Anthony Nephew, a 46-year-old man from Duluth, Minnesota, tragically took the lives of his wife, ex-partner, two children, and himself on November 5, 2016, following the election of Donald Trump. Authorities reported that Nephew had expressed strong anger over Trump’s victory.
Duluth Police Chief Mike Ceynowa stated that Nephew had a history of mental health struggles. That day, police discovered five bodies across two homes in the city. The first victims were Nephew’s ex-partner, Erin Abramson, 47, and their 15-year-old son, Jacob Nephew, both found dead from gunshot wounds in their home. After identifying Anthony Nephew as the suspect, authorities located his wife, Kathryn Nephew, 45, and their 7-year-old son, Oliver Nephew, also dead from gunshot wounds in their nearby family home.
Before the shooting, Nephew had been vocal on social media, posting anti-Trump and left-wing content. In one July post, he expressed distress about his mental health, saying, “My mental health and the world can no longer peacefully coexist, and a lot of the reason is religion.”
He spoke of fears of being persecuted by religious extremists and detailed intrusive thoughts of being burned at the stake or crucified. He also voiced frustration with Republicans, accusing them of making it harder for women to escape abusive relationships, and referenced the dystopian novel The Handmaid’s Tale in his posts.
Nephew also shared political images, including one that displayed former Presidents Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, and Kamala Harris, with “hate” written under Trump’s image and “hope,” “heal,” and “grow” under the Democratic figures. He expressed discontent with the political system, stating, “We can do better than a binary choice between fascism and not fascism.”
In 2021, Nephew wrote an op-ed for the Duluth News Tribune, discussing the struggles many Americans face with mental health. He argued that mental health issues are stigmatized, ignored, and too often treated as a burden for individuals to handle alone. He highlighted how mental breakdowns often lead to suicide or violence, warning that many people do not receive the help they need.
While authorities have not determined a clear motive for the tragic events, they have confirmed there is no ongoing threat to the community.
