Gunman who allegedly fired at ABC affiliate station had anti-Trump writings in car, note to ‘do the next scary thing’: prosecutors
A Sacramento man faces serious state and federal charges after allegedly firing shots at a local ABC station in what prosecutors call a politically charged attack.
Anibal Hernandez Santana, 64, drove by the ABC10 offices on Broadway and opened fire last Friday afternoon. According to authorities, he first shot into the air near the station, then pulled up front and blasted three bullets into the lobby window. Luckily, no one got hurt, even though an employee was inside at the time.
Prosecutors revealed Monday that investigators found troubling clues in Santana’s car during a search. Handwritten notes ranted against President Trump, including one blaming officials for “hiding Epstein and ignoring red flags.” The notes also targeted FBI Director Kash Patel, Deputy Director Dan Bongino, and Attorney General Pam Bondi, warning they were “next.” Plus, a calendar on his fridge had a memo for September 19—the shooting day—urging him to “do the next scary thing.”
Local police arrested Santana that Friday on state charges like assault with a deadly weapon, shooting at an occupied building, and negligent firearm discharge. He posted $200,000 bail and walked out hours later, but the FBI nabbed him again Saturday. Now, federal charges are piling on, including interfering with a federally licensed TV station and firing a gun in a school zone.
Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho called the Sacramento shooting politically motivated. “It looks like he had other targets in mind too,” Ho told reporters. While protests over ABC’s suspension of Jimmy Kimmel had happened outside the station the day before—sparked by Kimmel’s comments about conservative activist Charlie Kirk—officials haven’t linked the gunfire to that drama. No demonstrators were around when shots rang out just after 1:30 p.m.
Santana, a former health policy analyst for the California Indian Health Board, has a history of fiery online posts. The day before the incident, he tweeted, “Where is a good heart attack when we need it the most??”—seemingly aimed at Trump. Back in July, after Stephen Colbert’s late-night show got canceled, he vented on social media about an “authoritarian oligarchy” and called for people to “fight like hell.”
His lawyer, Mark Reichel, says Santana plans to plead not guilty in both state and federal court. Arraignment on the federal side happened Monday afternoon. Reichel accused the Trump administration of turning a local crime into a federal spectacle to bash liberals. “They’re using this to stir up political frenzy against anyone who disagrees with the president,” he wrote in an email.
The district attorney wants Santana held without bail as the case moves forward in this Sacramento drive-by shooting probe.
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