Daughter says dad went down QAnon ‘rabbit hole’ before shooting up family: ‘He kept getting worse after Trump lost’

A Michigan man who allegedly believed in right-wing conspiracy theories and who struggled with mental illness was fatally shot by police this Sunday after he allegedly shot and killed his wife and daughter and wounded his other daughter, The Detroit News reports

Police received a “chilling” 911 call at 4:11 a.m. Sunday from a 25-year-old woman who said her father had shot her and killed her mother, but the woman was so distraught that she was not able to give police an address. 

Later when police were talking to a neighbor, they heard a gunshot come from the house next door. When police were moving towards the house, Igor Lanis, 53, came out the front door with a shotgun and started shooting. He was killed when officers returned fire. 

When police entered the hom, they found Lanis’ daughter, Rachel, who had been shot with a shotgun in the back and legs, trying to crawl out of the house. Her 56-year-old mother was dead inside the home with at least four shots from a handgun. The family dog also was shot multiple times and killed. Rachel Lanis was in stable condition after suffering “super traumatic injuries” to her back and legs. 

His other daughter, Rebecca Lanis, said that her father’s mental health and recent decent into online conspiracy theories was to blame. 

“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,” Lanis said.

In a post to Reddit on Sunday, Rebecca said that the “internet ruined” her father. 

“Growing up, my parents were extremely loving and happy people. I always had a special bond with both my parents,” she wrote. “In 2020 after Trump lost, my dad started going down the Q rabbit hole. He kept reading conspiracy theories about the stolen election, Trump, vaccines, etc. He always said he wanted to keep us safe and healthy.”

Rebecca said that her father’s journey into conspiracy theories eventually started to affect his behavior.

“Well, at around 4 AM on September 11, he had an argument with my mother and he decided to take our guns and shoot her, my dog and my sister. My mother succumbed to her wounds and my sister is in the hospital right now,” she continued. “My dad also fired back at the cops and they killed him. I’m shocked and I don’t even know what to say.”

“F*** 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,” her post concluded. 

Sky Palma

Before launching DeadState back in 2012, Sky Palma has been blogging about politics, social issues and religion for over a decade. He lives in Los Angeles and also enjoys Brazilian jiu jitsu, chess, music and art.