Gunfire hits Sacramento ABC station days after Kimmel suspension; police investigate motive

An ABC10 broadcasting station in Sacramento was struck by at least three bullets in what police described as a drive-by shooting Friday afternoon, marking a dramatic escalation in threats near a local media facility. The shots were reported around 1:30 p.m. and damaged a street-facing window; no employees were injured, law enforcement said.

Investigators said the shooting remained under inquiry as they sought to determine whether the attack was random or targeted. Sacramento Police officials said they were reviewing surveillance video and interviewing witnesses. Tegna, the parent company of KXTV, said all employees were safe and that the company was cooperating fully with investigators and increasing security measures at the station. "We haven't had a lot of attacks on our media partners, and we'd like to keep it that way," Officer Anthony Gamble said. "To those that may have been responsible for this, and I hope you see this, we're not going to stop looking for you. This is unacceptable behavior. It's not going to be tolerated in Sacramento," he added.

The shooting comes amid a week of controversy surrounding Jimmy Kimmel's remarks about the slaying of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a Utah event. In a monologue Monday night, Kimmel drew backlash from conservative media figures and Republican officials, including FCC Chair Brendan Carr, who warned that "we can do this the easy way or the hard way," a remark some Democratic lawmakers described as a "corrupt abuse of power." Kimmel said the "MAGA gang" was trying to characterize the death in political terms and that the remarks were part of a broader debate over media coverage and presidential politics.

Shortly after ABC announced that Kimmel's show would be pre-empted indefinitely, Disney, which owns ABC, faced questions about potential political backlash. Deadline reported that Disney feared the comments could inflame conservative voters. President Donald Trump amplified the controversy by commenting on social media that the Kimmel show was cancelled, calling it a ratings-related decision. Friends of Kimmel described him as angry but unbowed, with some saying he felt betrayed by the network’s decision.

Kimmel had prepared notes indicating he planned to address President Trump’s supporters on his next episode and to call out the audience while clarifying his initial intent. He learned on a Wednesday phone call that the late-night program would be shelved for now, according to people familiar with the discussions. The network described the suspension as pre-empted indefinitely, a stance that sparked outrage among Democratic leaders and Kimmel supporters who argued the move capitulated to political pressure.

In the Sacramento case, authorities have not announced any arrests as of Friday. Police said the suspected shooter has been identified as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, who was raised in a strictly Republican household and was living with his transgender partner at the time of the attack. Relatives said Robinson had become more political in recent times. Police detectives remained at the scene Friday afternoon as investigators pursued leads and reviewed security footage. The station’s staffers were briefly relocated to ensure safety, and Tegna said it would continue cooperating with law enforcement and reviewing security protocols.

The attack in Sacramento unfolds as a national conversation about media access, political rhetoric, and the pressures faced by broadcasters intensifies. While investigators pursue motives in the gunfire incident, the broader fallout from Kimmel’s suspension touched multiple political figures and media executives, signaling that the line between entertainment, politics, and public safety remains a flashpoint in U.S. politics today.