In a devastating event in Minnesota, a man named Anthony Nephew, aged 46, was responsible for the deaths of his wife, former partner, and two children before taking his own life, according to local law enforcement. Nephew, who had a documented history of mental health problems, was discovered deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his residence. His wife Kathryn, 45, and their 7-year-old son Oliver were also found dead in the same location.
The day before this grim discovery, authorities had found the bodies of Nephew’s former partner, Erin Abramson, 47, and their 15-year-old son Jacob at their home. Both had succumbed to gunshot wounds. The two residences where the bodies were discovered are situated near each other in the city of Duluth.
Nephew had been open about his mental health difficulties and political beliefs on social media platforms. In a post from July, he stated that his mental health and the world could no longer coexist peacefully, attributing a significant part of the reason to religion. He expressed apprehension about religious extremists imposing their beliefs on him and his family and revealed his intrusive thoughts of being persecuted for his beliefs.
In another social media post, Nephew criticized Republicans for making it challenging for women to leave abusive relationships. He made references to “The Handmaid’s Tale,” a dystopian novel and television series where women are deprived of their rights and forced to bear children for the ruling class. He also shared political posts featuring images of former President Barack Obama, President Donald Trump, President Joe Biden, and Vice President Kamala Harris, with the word “hate” under Trump’s face and words like “hope,” “heal,” and “grow” under the Democratic politicians.
In July, Nephew expressed dissatisfaction with the political candidates from both parties, stating, “We can do better than a binary choice between fascism and not fascism.” He had previously written an op-ed in the Duluth News Tribune in 2021, warning about the consequences of mental health struggles and criticizing the stigma and lack of understanding surrounding mental health in the country.
The Duluth Police Department, which serves a city of nearly 90,000 residents about 135 miles north of Minneapolis, has not yet established a motive for the shootings. They have assured the public that there is no ongoing threat to the community.