“She just need to stop talkin” - Internet reacts to Antioch High school shooter alleging Candace Owens influenced him in Manifesto 

The Antioch High School shooter, Solomon Henderson, claims in his manifesto that Candace Owens had significantly influenced him. In writings extending to more than 300 pages, Henderson held Owens in very high regard saying, "Candace Owens influenced me above all each time she spoke," while also ascribing her extreme right-wing ideals as the push for his vicious thoughts and actions.

The report has elicited mixed reactions on social media where one user puts it:

“moral of the story she just need to stop talkin.”

Another user said: “This is the second time a mass shooter has admitted to being influenced by her btw.”

A user added: “Hold her accountable too. Charge her.”

Meanwhile, a user mentioned: “Nothing Candice Owen’s talks about encourages this type of behavior.. he’s troubled.”

A user quipped: “Now I know Candace says some OUTLANDISH things, but don’t blame her for YOUR WILD DECISIONS!”

A comment read: “That does not make sense because Candace is black and he was stunned by her which means he should have been proud to be black.”

Meanwhile, Candace Owens has responded to these allegations on social media, stating:

"It is truly sickening that people would use the death of a young 16-year-old girl to try to quickly score political points, rather than to responsibly make sure that what they are sharing is accurate.”

"Regarding the alleged “manifesto”, it is an obvious troll. How can you tell? Because the deranged individual plagiarized the exact same language from the ChristChurch New Zealand Manifesto, combined with other manifestos and writings freely available on the web. In essence, it is a plagiarized document."

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Antioch High School shooting incident

A fatal shooting occurred at Antioch High School in Nashville, Tennessee, on January 22, 2025, killing 16-year-old Josselin Corea Escalante and injuring several others. The shooter, Solomon Henderson, 17 years old, fired ten shots in rapid succession before taking his own life.

This incident brought massive attention not only for violence but also on the disturbing contents found in writings of Henderson where it is alleged that he supports some controversial persons, including prominent conservative commentator, Candace Owens.

According to Fox 17, close to 11 a.m. local time, a horrific incident was reported at the Antioch High School cafeteria.

The shooter reportedly entered the cafeteria and started shooting with a nine-millimeter pistol. He fired for 17 seconds before taking his own life. What is quite disturbing is that Henderson allegedly livestreamed the attack on various social media websites.

Solomon Henderson was an Antioch High School student. He was acting out problematically in school and writing in his papers of isolation and despair before the attack.

He was reportedly driven by feelings of worthlessness and humiliation, even claiming to feel like a "living breathing disgrace" in regard to the events that took place at school.

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Manifesto details

The manifesto, written by Henderson, is over 300 pages in length and contains references to some of the most controversial figures and ideologies around it. Some include:

Candace Owens: Henderson said "Candace Owens influenced me above all each time she spoke," referring to her influence on his thoughts toward violence.

Other Influences: He also mentioned other personalities, such as Nick Fuentes, and even admires Adolf Hitler, which presents a worrisome pattern of alignment with extreme views. His writings included race-bashing and school culture-bashing statements, which revealed a sense of resentment against societal norms.

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Online activity

Before the shooting, Henderson was posting pictures and writings on social media. Analysts are studying these posts, along with his manifesto, to try to get a better understanding of his motivations.

The report says it included racial slurs and references to extremist views, which came from places like online far-right sites.