In a tragic incident that shocked the Minnesota community, authorities have reported that a man who had posted anti-Trump and left-wing statements online fatally shot his wife, ex-partner, and two sons before taking his own life.
Duluth Police Chief Mike Ceynowa confirmed that the shooter, identified as 46-year-old Anthony Nephew, had struggled with mental health issues over a period of time.
The bodies of five individuals were discovered Thursday afternoon in two homes located in Duluth.
Authorities initially found Nephew’s ex-partner, Erin Abramson, 47, and their son, Jacob Nephew, 15, dead from apparent gunshot wounds inside their residence.
Upon identifying Anthony Nephew as a suspect, police subsequently located his current wife, Kathryn Nephew, 45, and their 7-year-old son, Oliver Nephew, in a nearby home, both of whom had also been fatally shot.
Nephew was found in the same home, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to police.
Before the tragic event, Nephew had used his Facebook account to share political and personal grievances, particularly against President Donald Trump.
In one post from July, he expressed distress, writing, “My mental health and the world can no longer peacefully coexist, and a lot of the reason is religion. I am terrified of religious zealots inflicting their misguided beliefs on me and my family. I have intrusive thoughts of being burned at the stake as a witch, or crucified on a burning cross.”
Nephew’s social media activity included concerns about religious extremism and political issues.
He voiced fear that people viewed him or his family as symbols of evil: “Having people actually believe that I or my child are Satan or, the anti-Christ or whatever their favorite color of boogie man they are afraid of this week,” he posted.
In another online statement, Nephew took aim at Republicans, accusing them of complicating efforts for women in abusive relationships to leave. “Gilead here we come,” he wrote, referencing The Handmaid’s Tale, a dystopian novel that portrays a society where women are stripped of their rights.
Other political posts included a graphic with former President Barack Obama, President Biden, and Vice President Kamala Harris alongside former President Trump, with “hate” labeled under Trump’s image and “hope,” “heal,” and “grow” under the Democratic politicians.
Nephew commented, “Not that anyone cares, but as an Independent voter, I would really like to see both the political parties in our country pick better candidates. We can do better than a binary choice between fascism and not fascism.”
In 2021, Nephew wrote an op-ed in the Duluth News Tribune, discussing the impact of untreated mental health issues on individuals across the country. “For millions of Americans, a breakdown leads to suicide — or homicide before suicide,” he wrote. “Mental health in this country is stigmatized, ignored, or treated as a burden for the individual to bear alone, with little help and less understanding. Americans deny they have mental health struggles. Because they have to, because they’re told to, or because they don’t realize their mind is broken.”
As Duluth police continue their investigation, they have not yet determined a definitive motive in the shootings.
Authorities assured the public that there is no ongoing threat to the nearly 90,000 residents of Duluth, a city approximately 135 miles north of Minneapolis.
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