I worry that deteriorating socioeconomic conditions drove Richie to violent crime
There are plenty of people in dire straits that don't hit people on the head with the back of a hatchet. There is no conditions based justification for that. Your former friend is a psychotic asshole.
Fair enough. Maybe he was always a menace and maybe he became a menace more recently. I heard him threaten violence in a half-joking manner several times over the years. Crossing the line from there to actually attacking people may have happened spontaneously, within his character. But I also think environment could have played a part.
Yes, his choices are his own. But I doubt he would have done it if he didn't think he could get away with it. And he wouldn't have thought he could get away with it in my neighborhood five years ago. But 2020 emboldened criminals and they remain emboldened. Now, instead of couch surfing and looking for weed, people like Richie are out doing violence. I guess I wonder about the social implications of that.
Agreed, I hope the police report leads to an arrest and conviction. There's an easy window to the past to look through. Cities, even Minneapolis, were considered (and were) more dangerous/lawless in the past. Just look at where people thought NYC could devolve to in Escape From New York. Minneapolis, and probably many where leadership have encouraged criminals more than police, will slide in that direction. Hopefully not as bad as the everyone-grew-up-sniffing-lead-exhaust-fumes era.