Sacramento man accused in ABC10 shooting vowed Trump officials were ‘next’ in note
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- Federal complaint links ABC10 shooting suspect to threats against U.S. officials
- Anibal Hernandez-Santana faces federal and state firearm and assault charges
- Authorities vow full prosecution in attack viewed as threat to media and safety
The man accused of shooting into Sacramento’s ABC10 offices wrote a note invoking sex offender Jeffery Epstein and denouncing America’s top law enforcement leaders, according to a federal complaint filed Monday by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Sacramento.
Last week, a shooter opened fire on Channel 10’s studios on the 400 block of Broadway, piercing a window three times, but injuring no one. The incident came after ABC and its parent company Disney indefinitely suspended Jimmy Kimmel on Wednesday from his late night snow “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and protesters demonstrated at the Upper Land Park office of KXTV, an affiliate owned by a different company.
The Sacramento Police Department arrested Anibal Hernandez Santana, 64, of Sacramento on suspicion of shooting the building. He posted his $200,000 bail, and was later arrested again by FBI officials in connection to federal charges.
According to the federal complaint, police officers searched Hernandez Santana’s vehicle after he posted bail. Detectives found a handwritten note that invoked FBI Director Kash Patel, FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.
“For hiding Epstein & ignoring red flags. Do not support Patel, Bongino & AG Pam Bondie. They’re next. — C.K. from above,” the note read, according to the complaint.
On Monday, Patel denounced the shooting on social media. Hernandez Santana is scheduled to appear Monday afternoon before a federal magistrate in Sacramento federal court.
“Targeted acts of violence are unacceptable and will be pursued to the fullest extent of the law,” Patel wrote on X.
Hernandez Santana faces charges of possessing a firearm in a school zone, discharging a firearm in a school zone and interfering with a federally licensed radio communication station, according to the complaint.
The Sacramento man is also scheduled to appear later Monday afternoon to face charges in Superior Court. There, he faces charges of assault with a semi-automatic firearm and discharging a firearm into an inhabited dwelling in connection to firing into the building with employees inside, said Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho in a news release Monday.
Ho added detectives uncovered key evidence at Hernandez Santana’s River Park home.
“When someone brazenly fires into a news station full of people in the middle of the day, it is not only an attack on innocent employees but also an attack on the news media and our community’s sense of safety,” Ho said in the news release. “My office will prosecute this case to ensure full accountability and send a clear message: violence, intimidation and attacks on a free press have no place in our community or society at large.”
Anger over Kimmel’s sidelining
On Thursday, about 15 people had joined the protest outside the ABC10 offices after ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show. “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” was taken off-air, following pressure from the Trump administration after remarks Kimmel made related to the slaying of conservative activist Charlie Kirk last week in Utah.
The ABC network, which is owned by Disney, was criticized last week for its decision to halt production of Kimmel’s late night show. On Wednesday, the network said the show would be “pre-empted indefinitely,” USA Today reported.
On Monday, ABC officials said the show would return on Tuesday night. The Los Angeles Times reported that decision followed conversations between the two sides to figure out how to defuse the situation.
“We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday,” ABC officials said, according to the Times.
KXTV is owned by Tegna, a national chain of TV stations spun off by Gannett a decade ago. Nexstar Media Group, the owner of Fox 40 and nearly 200 stations coast to coast, recently announced it would acquire Tegna. The move would require FCC approval for the transfer of Tegna’s broadcasting licenses.
Nexstar voiced criticism of Kimmel following his Monday night monologue that included a joke about Kirk’s accused killer, as did Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr.
Carr, who was appointed to his role by President Donald Trump, told podcaster Benny Johnson about ABC’s need to correct course following Kimmel’s remarks.
“Frankly, when you see stuff like this — I mean, we can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said on the podcast.
This story was originally published September 22, 2025 at 10:56 AM.
