The murder of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University has turned attention to how online spaces influence real world violence.

A former classmate of the suspect and an expert warned that Reddit, in particular, can act as a dangerous echo chamber.

Jordan Brann, 22, a 2021 graduate of Pine View High School in St George, appeared in a now-deleted TikTok video where he described suspect Tyler Robinson as a “Reddit kid.”

“If you were in high school around that time, you know those kinds of kids. That is exactly what he was,” Brann said.

He said Robinson spent a lot of time online, and that, “this is what happens when your beliefs drift because you are seeking approval from people who are not your friends.”

The video got over two million views. “I wanted to show what too much internet does to people,” Brann said.

Robinson, 22, from Washington County, is charged with aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm, and obstruction of justice in Kirk’s death.

Charlie Kirk, 32, founder of Turning Point USA, was shot during one of his popular ‘Prove Me Wrong’ sessions.

After the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, Dr Megan Squire, computer science professor at Elon University and expert in online radicalisation, described Reddit as a “nasty and dangerous echo chamber” that can amplify destructive paths.

“Reddit’s structure, with its communities and upvote system, creates perfect conditions for echo chambers,” she told the Associated Press.

“Users self-select into spaces that validate their world view and amplification of extreme rhetoric is often rewarded. For someone isolated, these spaces can turn personal grievances into warped views.”

Dr Squire warned that Reddit’s moderation allows toxic subcultures to grow.

She said these communities, left unchecked, can feed off one another and influence people disconnected from their immediate social circle.

As Robinson awaits a court appearance, prosecutors seeking the death penalty.