A former neo-Nazi skinhead has attempted to pinpoint exactly how white supremacists are radicalised to commit violent attacks against minorities similar to the mosque shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand that killed at least 51 people last week.

Christian Picciolini, a former leader of the American white power movement, said more effort needs to be done to protect “vulnerable people before they become radicalised."

The co-founder of Life After Hate, a nonprofit organisation aimed at helping people leave white supremacist groups, was asked on CNN if stationing armed guards at houses of worships could effectively prevent white supremacists from committing a heinous attack like Christchurch.

While Mr Picciolini agreed ‘vulnerable places need to be protected,’ he said more priority should be placed on the forums and sources where men and women are often radicalised by white supremacist ideology.

“Ideology is not what leads them there in the end,” Mr Picciolini said, referring to what drives white supremacists to massacre innocent people, “it’s the pre-radicalisation. It’s the trauma. It’s the abandonment. It’s the isolation. It’s the marginalization. Even the mental illness that leads people to the fringes to accept this narrative.When they’re there, somebody is absolutely waiting to give them this narrative.”

New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Show all 11 1 /11 New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Zakaria Bhuiyan People gather hoping to find out information about Zakaria Bhuiyan who is still missing after the mosques shootings in Christchurch. David Moir/AFP New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Mucad Ibrahim Three-year-old Mucad Ibrahim, the youngest known victim of the mass shooting at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, on 15 March 2019. Abdi Ibrahim via AP New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Nadeem Rasheed Nadeem Rasheed, brother of Pakistani Naeem Rashid who died alongside his son Talha Naeem, 21, who were killed in shooting at a Mosque in Christchurch, at their home town in Abbottabad, EPA New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Omar Nabi Omar Nabi speaks to the media about losing his father Haji Daoud Nabi, 71, in the mosque attack REUTERS New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Ash Mohammed Ash Mohammed, right, talks to a police officer about his father and two brothers who are missing near the Masjid Al Noor mosque AP New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Akhtar Khokhur Akhtar Khokhur, 58, shows a picture of her missing husband Mehaboobbhai Khokhar, 65. AP New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Wasseim Alsati A note is seen on a window of a door at the family home of Wasseim Alsati in Christchurch on 17 March 2019. AFP/Getty Images New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Haroon Mahmood Relatives offer condolences to nephew (centre) of Haroon Mahmood, a Pakistani citizen who was killed in Christchurch mosque shootings. AP New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Farid Ahmed Farid Ahmed (pictured) survived the Al Noor mosque shootings but his wife Husne was killed. AFP/Getty Images New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Syed Areeb Ahmed A relative shows a picture of Syed Areeb Ahmed, a Pakistani citizen who was killed the Christchurch mosque shooting. AP New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Naeem Rashid A relative looks at a picture on a mobile phone of Pakistani nationals Naeem Rashid and his son Talha Naeem (right) who died in the Christchurch shootings. AFP/Getty Images

He reiterated that armed security guards won’t prevent white men and women from white supremacy indoctrination, adding that resources should focus on online forums and communities vulnerable to radicalisation.

“What we need to do is protect our most vulnerable communities online,” Mr Picciolini added. “Depression forums, where they’re targeting people, or autistic and Asperger’s communities, where they know vulnerable people might be—that maybe aren’t making connections in real-life.”

In an interview with NPR on Saturday, Mr Picciolini argued that white supremacy is not — and should not be seen — as a “fringe” movement.

“[White supremacy] is certainly not a fringe movement,” the former skinhead said. “It is a large-scale terrorist movement.”

In addition to calling white supremacy a “terrorist movement,” Mr Picciolini noted that Donald trump has been championing policy positions — building a wall and a ban on Muslim immigrants, to name a few – neo-Nazis have been calling for in the last three decades.

“[Trump] is feeding people – the same rhetoric that I used to say 30 years ago – build a wall, Muslim ban, you know, remove immigrants from the country – all the same things that I used to say,” Mr Picciolini added.

He argued that President Trump’s rhetoric and the Internet have helped white supremacist movement grow exponentially.

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“Now, because of the Internet, it has spread farther and wider than ever before. And that narrative is landing on people all over the world. So it is not just contained to the United States,” he added. “And never before in my life have I received emails from mothers of 10-year-old sons who are being recruited. So it is definitely growing.”

Life After Hate, the organisation Mr Picciolini co-founded to combat white supremacy, was awarded a $400,000 grant in January 2017 from the Department of Homeland Security under the Obama Administration’s Countering Violent Extremism Task Force.