Antioch High School shooter Solomon Henderson and Abundant Life Christian School shooter Natalie Rupnow had similar social media activity prior to the attacks.
Both Henderson and Rupnow posted manifestos and similar pictures before they died from apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
Context
A student was killed and another was injured in a shooting at Antioch High School in Nashville on Wednesday. Law enforcement identified Henderson, 17, as the shooter. Officials said he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
One teacher and one student were killed and six others were injured in a shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, on December 16, 2024. Police identified Rupnow, 15, as the shooter and said she died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
What To Know
In an investigative update released on Thursday, the Metro Nashville Police Department said that before Henderson opened fire in the cafeteria, he posted photos on social media from a nearby restroom.
Both Rupnow and Henderson appeared to share photos taken of their feet in a bathroom the day of the attack.
An X account believed to belong to Rupnow posted a photo of a person giving the “okay” hand gesture. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) said the gesture is used in some extremist circles to “troll” viewers.
Henderson appeared to repost photos of the same hand gesture on his social media.
A manifesto allegedly posted by Rupnow began circulating online after the shooting. Law enforcement has not verified the authenticity of the document.
The alleged manifesto references other mass shooters, including the gunman in a 2019 shooting at a Walmart in El Paso.
The Metro Nashville Police Department said detectives found two documents they believe were created by Henderson on “non-traditional websites.”
“It is clear that Henderson was significantly influenced by web-based material, especially that found on non-traditional sites that most would find harmful and objectionable,” Nashville police said.
The ADL said Henderson shared “a range of incel, accelerationist, white supremacist, antisemitic [and] anti-Black content.” A TikTok account appearing to belong to Rupnow posted “white supremacist and antisemitic memes,” according to the ADL.
The organization also said Henderson appeared to be active in a gore forum where recent mass shooters are praised, including Rupnow.
What People Are Saying
Oren Segal, vice president of the ADL Center on Extremism, previously told Newsweek: “These online spaces not only glorify violent fantasies, extremist ideologies and mass killers but also fuel offline violence—acts that are often as incomprehensible as the ideologies that drive them.”
What Happens Next
The Metro Nashville Police Department is investigating the Antioch High School shooting.
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