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On September 29, 2025, two teenage girls—Maria Niotis and Isabella Salas, both 17—were struck and killed by a black Jeep Compass while riding an e-bike in Cranford, New Jersey. The driver, 17-year-old Vincent Battiloro, was later charged with two counts of first-degree murder. While the tragedy has sparked local outrage and mourning, the national media response—particularly from right-leaning outlets—has been conspicuously muted. This silence is especially glaring given the suspect’s online behavior, which included livestreamed rants, threats, and apparent ideological alignment with far-right grievance politics, and Right-Wing Violence
A Pattern of Obsession and Escalation
According to police and court records, Battiloro was driving 70 mph in a 25 mph zone when he struck the girls. He then fled the scene, abandoning the vehicle. The victims’ families allege that Battiloro had been stalking Maria Niotis for months and that she had filed a restraining order against him prior to the attack. In a YouTube livestream posted after the crash—but before his arrest—Battiloro said: “There’s been a lot of misinformation going on over the internet… I wish my sincerest condolences to those two girls lost in that tragic accident… I’m a nice kid, I’m 17 years old with a good family by my side, and these allegations have been ruining everything. It is a shame” (www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/crime/2025/10/03/vincent-battiloro-cranford-murder-maria-niotis-isabella-salas/86479667007).
In earlier livestreams, Battiloro reportedly expressed a desire for “vengeance” and referenced being the target of “false allegations,” including claims involving child pornography. He also taunted Niotis by sending prank pizzas to her home and threatening to release fabricated nude images of her, according to friends and family (www.newsnationnow.com/banfield/vincent-battiloro-maria-notis-online-posts).
Ideological Echoes: Right-Wing Radicalization = Right-Wing Violence
While no direct evidence has emerged tying Battiloro’s actions to a specific political motive, his online rhetoric mirrors themes common in far-right digital spaces: persecution complexes, misogyny, and a fixation on “false accusations.” In one stream, he reportedly called for gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli to “do more about mental health,” a talking point often used in conservative circles to deflect from gun control or systemic violence discussions (www.mycentraljersey.com).
Battiloro’s self-presentation as a “nice kid” wronged by society echoes the narratives of other right-wing extremists who have committed violence. According to a 2024 study by the National Institute of Justice, right-wing extremists have committed far more ideologically motivated homicides than left-wing or Islamist extremists since 1990—227 events resulting in over 520 deaths (www.upolitics.com/news/justice-dept-removes-study-showing-right-wing-groups-are-responisble-for-most-political-violence-from-website-after-trump-blames-left).
The Media Blackout
Despite the disturbing nature of the case, coverage from right-leaning media has been minimal. Ground News, a media bias tracking platform, shows that the Battiloro case was overwhelmingly covered by center and left-leaning outlets, with only a handful of mentions from right-leaning sources like Fox News (www.ground.news/article/self-professed-nice-kid-fatally-mowed-down-cranford-girls-at-70-mph-court-papers-allege). Fox 5 New York did publish a brief article quoting the victims’ families, who called the act “murder in the first degree” and described Battiloro as “a coward of a man” (www.fox5ny.com/news/nj-cranford-hit-and-run-teen-charged-murder).
However, the story received no prominent coverage on Fox News’ national broadcasts or website, nor was it discussed on major right-wing talk shows. This omission is particularly notable given the network’s recent fixation on the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, which it framed as emblematic of “left-wing political violence.”
Trump’s Narrative vs. Reality
In the wake of Kirk’s assassination, President Donald Trump doubled down on his long-standing claim that “the radicals on the left are the problem,” adding, “They’re vicious and horrible… We have a radical left group of lunatics out there, and we’re going to get that problem solved” (www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-doubles-blaming-radical-left-after-vow-after/story?id=125509965).
Yet data from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) contradicts this narrative. Between 2015 and 2020, right-wing extremists were responsible for 67% of extremist-related plots and attacks in the U.S. (www.profolus.com/topics/right-wing-extremists-drive-majority-of-u-s-political-violence). A 2025 report by Factually listed notable right-wing attacks since 2020, including:
- The 2022 murder of a police officer in Dallas by a sovereign citizen militia member.
- The 2023 Oklahoma double homicide by members of the “God’s Misfits” anti-government group.
- The 2024 attempted kidnapping of Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer by right-wing extremists.
- The 2023 Club Q shooting in Colorado Springs, which killed five and was linked to white supremacist ideology (www.factually.co/fact-checks/politics/right-wing-violence-in-us-since-2020-9fd1ce).
