A United States man, Anthony Nephew has killed himself, his wife, ex-partner and two of his children following the election of Donald Trump in the November 5 election for the White House.
Authorities said on Sunday that the 46-year-old Nephew was angry over the election results for the return of Trump as US President.
Police said Nephew’s ex-partner, 47-year-old Erin Abramson and their 15-year-old son, Jacob, were found dead from apparent gunshot wounds inside their home on Thursday afternoon.
After identifying Anthony Nephew as a suspect, police also found his 45-year-old wife, Kathryn Nephew, and their 7-year-old son, Oliver Nephew, dead from gunshot wounds inside their family home nearby.
Duluth Police Chief Mike Ceynowa said on Friday that Nephew had a “pattern of mental health issues.”
Before the tragedy, Nephew had been sharing left-wing and anti-Trump posts on his Facebook account.
“My mental health and the world can no longer peacefully coexist, and a lot of the reason is religion,” 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 actually 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 accused Republicans of “making it harder for women to leave” abusive relationships.
“Gilead here we come,” he wrote, referencing The Handmaid’s Tale, a dystopian novel turned Hulu series in which women, stripped of their rights, are forced to reproduce for the ruling class.
Nephew had also shared other political posts, including an image of former President Barack Obama, Trump, President Joe Biden, and Vice President Kamala Harris.
In the post, the word “hate” was under Trump’s face, while the words “hope,” “heal,” and “grow” corresponded with the Democratic politicians.
“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,” he wrote in July. “We can do better than a binary choice between fascism and not fascism.”
Nephew had previously issued a chilling warning about his struggles with mental health, writing in an op-ed for the Duluth News Tribune in 2021.
“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.
“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,” he wrote.
Police said there is no ongoing threat to the community though the motive for the shooting has not yet been determined.
