Radicals React: Holocaust Museum Killer Was a Hero (or a Patsy)
White supremacists reacted swiftly to the death of Holocaust Museum shooter and long-time neo-Nazi James von Brunn by lauding his actions and promoting conspiracy theories about his demise.
Von Brunn, who had been in poor health and was recovering from gunshot wounds to one ear, died early this afternoon at a hospital in North Carolina, according to The Associated Press. The 89-year-old had been at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. He was himself shot in the face by other guards just seconds after killing Stephen T. Johns.
On Stormfront, the leading white supremacist Web forum, posters speculated this afternoon that von Brunn might not have died of natural causes, suggesting that evil forces were actually responsible for his demise. 鈥淚 knew that case would never go to trial,鈥� wrote 鈥淟awAbidingCitizen.鈥� 鈥淭here were so many holes in the 鈥榦fficial鈥� story that it would have been a laughingstock.鈥� Added 鈥淢edicineHat鈥�: 鈥淪ounds like a clear cut case of 鈥楯ewicide.鈥欌��
Many others praised him as a hero. 鈥淛ames Wenneker Von [sic] Brunn died a martyr,鈥� wrote 鈥渟tarviego.鈥� 鈥淟ong live James Wenneker Von Brunn.鈥� Said 鈥渁llkesh鈥�: 鈥淕reat man who gave his best for his people!鈥� 鈥淜ennewickman,鈥� a Stormfront moderator, put it like this: 鈥淓very man or woman who expresses opposition to ZOG [a neo-Nazi acronym for Zionist Occupation Government, meaning the federal government] and dies in ZOG鈥檚 hands is a martyr, automatically.鈥�
Not everyone was so enamored, however. 鈥淗e was an idiot, a crazed old kook,鈥� wrote 鈥淣otakook.鈥� 鈥淗is actions might as well be scripted in Hollywood: 鈥楳ean, hateful, old racist, Jew hater, evil NAZI attacks Holocaust Museum. Honest, Black African American doorman/security guard is murdered!鈥� Yeah, that鈥檚 really a heroic act, really helps our 鈥榤ovement.鈥� We have to find things for our old men to do that do not involve military invasions of museums! Wow. Really pathetic folks.鈥�
Von Brunn, who wrote many racist and anti-Semitic screeds, had ties to prominent neo-Nazis over the course of some four decades of radical activism. When he was arrested immediately after the June shooting, police found a notebook in his car saying: 鈥淵ou want my weapons 鈥� this is how you鈥檒l get them. The Holocaust is a lie. Obama was created by Jews. Obama does what his Jew owners tell him to do. Jews captured America鈥檚 money. Jews control the mass media. The 1st Amendment is abrogated henceforth.鈥�
Von Brunn was never a major extremist leader. However, he became a hero to the radical right in 1981, when he carried a sawed-off shotgun, a pistol and a hunting knife into the Federal Reserve in Washington, where he hoped to 鈥渁rrest鈥� the Board of Governors and 鈥渞ead to the American public my indictment on these treasonous liars鈥� on television. He was convicted of attempted kidnapping and other charges by a 鈥淣egro jury鈥� and 鈥渁 Jew judge,鈥� he wrote later, and sentenced in April 1983 to a term of up to 11 years in prison. He was released in 1989.
By the time von Brunn was arrested, however, he had been largely forgotten by other white supremacists. His death is unlikely to have any real impact on their movement.
