Holocaust Museum Shooter has History of Hatred
James W. von Brunn has many Ties to White Supremacist Groups
Jun 11, 2009
At 88-years old, James W. von Brunn walked into the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. on June 10, 2009, and opened fire, killing a security guard. Other museum security officials shot von Brunn in the head, critically injuring him.
Those affected by the shooting are attempting to recover after this tragic event and mourn the dead, fallen security guard Stephen Tyrone Johns, age 39. At the same time, the general public, as well as law enforcement officials, are trying to decipher why James W. von Brunn committed this heinous crime.
Early Ties to Neo-Nazis
According to his online biography, James W. von Brunn was raised in St. Louis Missouri and served in World War II. He graduated from Washington University in 1943 and worked in advertising after the war ("Law Center: Shooting suspect has 'long history' with Neo Nazis"). In the 1970's, von Brunn became friendly with William Pierce, the the long time leader of the white supremacist group The National Alliance and idol of bomber Timothy McVeigh.
James von Brunn's Prison Record
In 1983, von Brunn was sentenced to serve time for what he called "the non-violent citizens arrest of Federal Review Board members." According to an article posted on Salon.com, von Brunn entered the board's headquarters in Washington D.C. on December 7, 1981, carrying a sawed-off shotgun, a hunting knife and a revolver but was stopped before he could enter the room where board members were meeting ("When James von Brunn Tried to Arrest the Fed" by Alex Koppelman. June 10, 2009). He was sentenced to 6 years in prison by what he called a "Jew judge, Jew/Negro attorneys" and "a Negro jury." He attempted to get a pardon from President Reagan for his crimes, writing letters to Jim Webb, who, at that time, was Secretary of the Navy. von Brunn served 6 and a half years for his crime.
The Hateful Writings of James W. von Brunn
The Holocaust Museum shooter has published a large online cache of hate. An article posted June 10, 2009 on the Anti-Defamation League's website, von Brunn's website, called Holy Western Empire, revealed his belief that there was a Jewish conspiracy against him personally. von Brunn urged Americans to "take action" and "organize" against the Jewish community. He also authored and self-published a book, titled Tob Shebbe Goyim Harog! (To Kill the Best Gentiles!), which he described as a "racialist guide for the preservation and nurture of the white gene pool." James von Brunn also wrote many articles and essays denying the Holocaust and blaming the Federal Reserve, which he believed to be controlled by Jews, for a host of national issues.
Holocaust Museum Shooting
After years of anti-Semetic writings and Holocaust denial, it's not impossible to imagine that von Brunn would carry out a terrorist attack on the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. Museum security is being praised for their quick action, which minimized the loss of human life. While hate groups are praising von Brunn today, the rest of the country--and the world--are left to wonder how to prevent these future hate crimes from happening.
