A person holds a banner referring to the Qanon conspiracy theory during a alt-right rally on August 17, 2019 in Portland, Oregon. Anti-fascism demonstrators gathered to counter-protest a rally held by far-right, extremist groups. | Stephanie Keith/Getty Images
The daughter of a Michigan man who allegedly shot his family with a shotgun on Sunday, killing his wife and dog and wounding his other daughter, says his personality changed after he became a follower of the QAnon conspiracy theory.
The man, 53-year-old Igor Lanis of Walled Lake, was shot dead by police after he started shooting at them, the Detroit News reports.
Daughter Rebecca Lanis, 21, was not home when the shooting occurred. “I think that he was always prone to (mental issues), but it really brought him down when he was reading all those weird things on the internet,” she told the Detroit News.
On Sunday, she took to the QAnon Casualties subreddit to mourn how her father became more irritable and paranoid after becoming obsessed with conspiracy theories like QAnon, which alleges that the Democratic Party is a demonic sex cult, and former President Donald Trump’s “Big Lie” that the 2020 election was rigged.
“Yep,” she wrote. “The internet ruined him.”
She said, “Growing up, my parents were extremely loving and happy people. I always had a special bond with both my parents.”
But after Trump lost the 2020 election, “my dad started going down the Q rabbit hole,” she wrote. “He kept reading conspiracy theories about the stolen election, Trump, vaccines, etc. He always said he wanted to keep us safe and healthy.”
She added, “It kept getting worse and he verbally snapped at us a few times. Nothing physical though. He never got physical with anybody.”
She said that changed around 4 a.m. on Sunday during an argument with her mother.
“I’m shocked and I don’t even know what to say,” she wrote. “F–k you, Qanon. I hope the FBI tightens its grip on you and that your lackies rot in prison (and hell) for poisoning so many people.”
The other daughter, Rachel Lanis, 25, is reportedly in “stable” condition after being shot in her back and legs. The man’s 56-year-old wife, Tina Lanis, was reportedly found dead at the scene.
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