*had, but that still doesn’t keep me from being sus

It was a skull and crossbones. That's a very generic symbol. Hell, it's being used all over the world right now as a part of anti-government protests. Your average American probably most associates it with pirates. I sure do, even knowing that the Nazis used it as well.

Regardless, as soon as he was told about it the one possible meaning, he got the tattoo covered over with something else. Find something of substance, like him actually saying anything anti-semitic.