The white supremacist who shot and killed a black security guard at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington has died in hospital as he was awaiting trial

The white supremacist who shot and killed a black security guard at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington as a protest against what he claimed was a Jewish takeover of America has died in hospital near the North Carolina prison where he had been awaiting trial.

James von Brunn was pronounced dead on Wednesday afternoon, having died of natural causes. He had been in poor health for several weeks from chronic heart disease and from complications arising from the wounds he incurred in the 10 June shooting.

Von Brunn was known to the authorities as a white supremacist who expressed his extreme views on race and religion through websites. On the day of the incident, he walked into the Holocaust Museum and shot the guard, Stephen Johns, at close range in the chest. Two other security guards opened fire and hit Von Brunn in an ear.

In a search of the shooter's car parked outside the museum, police found a notebook in which he had listed other potential targets including the White House and the US Capitol. He had written in the notebook that "the Holocaust is a lie. Obama was created by Jews. Obama does what his Jew owners tell him to do. Jews captured America's money. Jews control the mass media."

The ramblings were in similar vein to a mass of anti-Semitic tirades he had written on his website and in a book, Kill the Best Gentiles which claimed to expose a Jewish conspiracy to "destroy the white gene pool".

Harry Weeks, one of the two guards who shot back at von Brunn, said he was shocked by news of his death. "I'm glad he's gone. I wish he had his day in court but it'll never come," he told the Associated Press.

Von Brunn had been charged with first degree murder, but the trial had been delayed several times due to his fragile health. He had been due to return to court later this month to hear a judge's ruling on whether or not he was mentally competent to stand trial.

His lawyer, AJ Kramer, said: "This was a sad end to a tragic situation."