31 Jul 2019

California killer influenced by NZer's racist manifesto

From Morning Report, 7:44 am on 31 July 2019

The 19-year-old man who killed three people and wounded a dozen more at a garlic festival in California before being shot dead by police was inspired by a 19th century racist manifesto written by a New Zealander.

Santino Legan's Instagram account was full of references to the "Might is Right" manifesto written by Arthur Desmond in 1890 - under the pseudonym Ragnar Redbeard.

Susie Ferguson spoke to Historian Mark Derby, who has written a book about Ragnar Redbeard.