In a tragic incident that shocked the Duluth, Minnesota community, 46-year-old Anthony Nephew allegedly shot and killed his wife, ex-partner, and two children, before taking his own life.
The shocking crime, which occurred shortly after the November 5 election of President-elect Donald Trump, has left many mourning and searching for answers.
According to reports from the Duluth Police Department, Nephew had a history of mental health issues and had recently expressed frustration over Trump’s victory.
Duluth Police Chief Mike Ceynowa stated that the tragedy unfolded on Thursday, with five lives lost across two homes in the area. Authorities first discovered the bodies of Nephew’s ex-partner, 47-year-old Erin Abramson, and their 15-year-old son, Jacob, inside their home.
Shortly after, police located Nephew’s wife, 45-year-old Kathryn Nephew, and their 7-year-old son, Oliver, dead in a nearby family residence.
Prior to this tragic event, Nephew had been vocal on social media, sharing posts with anti-Trump sentiments and left-wing political views.
“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 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.
Anthony Nephew also shared other political posts, including an image of former President Barack Obama, Trump, President Joe Biden, and Vice President Kamala Harris. 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.”
Anthony 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,” 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 about 135 miles north of Minneapolis, have not yet determined a motive for the shootings.
Police said there is no ongoing threat to the community.
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