Museum Shooter Twisted by Hate: Son

Hatemonger expected to survive shooting

The son of the elderly man who opened fire on security guards at the U.S. Holocaust Museum last week said his father was "twisted by hate" and that he will never forgive him.

"It consumed him. It prevented him from doing anything normal," said Erik von Brunn about his father, James, who was charged with murder in the shooting death of a guard last week. "There was no normal conversation. Everything ended with this ideology. It ate him up."

The younger von Brunn appeared Monday on Good Morning America, saying he allowed his father to live with him and his fiancee in their Annapolis home because he had no where else to live. He said he did so despite not having a good relationship with the man, who has been described as a hatemonger and white supremacist who published numerous rants on race online.

"The only bond we had was father and son," Erik von Brunn said. "We didn't like each other very much."

The son said he believes his father's hate erupted after he served in World War II. He said that's when his father became "jaded."

"He received a lot of reverse discrimination because of his name," he said.

The younger von Brunn didn't hold back when describing what he thinks of his father and of his actions last week near the National Mall.

"The wrong man died that day," he said. "I love my father, but what he did was unforgivable."

James von Brunn was shot in the face by two guards who came to the defense of their fallen colleague. 

Due to those injuries, von Brunn is in no condition to appear in court, a federal judge found Monday. U.S. Magistrate Judge John Facciola said at a hearing that it would not be possible for von Brunn to have an initial appearance in the next week, either at the courthouse or in his hospital room.

Little else was revealed about his condition. Prosecutor Nicole Waid said von Brunn is in critical but stable condition. She asked to approach the bench for any further discussion, and Facciola called all the attorneys up for a confidential talk.

"Obviously, he's not able to get to court," Facciola said after their discussion. He scheduled another hearing for next Monday to get an update.

Von Brunn's court-appointed attorney, A.J. Kramer, would not comment further about his client's condition, citing health privacy laws, but said he was able to meet with him at the hospital on Sunday. 

Erik von Brunn said he doesn't plan on paying his father a visit, however.

"My father died the day he walked into that museum," he said.

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