A young woman’s killing in Georgia stokes a familiar rightwing war

The death of a college student is causing a political reaction – from the right, led by Trump – for all the wrong reasons

All murders are not treated equally.

The killing of 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley on the campus of the University of Georgia on Thursday has drawn national media interest and political activity in ways that other homicide cases do not, in part because it provides an easy target for rightwing election sloganeering.

Homicide rates fell by historic amounts last year after a spike in violence during the pandemic. Early estimates suggest that across the country violence has returned to near-60-year lows.

Despite the data, most Americans believe violence is increasing because violence increasingly drives media attention. And the murder of any young woman by a stranger is bound to draw additional news coverage simply because these killings are rare. FBI statistics show 3,653 women were murdered in 2022 – comprising fewer than one in four victims – and according to data tracked by the Violence Policy Center, about 92% of women who are murdered know their attacker. The murder of Laken Riley by a stranger is statistically one in a million.

Where Riley died adds to the attention.