Crime & JusticeBreakingUpdated 1 hr ago

Man arrested after spray-painting 9/11 Memorial at Ground Zero in New York

Coverage spectrum

Covered by 5 outlets, all right-leaning.

6 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Image via New York PostHow images are chosen Report this image

The Daily Wire, the New York Post, the Daily Mail and TheBlaze report that Johnathan Andrew Tijerina, 31, was arrested after spray-painting words on the 9/11 Memorial reflecting pool at Ground Zero on Monday. The outlets say police charged him with criminal mischief and making graffiti. They say he spray-painted “just stop killing kids” and the name of his website over engraved names of victims, as shown in a video he posted to Instagram. The outlets say his group, Just Stop Killing Kids, advocates a universal gun registry and universal background checks. A 16-year-old witness told CBS New York that police arrived within about a minute.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

New to Mantle? It shows who is covering each story across the political spectrum, and highlights loaded words. How to read a storyHide the guide

The coverage spectrum counts the outlets covering a story at each of five points. A short or missing segment means that part of the spectrum is mostly quiet.

Governor Loaded verb“slams”It adds drama to what was said. The governor criticized the lawmakers; “slams” makes it sound like a fight.More neutral: criticizes lawmakers over budget delay

Highlights mark words that carry a judgement. Tap one to see why, and what a neutral writer would say. Here it is “criticizes”.

The 5-point spectrum

Far Left
Voices that strongly advocate for progressive policies and systemic change.
Left
Mainstream liberal perspectives focusing on social equality and regulation.
Center
Sources that prioritize neutral reporting and balanced viewpoints.
Right
Mainstream conservative perspectives focusing on market freedom and tradition.
Far Right
Voices that strongly advocate for conservative values and limited government.

How we measure bias

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

A 31-year-old man, Johnathan Andrew Tijerina, was arrested after spray-painting the 9/11 Memorial at Ground Zero on Monday.
One side only: the rightReported byRight1Far Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
Right
Daily Mail
Far Right
The Daily Wire, TheBlaze
Police charged him with criminal mischief and making graffiti.
One side only: the rightReported byRight1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
Right
Daily Mail
Far Right
The Daily Wire
A video he posted to Instagram shows him spray-painting “just stop killing kids” and his website name over victims’ names.
One side only: the rightReported byRight2Far Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
Right
New York Post, Daily Mail
Far Right
The Daily Wire, TheBlaze
His group, Just Stop Killing Kids, calls for a universal gun registry and universal background checks.
One outletThe Daily Wire· Far Right

How each side tells it

Compare views

All four outlets report that a 31-year-old man was arrested and charged after spray-painting a gun-control slogan on the 9/11 Memorial. The coverage, all from right-side outlets, frames it as a leftist political stunt and desecration, with the far-right outlets pressing the leftist label harder.

the left
No coverage yet
No left-leaning outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.
the center
No coverage yet
No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.
the right
6 outlets
Headlines cast it as a political stunt by a gun-control activist; Daily Wire and TheBlaze, the far-right outlets, stress a leftist label, while NY Post and Daily Mail stress desecration and a ‘woke’ stunt.
Loaded modifier“Gun control nut”Calls the suspect a crazy person before the facts are established, rather than naming his activism neutrally.More neutral: Gun-control activistDisagree with this highlight? spray paints 9/11 Memorial with ‘Just Stop Killing Kids’ in broad daylight stunt
New York PostRightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

Left
Has not covered this story.
Center
Has not covered this story.
Right10
Gun control nutleftist activistLeftist Messagedesecrating

In the outlets’ own words

Loaded modifier
Gun control nutMore neutral: Gun-control activist
Calls the suspect a crazy person before the facts are established, rather than naming his activism neutrally.
Gun control nut spray paints 9/11 Memorial with ‘Just Stop Killing Kids’ in broad daylight stunt
Used byNew York Post (Right)
Loaded modifier
leftist activistMore neutral: gun control activist
Labels the man by political leaning, which the report of the arrest does not require.
Police arrested a leftist activist after he spray-painted a gun control message on the 9/11 memorial in New York…
Used byThe Daily Wire (Far Right)
Loaded modifier
Leftist MessageMore neutral: Gun Control Message
Attaches a political-ideology label to the message before the coverage establishes more than the vandal’s own video.
Vandal Defaces 9/11 Memorial With Leftist Message
Used byThe Daily Wire (Far Right)
Loaded verb
desecratingMore neutral: spray-painting
Describes the act as a religious or moral violation, adding judgement beyond what the police report states.
NYC man proudly filmed himself desecrating 9/11 Memorial with red spray paint in woke political stunt
Used byDaily Mail (Right)

