The man accused of firing a gun into ABC10’s Sacramento offices was arrested by the FBI Saturday night, hours after he was released from Sacramento County Jail.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The man accused of firing a gun into ABC10’s Sacramento offices was arrested by the FBI Saturday night, hours after he was released from Sacramento County Jail on bail.
According to the FBI, Anibal Hernandez Santana was arrested Saturday night on charges related to the shooting, accused of violating federal statute 47 USC 33, which relates to interfering with federally licensed stations.
Sacramento Police announced Hernandez Santana’s arrest early Saturday. Hernandez Santana’s local charges include assault with a deadly weapon, shooting into an occupied building, and negligent discharge of a firearm, police said.
According to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, Hernandez Santana posted bail later in the day and was released.
Hernandez Santana is scheduled to make his first court appearance in federal court on Monday at 2 p.m. He’s due in Sacramento County Superior Court on Tuesday for the local charges.
Defense attorney Mark Reichel is representing Hernandez Santana.
Riechel told ABC10 that he was unaware of the federal charges.
Riechel said Hernandez Santana had a very distinguished career as a lobbyist in the state legislature and he had just retired in the last few years.
Reichel said there hasn’t been any evidence produced or provided about why police think he’s the person involved in Friday’s shooting.
Reichel said they look forward to defending the charges at his federal court appearance.
Witnesses told ABC10 that Hernandez Santana was eating an ice cream in front of an apartment complex in Sacramento’s River Park neighborhood when suddenly, a swarm of Sacramento officers rushed in.
“We made eye contact and right as he passed my windshield, I heard on a loudspeaker, a whole bunch of officers say ‘Get down on the ground, we’re going to shoot.’ And nine marked and unmarked vehicles were all surrounding my car,” said Angela, who lives nearby and watched the arrest. “He just had a normal demeanor.”
Sacramento police said Hernandez Santana fired at least three gunshots into the lobby of the ABC10 offices on Friday afternoon. Our own co-workers were inside, but no one was injured.
Neighbors like Destini Rich know the suspect as ‘Al’.
“The interactions we did share together were brief,” said Rich. “If I had to notice anything about him, it was the fact that maybe he wasn’t always the most friendliest or like welcoming. He wasn’t anyone that I would ever, like, sit and talk to.”
Hernandez Santana’s History
According to online court records, Hernandez Santana filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the nonprofit California Rural Indian Health Board. Variety reported that the lawsuit was withdrawn in 2020 and that when he was fired, he got into a verbal confrontation with supervisors who called the police.
Sacramento police told ABC10 they’ve had interactions with Hernandez Santana in the past, but did not share details on those interactions. They have not released a motive for the shooting.
Facebook and ‘X’ accounts matching the suspect’s name and picture posted frequently, criticizing the Trump administration. In the past week, posts on X were daily.
A post on X in July, read in part, quote: “The authoritarian oligarchy is now complete…” and “Rules don’t apply if election was stolen. FIGHT!”
Hours before the shooting, the same X account reposted a video of a Republican Congressman saying the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk would have been the 13th disciple. In the repost, the account commented in part: “This is blasphemy. Can’t believe these Republicans sucking up to their own twisted show.”
The day before the shooting, there were protests in front of ABC10. The demonstration was over ABC network’s decision to pull Jimmy Kimmel Live following criticism over Kimmel’s recent comments on Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
ABC10 is an affiliate of ABC but not owned by the network. It is owned by Tegna.
Watch more from ABC10: ABC10 station struck by gunfire Friday afternoon
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