A Sacramento man was arrested early Saturday in connection with what city police described as a drive-by shooting at a local ABC affiliate news station, KXTV, in California’s capital.
Anibal Hernandez Santana, 64, was arrested on charges of assault with a deadly weapon, shooting into an occupied building, and negligent discharge of a firearm, Sacramento police told CNN early Saturday morning. He is currently being held at the Sacramento County Main Jail on $200,000 bail, records show. He’s scheduled to appear in court on September 23. CNN is working to identify Hernandez Santana’s attorney.
Authorities are working to determine a motive for the shooting, which took place Friday afternoon and was reported to police around 1:30 p.m. local time, Sacramento police spokesperson Anthony Gamble said. No one inside the occupied news station was injured in the shooting, Gamble said.
The shooting came one day after protesters gathered at the station in response to ABC pulling comedian Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show off air “indefinitely” over comments he made about Charlie Kirk’s assassination, according to KXTV. There were no protests taking place at the time of the shooting on Friday, CNN affiliate KCRA reported.
KXTV, also known as ABC10, is an affiliate of ABC and CNN, but is owned by broadcast media company Tegna.
Police gather at KXTV, an ABC affiliate, where shots were fired on Friday, September 19, in Sacramento, California. – KCRA
Tegna confirmed the shooting in a statement to CNN.
“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,” Tegna spokesperson Molly McMahon told CNN.
At least three bullets struck a window of the building’s lobby, Gamble said. Investigators have yet to determine whether the shooter was targeting KXTV. The FBI is also assisting the Sacramento Police Department in the investigation, the agency told CNN Saturday.
Police are working to determine whether the station has received any recent threats, Gamble said. They will also look for digital evidence including surveillance footage, piece together a timeline and interview employees who were inside the station.
“It should never be accepted that somebody is going to drive by any type of business, let alone a media partner, and shoot at the building,” Gamble said.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has been briefed on the shooting, his office said in a post on X.
“While no injuries have been reported, any act of violence toward journalists is an attack on our democracy itself and must be condemned in the strongest terms,” the post read. “We stand with reporters and staff who work every day to keep communities informed and safe!”
Police are asking the public to share any information that may be related to the case. Those who wish to remain anonymous can submit tips through Crime Stoppers.
CNN’s Jack Hannah contributed to this report.
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