Show 6 more phrasesShow fewer

Loaded modifier
woke political stuntMore neutral: political protest
Uses a partisan label to dismiss the act and the suspect’s motives before a court has ruled.
…man proudly filmed himself desecrating 9/11 Memorial with red spray paint in woke political stunt
Used byDaily Mail (Right)
Sensational language
Outrage mountsMore neutral: Reactions follow
Presents reaction as a rising wave to add drama, without naming who is outraged.
Outrage mounts after 9/11 Memorial is vandalized — allegedly by a gun-control activist: 'The…
Used byTheBlaze (Far Right)
Loaded modifier
The Mamdani effectMore neutral: Reaction in New York City
Ties the act to a named mayor through a link the wording does not spell out.
…after 9/11 Memorial is vandalized — allegedly by a gun-control activist: 'The Mamdani effect'
Used byTheBlaze (Far Right)
Dehumanizing label
illegal alienMore neutral: unauthorized immigrant or noncitizen without legal status
Appears in some statutes but is widely read as dehumanizing; 'alien' frames people as foreign objects rather than residents.
As we previously reported, an illegal alien from Mexico was arrested for taking a sledgehammer to an Iwo Jima memorial in…
Used byRedState (Far Right)
Sensational language
unhingedMore neutral: (omit) and quote the statement
Diagnoses the speaker instead of quoting them.
On Monday, another unhinged person decided to make a political statement by defacing the 9/11 memorial.
Used byRedState (Far Right)
Sensational language
DespicableMore neutral: (omit) and quote or describe
Moral verdict in the reporter's voice.
Gun Control Loon Pulls a Truly Despicable Stunt at 9/11 Memorial — Then Proudly Shows the World
Used byRedState (Far Right)

Words quoted from someone else (2)Hide the quoted words

Loaded words that outlets reported someone else saying. They show what was said, not how the outlet chose to say it.

Sensational language
Quoted
disgustingMore neutral: (omit) and quote or describe
Moral verdict in the reporter's voice.
'To deface this sacred site is absolutely disgusting and deeply disrespectful to the victims.' A source familiar with the matter told…
Quoted byTheBlaze (Far Right)
Inside a quotation: the outlets are reporting someone else’s words.
Sensational language
Quoted
vileMore neutral: (omit) and quote or describe
Moral verdict in the reporter's voice.
Tijerina “took credit for the vile desecration, posting video of himself in the midst of the act,” reports the New York…
Quoted byBreitbart News (Far Right)
Inside a quotation: the outlets are reporting someone else’s words.

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

0 outlets

No left-leaning outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

From the center

0 outlets

No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

From the right

6 outlets

Leads with

political stunt by a gun-control activist
desecration of the 9/11 Memorial
leftist or woke political message

See the 6 headlines from the rightHide the headlines

Breitbart NewsFar Right
Nolte: Gun Control Activist Arrested for Defacing 9/11 Memorial
Gun control activist Jonathan Andrew Tijerina was arrested Monday for defacing New York City’s 9/11 Memorial.
1 hr agoRead at Breitbart News (opens in a new tab)
RedStateFar Right
Gun Control Loon Pulls a Truly Sensational language“Despicable”Moral verdict in the reporter's voice.More neutral: (omit) and quote or describeDisagree with this highlight? Stunt at 9/11 Memorial — Then Proudly Shows the World
The desecration of our country's most sacred memorials has unfortunately carried over from last week into this one, this time with the 9/11 Memorial Reflecting Pool in New York City the target.
1 hr agoRead at RedState (opens in a new tab)
TheBlazeFar Right
Sensational language“Outrage mounts”Presents reaction as a rising wave to add drama, without naming who is outraged.More neutral: Reactions followDisagree with this highlight? after 9/11 Memorial is vandalized — allegedly by a gun-control activist: 'Loaded modifier“The Mamdani effect”Ties the act to a named mayor through a link the wording does not spell out.More neutral: Reaction in New York CityDisagree with this highlight?'
A 31-year-old gun-control activist was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly vandalizing the 9/11 Memorial in New York City. Johnathan Andrew Tijerina is accused of spray-painting the address of his anti-gun website over the engraved names of some of the 2,977 victims of the Sept. …
4 hr agoRead at TheBlaze (opens in a new tab)
Daily MailRight
NYC man proudly filmed himself Loaded verb“desecrating”Describes the act as a religious or moral violation, adding judgement beyond what the police report states.More neutral: spray-paintingDisagree with this highlight? 9/11 Memorial with red spray paint in Loaded modifier“woke political stunt”Uses a partisan label to dismiss the act and the suspect’s motives before a court has ruled.More neutral: political protestDisagree with this highlight?
Jonathan Andrew Tijerina, 31, is facing criminal mischief charges after spraying the name of his gun control website onto the North Tower reflecting pool at Ground Zero in Manhattan on Monday.
4 hr agoRead at Daily Mail (opens in a new tab)
The Daily WireFar Right
Vandal Defaces 9/11 Memorial With Loaded modifier“Leftist Message”Attaches a political-ideology label to the message before the coverage establishes more than the vandal’s own video.More neutral: Gun Control MessageDisagree with this highlight?
Police arrested a Loaded modifier“leftist activist”Labels the man by political leaning, which the report of the arrest does not require.More neutral: gun control activistDisagree with this highlight? after he spray-painted a gun control message on the 9/11 memorial in New York City. Johnathan Tijerina filmed himself at Ground Zero on Monday spray-painting the words “just stop killing kids” on top of panels listing the names of victims of …
6 hr agoRead at The Daily Wire (opens in a new tab)
New York PostRight
Loaded modifier“Gun control nut”Calls the suspect a crazy person before the facts are established, rather than naming his activism neutrally.More neutral: Gun-control activistDisagree with this highlight? spray paints 9/11 Memorial with ‘Just Stop Killing Kids’ in broad daylight stunt
A gun control nut vandalized the 9/11 Memorial Reflecting Pool with red spray paint in a broad daylight political stunt.
7 hr agoRead at New York Post (opens in a new tab)

