A man from Sacramento was taken into custody after allegedly firing shots in the lobby of ABC10 during a daytime drive-by, just a day after police demonstrated outside the station in response to the indefinite suspension of “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”
Anibal Hernandez Santana, 64, was arrested Friday evening at his apartment on Carlson Drive in the River Park area of Sacramento after authorities connected him to a vehicle of interest.
The SWAT team conducted a raid around 6:15 PM, with witnesses reporting that he was taken down before being transported. A local news source noted the details of the incident.
Hernandez Santana is accused of firing three shots at the lobby window of ABC10’s Broadway headquarters shortly after 1:30 PM on Friday, though thankfully, no injuries were reported.
This incident followed protests at the station on Thursday, triggered by ABC’s decision to suspend “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” which was based on controversial remarks related to Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist accused of murder.
Videos showed demonstrators with signs advocating for Kimmel’s free speech rights. According to the Sacramento County Police Department, protests are ongoing, and the circumstances around the shooting—including motivations—are still being looked into.
Witnesses stated that there were no protests occurring at the time of the shooting. Hernandez Santana was booked into a major jail in Sacramento County just after midnight and is facing multiple charges, including assault with a deadly weapon and negligent discharge of firearms.
His bail was established at $200,000, and he is set to appear in court on Tuesday.
Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the shooting on social media, referring to it as “an attack on our democracy itself.”
Following the shooting, three bullet holes were noted in ABC10’s front lobby window, though no one was injured.
Nexstar Media Group recently revealed a $6.2 billion deal to acquire Tegna and its various affiliates, including KXTV. By the following Wednesday, ABC announced that the late-night show would be “indefinitely on hold.”
This decision ignited protests in both New York and Los Angeles, and since then, Kimmel has been absent from the airwaves while negotiations about a possible return continue between Disney and Kimmel.
Tegna, the parent company of ABC10, has stated that they are increasing security measures at the station.
The Sacramento Police Department, which has refrained from speculating on motives behind the shooting, expressed gratitude towards the FBI for their assistance. They have encouraged anyone with information regarding the incident to contact the investigating officers.
