FBI Arrests ‘Anti-Trump’ Gunman Who Shot ABC Studio After Kimmel Suspension
The FBI arrested the “anti-Trump” gunman who fired three shots into a local ABC studio after late-night host Jimmy Kimmel was suspended last week just hours after he posted bail in California.
Anibal Hernandez-Santana, the 64-year old suspected shooter, was arrested by the FBI on Saturday, one day after he opened fired on ABC 10 in Sacramento in a drive-by shooting. Hernandez-Santana had posted $200,000 bail earlier on Saturday before he was arrested by the FBI for “violating a statute that says no one can interfere with any communication of any station licensed by the U.S. Government,” KCRA 3 reporter Peyton Headlee reported on Sunday.
The suspect is now facing federal charges and is ineligible for bail.
Variety, over the weekend, reported Hernandez-Santana’s X account contained “a steady stream of anti-Trump commentary.”
“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,” Hernandez-Santana posted last Thursday.
And in July, Variety found posts where he said he is ready to “fight like hell” to oppose the Trump administration.
Hernandez-Santana, prior to being picked up by the feds, was booked and charged with assault with a deadly weapon, negligent discharge of a firearm, and shooting into an occupied building. He was set to have a court appearance on Tuesday afternoon.
His attorney, Mark Reichel, told KCRA 3 that Hernandez-Santana is being overly scrutinized because of his anti-Trump posts.
“If you look at his social media, they’re going to say, ‘Boy, it sure shows that he’s liberal and left wing.’ So you think they’re going to overlook something like that? I don’t think so,” Reichel said.
FBI Director Kash Patel on Monday morning posted on X that Hernandez-Santana was taken into custody “under a federal hold for interference with licensed broadcasts.”
He added: “Targeted acts of violence are unacceptable and will be pursued to the fullest extent of the law.”
The shooting happened during the early hours of Sept. 19, a day after a protest was held in front of ABC 10 following Kimmel’s suspension. About 15 people showed up for the protest, the Sacramento Bee reported.
Kimmel had his show pulled after he implied the person who shot Charlie Kirk was a Trump supporter.
“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them,” Kimmel said on his show last Monday.
Kimmel was criticized by many for the claim, considering the reported details point to Tyler Robinson, Kirk’s suspected killer, being a leftist. Robinson reportedly had a romantic relationship with his trans roommate, used phrases associated with Antifa, and, in text messages released last Tuesday, said he shot Kirk because of the conservative influencer’s “hatred.”
ABC News Live ran a brief report on the shooting on Saturday morning, which you can watch above.
