A 64-year-old man accused of firing multiple shots into a Sacramento television station on Friday night had previously posted anti-Trump commentary on social media, according to reports.
Police identified the suspect as Anibal Hernandez-Santana, who was arrested early Saturday morning after ABC 10 (KXTV), a local ABC affiliate, was struck three times during a drive-by shooting. No injuries were reported.
Hernandez-Santana was booked on charges of assault with a deadly weapon, negligent discharge of a firearm, and shooting into an occupied building. His bail was set at $200,000, and a court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.
According to Variety, Hernandez-Santana’s account on X included a series of posts critical of former President Donald Trump. One post read: “Where is a good heart attack when we need it the most?? Please Join in my thoughts and prayers for the physical demise of our fearful leader.” In another, he wrote that opponents of the Trump administration would need to “fight like hell.”
The shooting came one day after a small protest outside ABC 10, following the suspension of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel. Kimmel’s suspension was tied to comments he made about the suspect accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
In a segment earlier this month, Kimmel criticized efforts to portray Kirk’s alleged killer, Tyler Robinson, as a conservative. Robinson, according to officials and media reports, expressed left-leaning views and had referenced Antifa in messages prior to the shooting. Utah officials said Robinson had been influenced by far-left ideology.
Hernandez-Santana previously worked as a legislative director for the California Federation of Teachers, according to Variety. His LinkedIn profile states he is now retired. He was also reportedly dismissed from a prior job in 2018 following a confrontation with supervisors that resulted in police being called.
Tegna, which owns ABC 10, confirmed the incident in a statement to KCRA 3: “We can confirm that shots were fired into our station at KXTV earlier today. While details are still limited, importantly all of our employees are safe and unharmed. We are fully cooperating with law enforcement and have taken additional measures to ensure the continued safety of our employees.”
On Saturday, ABC News Live reported that the FBI had assisted in the search for Hernandez-Santana. The network said no motive has yet been determined.