Despite this, Trump’s administration removed a Department of Justice study highlighting right-wing violence from its website shortly after Kirk’s death, citing a review of “woke” content (www.upolitics.com/news/justice-dept-removes-study-showing-right-wing-groups-are-responisble-for-most-political-violence-from-website-after-trump-blames-left).
The Cost of Selective Outrage
The Battiloro case underscores a dangerous asymmetry in how political violence is framed and reported. When a conservative figure is harmed, the right mobilizes outrage, policy proposals, and media saturation. When the perpetrator is a young man echoing right-wing grievances and the victims are teenage girls, the silence is deafening.
This selective outrage not only distorts public understanding but also enables future violence by refusing to confront its ideological roots. As Ground News’ bias tracker shows, the Battiloro case was largely ignored by right-leaning outlets, while left-leaning media covered it extensively—highlighting the suspect’s behavior, the victims’ pleas for help, and the broader implications for youth radicalization.
Conclusion
Vincent Battiloro may not have explicitly declared a political motive, but his digital footprint, rhetoric, and behavior reflect a toxic stew of misogyny, grievance, and right-wing victimhood narratives. The refusal of conservative media and political leaders to acknowledge or contextualize this violence is not just a journalistic failure—it’s a civic one.
Until we confront the full spectrum of political violence, including that which emerges from the right, we remain trapped in a cycle of denial, deflection, and preventable tragedy.
Right-wing extremists have committed the majority of political violence in the U.S. over the past several decades, including some of the most deadly and ideologically motivated attacks. Below is a sourced list of notable incidents and studies confirming this trend.
Notable Incidents of Right-Wing Political Violence
- Charleston Church Shooting (2015)
- Dylann Roof, a white supremacist, murdered 9 Black parishioners at Emanuel AME Church in South Carolina.
- Source: Factually (www.factually.co/fact-checks/politics/right-wing-violence-in-us-since-2020-9fd1ce)
- Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting (2018)
- Robert Bowers, motivated by antisemitic and anti-immigrant beliefs, killed 11 worshippers in Pittsburgh.
- Source: Profolus (www.profolus.com/topics/right-wing-extremists-drive-majority-of-u-s-political-violence)
- El Paso Walmart Massacre (2019)
- Patrick Crusius targeted Latinos, killing 23 people, citing fears of a “Hispanic invasion.”
- Source: Factually (www.factually.co/fact-checks/politics/right-wing-violence-in-us-since-2020-9fd1ce)
- Oklahoma Double Homicide (2023)
- Members of the far-right militia “God’s Misfits” killed two women in a politically motivated attack.
- Source: Factually (www.factually.co/fact-checks/politics/right-wing-violence-in-us-since-2020-9fd1ce)
- Dallas Police Officer Murder (2022)
- A sovereign citizen extremist shot and killed an officer during a traffic stop.
- Source: Factually (www.factually.co/fact-checks/politics/right-wing-violence-in-us-since-2020-9fd1ce)
- Attempted Kidnapping of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (2020)
- Right-wing militia members plotted to abduct the Michigan governor over COVID restrictions.
- Source: Wikipedia (www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_violence_in_the_United_States)
- Club Q Shooting (2022)
- The shooter, influenced by far-right anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, killed 5 people at a Colorado Springs nightclub.
- Source: Profolus (www.profolus.com/topics/right-wing-extremists-drive-majority-of-u-s-political-violence)
Studies Confirming Right-Wing Dominance in Political Violence
- National Institute of Justice (2024 Study)
- Found that far-right extremists committed 227 ideologically motivated homicides, compared to 42 by far-left actors since 1990.
- Source: UPolitics (www.upolitics.com/news/justice-dept-removes-study-showing-right-wing-groups-are-responisble-for-most-political-violence-from-website-after-trump-blames-left)
- Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
- Right-wing extremists responsible for 67% of extremist-related plots and attacks between 2015–2020.
- Source: Profolus (www.profolus.com/topics/right-wing-extremists-drive-majority-of-u-s-political-violence)
- Anti-Defamation League (2022–2024)
- All 61 political killings during this period were committed by right-wing extremists.
- Source: Factually (www.factually.co/fact-checks/politics/right-wing-political-violence-statistics-7784e5)
- The Conversation (2025 Analysis)
- Right-wing violence is more frequent and more deadly than left-wing violence.
- Source: The Conversation (www.theconversation.com/right-wing-extremist-violence-is-more-frequent-and-more-deadly-than-left-wing-violence-what-the-data-shows-265367)
- DOJ Study Removed After Trump’s Claims
- DOJ quietly removed a study showing right-wing attacks “outpace” all others after Trump blamed the left.
- Source: The Hill (www.thehill.com/homenews/administration/5507682-doj-removes-far-right-extremism-study)
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