Disappointed voter shoots 4 family members, takes own life over Trump’s victory
Story by Victor Itodo ABUH
A man in the United States, Anthony Nephew, has killed himself after fatally shooting his wife, ex-partner, and two children in the wake of the 5th November election that saw President-elect Donald Trump take office.
According to officials who spoke to the New York Post on Sunday, the 46-year-old father from Minnesota had shown anger over Trump’s election victory.
The culprit had a “pattern of mental health issues,” Duluth Police Chief Mike Ceynowa said on Friday — a day after authorities discovered five bodies across two homes in the city.
Police reported that Anthony Nephew’s ex-partner, Erin Abramson, 47, and their son, Jacob Nephew, 15, were found dead from apparent gunshot wounds inside their residence on Thursday afternoon.
After identifying Nephew as the suspect, officers discovered his 45-year-old wife, Kathryn Nephew, and their 7-year-old son, Oliver Nephew, also dead from gunshot wounds at the family home nearby.
Before the tragic events, Anthony Nephew had been posting left-wing and anti-Trump content on his Facebook page.
“My mental health and the world can no longer peacefully coexist, and a lot of the reason is religion,” Anthony Nephew wrote in July.
“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.
“Having people believe that I or my child are Satan, or the anti-Christ, or whatever their favourite boogeyman they are afraid of this week.”
In another post, he criticised Republicans for “making it harder for women to leave” abusive relationships.
“Gilead here we come,” he wrote, referencing ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’, a dystopian novel adapted into a Hulu series where women, stripped of their rights, are forced to bear children for the ruling elite.
Nephew also shared other politically charged posts, including one featuring former President Barack Obama, Trump, President Joe Biden, and Vice President Kamala Harris. The word “hate” appeared under Trump’s face, while the words “hope,” “heal,” and “grow” were placed under the Democratic leaders.
“Not that anyone cares, but as an Independent voter, I would like to see both the political parties in our country pick better candidates,” he wrote in July.
“We can do better than a binary choice between fascism and not fascism.”
Read also: Bond of Friendship: Elon Musk’s spectacular role in Trump’s election victory
Anthony Nephew had previously issued a stark warning regarding his struggles with mental health in an op-ed for the Duluth News Tribune in 2021, stating, “For millions of Americans, a breakdown leads to suicide — or homicide before suicide.”
“Mental health in this country is stigmatised, ignored, or treated as a burden for the individual to bear alone, with little help and even less understanding,” he wrote.
“Americans deny they have mental health struggles — because they have to, because they’re told to, or because they don’t realise their mind is broken.”
Police in Duluth, a city of nearly 90,000 residents located about 135 miles north of Minneapolis, have not yet established a motive for the shootings.
Authorities confirmed that there is no ongoing threat to the community.
Follow the Neptune Prime channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va74ZvU2v1IqKByXoX3d
Do you have breaking news, interview request, opinion, suggestion, or want your event covered? Email us at neptuneprime2233@gmail.com
