The teen
who shot up an Indianapolis FedEx facility and killed eight people was reportedly
part of a bizarre Internet subculture obsessed with “My Little Pony.”
Posts on Brandon Hole’s since-taken-down Facebook page appear to indicate he was a member of the “Bronies” community — a group of mostly adult men who are extreme fans of the kiddie toys and animated television show,
the Wall Street Journal reported.
Some members are sexually attracted to the characters, while the group also has allegedly displayed far-right tendencies.
“I hope that I can be with Applejack in the afterlife, my life has no meaning without her,” Hole wrote on his Facebook page at 10:19 p.m. Thursday, less than an hour before his rampage began, the outlet reported.
The post included a photo of Applejack, a blond pony that is a main character on the show.
“Brony online culture has displayed elements of far-right and white nationalist extremism,” the memo stated.AP
The name Brony is a mashup between “bro” and “pony” — and the group has a
history of extremist tendencies, the outlet said, citing an internal Facebook memo they reviewed that detailed the post.
“Brony online culture has displayed elements of far-right and white nationalist extremism,” the memo stated.
Brandon Hole, a former employee of FedEx, opened fire in the facility before turning the gun on himself. INDINAPOLIS METROPOLITAN POLICE
Facebook stopped short of saying Hole’s pony-love had anything to do with the shooting, writing in the memo there was no clear evidence it motivated the massacre.
Hole, a former employee of FedEx, opened fire in the facility before turning the gun on himself.