A Pennsylvania state trooper was killed in a murder-suicide Sunday by a suspect who appeared to be an open Marxist who believed that “All Cops Are Bad,” according to his social media.
Pennsylvania State Police Cpl. Timothy O’Connor was shot during a traffic stop after pulling over 32-year-old Jesse Nathan Elks, who allegedly shot O’Connor before shooting himself, according to a statement made by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
O’Connor had pulled over Elks in response to a report of an erratic driver, and upon approaching the vehicle, was struck by gunfire from inside the vehicle, according to the statement. (RELATED: Suicidal Empathy Leaves Woman With Six Fewer Teeth, Bludgeoned Face)
After O’Connor was shot, Elks allegedly exited the vehicle, walked a short distance and shot himself with his pistol. Elks was pronounced dead at the scene, while O’Connor was transported to a hospital before being pronounced dead, the statement said.
Although the Chester County District Attorney’s Office is still investigating Elks’ background and motives, photos collected by the Daily Caller from Elks’ Facebook shows that he shared numerous examples of anti-capitalist and anti-law enforcement messaging between 2020 and 2021.
Elks’ cover photo shows a picture of white supremacist Richard Spencer being punched in the face with the words, “From each according to his ability. To each according to his need,” a slogan popularized by Karl Marx.
Screen grab of Jesse Nathan Elks taken from his Facebook page. (Screenshot taken and edited by Derek VanBuskirk.)
His profile’s bio lists his pronouns as “he/him” and gives a famous quote widely attributed to Che Guevara, the Argentine Marxist revolutionary: “It’s not my fault if reality is Marxist.”
His page is filled with a dozen photos of Elks and various members of his young family placed under filters of graphics advocating for leftist thought.
Photos of Elks and his young son contain messages such as “ACAB,” which is short for “All Cops Are Bad,” as well as “when social isolation ends, we eat the rich” and “no war but class war.”
Photos with his wife include messages such as “Free Palestine,” “the only good ICE is water ice,” and “forever comrade.”
Elks also shared photos with his newborn daughter, reading, “No borders. No cops. No cages,” and another saying, “Nobody wants to play with me,” with the Soviet symbol of a hammer and sickle.
Posts from some of Elks’ friends asked people to stop “stealing” Elks’ photos to make memes and “slander” him. Another asked that Elks’ friends erroneously report the account for harassing minors in hopes that Facebook’s admins would take the account down, as people were saying “horrible things” about Elks.
Screen grab of Jesse Nathan Elks taken from his Facebook page. (Screenshot taken and edited by Derek VanBuskirk.)
Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel said that O’Connor had served for 15 years and leaves behind his wife and 7-year-old daughter, adding that the FBI sends its “prayers and condolences to his family, friends and colleagues left behind.”
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro ordered flags at half-staff in O’Connor’s honor.
The commonwealth “tragically lost one of our finest,” Shapiro said.