That's a shitty reason. Don't excuse his behavior as though it was his age that caused him to be a gigantic asshole. He acted badly and had peers who provided feedback that supported his behavior.

18 years olds are empowered to make decisions on whether to shoot children carrying a rifles.

This guy and his friend couldn't decide if calling a coworker a whore qualified as work appropriate.

Was he excusing it, or was he explaining it?

Pretty sure he was doing the later.....

Exactly. Like the detective pointing out the killer's master plan, he was just recounting the cause.

Don't shoot the messenger!