The stories you read build My Mix, a private picture of which sides cover the stories you choose, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

Left
No report yet
From the outlets Mantle follows
Center
No report yet
From the outlets Mantle follows
Right
First to report
New York Post, Oct 28, 7:16 AM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order

New York PostRightOct 28, 7:16 AM EDT
The Daily WireFar RightOct 28, 7:54 AM EDT
Daily MailRightOct 28, 9:29 AM EDT
TheBlazeFar RightOct 28, 10:16 AM EDT
RedStateFar RightOct 28, 12:51 PM EDT
Breitbart NewsFar RightOct 28, 1:03 PM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

Man arrested after spray-painting 9/11 Memorial at Ground Zero in New York

Coverage spectrum

Key points

Compare views

the left

the center

the right

Language to notice

In the outlets’ own words

Side by side

From the left

From the center

From the right

Nolte: Gun Control Activist Arrested for Defacing 9/11 Memorial

Gun Control Loon Pulls a Truly Sensational language“Despicable”Moral verdict in the reporter's voice.More neutral: (omit) and quote or describeDisagree with this highlight? Stunt at 9/11 Memorial — Then Proudly Shows the World

Vandal Defaces 9/11 Memorial With Loaded modifier“Leftist Message”Attaches a political-ideology label to the message before the coverage establishes more than the vandal’s own video.More neutral: Gun Control MessageDisagree with this highlight?

Loaded modifier“Gun control nut”Calls the suspect a crazy person before the facts are established, rather than naming his activism neutrally.More neutral: Gun-control activistDisagree with this highlight? spray paints 9/11 Memorial with ‘Just Stop Killing Kids’ in broad daylight stunt

How the coverage built up

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Key points

Compare views

the left

the center

the right

Language to notice

In the outlets’ own words

Side by side

From the left

From the center

From the right

Nolte: Gun Control Activist Arrested for Defacing 9/11 Memorial

Gun Control Loon Pulls a Truly DespicableSensational language“Despicable”Moral verdict in the reporter's voice.More neutral: (omit) and quote or describeDisagree with this highlight? Stunt at 9/11 Memorial — Then Proudly Shows the World

Vandal Defaces 9/11 Memorial With Leftist MessageLoaded modifier“Leftist Message”Attaches a political-ideology label to the message before the coverage establishes more than the vandal’s own video.More neutral: Gun Control MessageDisagree with this highlight?

How the coverage built up

Read next

Peltola campaign denies NYT report it recruited a second Dan Sullivan candidate

Former Brooklyn resident Halima Salman convicted of receiving ISIS training in Syria

Two high-speed trains collide in Spain, killing at least 10 people

Dolores Huerta, co-founder of United Farm Workers, dies at 96

Texas man deported to Ghana says he was then sent to Mali; DHS responds to CBS report

Gun Control Loon Pulls a Truly Sensational language“Despicable”Moral verdict in the reporter's voice.More neutral: (omit) and quote or describeDisagree with this highlight? Stunt at 9/11 Memorial — Then Proudly Shows the World

Vandal Defaces 9/11 Memorial With Loaded modifier“Leftist Message”Attaches a political-ideology label to the message before the coverage establishes more than the vandal’s own video.More neutral: Gun Control MessageDisagree with this highlight?