DA: TV Station Shooting Appears to Be Political

A man suspected of firing a gun into the ABC affiliate's office in California's capital had written notes in his car that were critical of President Trump's administration and a calendar reminder on his fridge to "do the next scary thing," prosecutors said Monday.

• Nobody was hurt in the shooting Friday into the lobby of the studios of ABC10 near downtown Sacramento, the AP reports. Local authorities arrested Anibal Hernandez Santana, 64, on Friday on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and shooting into an occupied building. He was released hours later on $200,000 bail.

• Hernandez Santana was rearrested Saturday night by the FBI and will also face federal charges related to interfering with a federally licensed station and discharging a firearm within a school zone. His defense attorney, Mark Reichel, said Hernandez Santana would plead not guilty in both cases.
• Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho said investigators found a calendar note on Hernandez Santana's refrigerator stating, "Do the next scary thing" and dated Sept. 19, the day of the shooting.
• A search of the suspect's car turned up an anti-Trump book, Ho said Monday. Authorities also found a handwritten note that said, "For hiding Epstein and ignoring red flags," Ho said. The note mentioned FBI Director Kash Patel, FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, and Attorney General Pam Bondi, saying they were "next," prosecutors said. Ho said he believed the words "CK from above" were a reference to Charlie Kirk, KCRA reports.
• Evidence points to a politically motivated crime, and "it appears that he was also looking at other places, other people," Ho said. But he didn't say why prosecutors believe Hernandez Santana targeted the ABC affiliate specifically or whether it might have been related to ABC's suspension of Jimmy Kimmel over comments made after Charlie Kirk's assassination.

• Hernandez Santana first shot into the air in the direction of the TV station and then drove to the front of the building and fired three shots into the lobby, according to a statement from the US Attorney's office.
• KCRA reports that what appears to be the suspect's account on X contains many post critical of Trump and members of his government, along with a few posts referring to Kirk's murder.
• Reichel says he believes the federal government will use the case to make a political point. He tells the AP he is certain that the administration "will take any opportunity to take a state crime committed by someone who is considered 'liberal' and make it a federal offense to use it as political fodder for their never ceasing attempts to demonize those who disagree with the president's policies." The defense attorney says Hernandez Santana had a career as a lobbyist in the state legislature and had retired in the past few years.