Sacramento Man Arrested After Drive-By Shooting at ABC Affiliate

A man from Sacramento, Anibal Hernandez Santana, was arrested for allegedly shooting at the local ABC affiliate’s office in a drive-by incident. Prosecutors reported that he had a handwritten note in his vehicle criticizing President Trump, along with a peculiar calendar note reminding him to “do the next horrifying thing.”

Hernandez Santana, 64, had marked his calendar with this message on September 19th, the same day as the shooting.

During the search of his car, investigators discovered a handwritten book and another note that read, “To hide Epstein and ignore the red flag,” as noted by Sacramento County District Attorney Teen Ho.

The memo included references to FBI Director Kash Patel, Deputy Director Dan Bongino, and Attorney General Pam Bondi, where threats were implied regarding their safety.

On Friday, local police detained Hernandez Santana. He faces multiple charges, including assault with a deadly weapon, shooting into an occupied building, and negligent discharge of a firearm. He was released shortly after on a $200,000 bail but was re-registered by the FBI the next day.

Additionally, federal charges are pending against him for interfering with federally licensed stations and discharging firearms in school zones, adding further weight to the case.

Evidently, the evidence suggests that the shooting may have been politically motivated. “It seems he had observed other instances and individuals as well,” Ho mentioned.

Prosecutors didn’t clarify whether this incident was connected to the recent suspension of late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel following his controversial comments about conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

The day prior, protesters gathered outside the station in support of Kimmel’s show.

Fortunately, the Sacramento County Police Department was not present when Hernandez Santana reportedly fired around 1:30 PM on Friday.

He is said to have first shot into the air and then fired three shots directly into the building’s lobby while staff members were inside. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

In July, following the cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s show, Hernandez Santana expressed his anger online. He referred to the political climate as “authoritarian” and encouraged people to “fight like hell.”

His defense attorney, Mark Reichel, stated that Hernandez Santana plans to plead not guilty to both state and federal charges. His defense also expressed concerns that the federal government might politicize the case, potentially using it as an opportunity to target individuals with opposing views.

The district attorney is seeking to hold Hernandez Santana without bail.