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New Zealand shooter steeped attack in dark internet culture

This image taken from the alleged shooter's video, which was filmed Friday, March 15, 2019, shows him as he drives and he looks over to three guns on the passenger side of his vehicle in New Zealand. A witness says many people have been killed in a mass shooting at a mosque in the New Zealand city of Christchurch. Police have not described the scale of the shooting but urged people to stay indoors. (AP Photo)

SAN FRANCISCO — The suspected New Zealand shooter carefully modeled his attack for the internet age. He live-streamed the massacre and published a manifesto with inside jokes for those fluent in underground internet culture.

The gunman who streamed the attack posted the long, rambling manifesto online using the name Brenton Tarrant. It makes him the latest alleged killer to carry out an attack alongside an appeal to online communities that breed extremism.

During Tarrant’s live-stream he called out a popular internet meme that has become a rallying cry among some internet circles. His manifesto spread quickly on social media site 8chan, a site where people often post violent and hate-filled comments.

His manifesto was full of comments made to appeal to internet trolls.

By Rachel Lerman, The Associated Press