Connecticut Conservative Reportedly Cited By Alleged New Zealand Gunman

As the world mourns for the 49 victims who lost their lives in the horrendous shooting that happened at two mosques in New Zealand Friday (March 15), reports have surfaced that a Connecticut woman was named by one of the alleged gunmen as his inspiration for the attack.

According to Newsweek, one of the alleged shooters wrote a 74-page manifesto prior to the mass shooting, and Candace Owens of Stamford, CT, a well-known conservative political commentator and activist, was reportedly cited as a major influence in what went down. “The person that has influenced me above all was Candace Owens,” the Australian man allegedly wrote.

“Each time she spoke I was stunned by her insights and her own views helped push me further and further into the belief of violence over meekness. Though I will have to disavow some of her beliefs, the extreme actions she calls for are too much, even for my tastes.”

With that, it should be noted that the document is also said to have been full of irony and sarcasm in reference to things like internet memes and current events.

Candace Owens quickly responded to the reports of her name being mentioned in the document. The Stamford resident took to social media with a number of tweets:

Here is a clip of Candace Owens speaking on the state of African-American leadership and calling for a White House summit on race: