025. Blues Vol 41 No.10

GUEST COMENTARYMadison

GUEST COMENTARYMadison ColomboRetired FBI agent warns of 'assassination culture'after learning Kirk Suspect lives with Trans PartnerOne former FBI official soundedthe alarm on a dangerous"assassination culture" in thenation as investigators revealednew information about CharlieKirk's alleged killer, includingreports he was in a romanticrelationship with his transgenderroommate.Retired FBI supervisory agentJames Gagliano warned Sundaythat the country is facing a dangerousrise in the ideation andexplained how these investigationsare "layered.""We’re seeing this new ideation,which is assassinationculture. What does that consistof?" Gagliano wondered.He said it begins with a grievance,then a feeling of superiorityin ideology and, finally, moralabsolutism."You believe that you are superior.Your thinking is superior.And I have the right to take yourlife because I disagree with you,"he said.Gagliano said people consumedby this mindset canbecome radicalized and seek tocarry out public killings, framingthem as political or ideologicalstatements. He added that theUnited States has long struggledwith political violence."In our 250-year history, foursitting presidents have beenassassinated. We're conditioned,sadly … that that's normal," hesaid.Gagliano said that while theassassin achieved his goal, theFBI will now probe more deeplyinto why the suspect allegedlycarried out the attack the wayhe did."Was he inspired by somebodyor something, and was he directedor did anybody provideany material support? That'simportant."Authorities said Tyler Robinson,22, lived with a transgenderroommate he was romanticallyinvolved with in Utah. Officialshave touted the individual's cooperationwith investigators andsaid this person is not accusedof any wrongdoing.Just before Robinson allegedlyopened fire, an audience memberasked Kirk about past shootingsby individuals who identifiedas transgender.Shortly after Kirk responded,he was shot and killed, leavingbehind his wife and two youngchildren.Criminal defense attorney JoshRitter said Robinson’s roommatecould be a "wealth of information"for investigators seeking tounderstand the motive behindthe attack."As we're starting to learnRetired FBI SupervisoryAgent James Gaglianoabout this relationship that hemay have had, that starts to addfurther insight," he said on "Fox& Friends Weekend."Ritter argued that the publicnature of the assassination, Kirk’sfinal words and details of Robinson’spersonal life may all pointto the motive behind the killing."To me, there seems to be anabsolute connection between thetiming of the shooting itself andthe fact that … this is a publicassassination. He wanted him tobe shot in front of people voicinghis feelings," he said. "It lookslike he may have waited until theexact moment that the messagecoming from Kirk's mouth wassomething he wanted to make astatement about.18 The BLUES OCTOBER ‘25

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