Sacramento man arrested after drive-by shooting at ABC10 lobby; no injuries reported

A Sacramento man was arrested after authorities say he fired three shots into the lobby of ABC10 in broad daylight Friday, a day after demonstrators gathered outside the station over the indefinite suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live. The attack occurred just after 1:30 p.m. at the broadcaster’s Broadway headquarters. No one was injured, but the windows showed bullet holes as investigators worked to determine a motive.

Anibal Hernandezsantana, 64, was arrested Friday evening at an apartment on Carlson Drive in Sacramento’s River Park neighborhood after investigators linked him to a suspect vehicle used in the drive-by. A SWAT team stormed the apartment complex around 6:15 p.m., witnesses told local outlets, and Hernandezsantana was tackled and taken into custody. He was booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail around midnight, facing charges of assault with a deadly weapon, shooting into an occupied building and negligent discharge of a firearm. Bail was set at $200,000, and a court appearance was scheduled for Tuesday. Police said they were not releasing a motive at the time of arrest, and the FBI assisted in the case.

Three bullet holes remained visible in ABC10’s front lobby window after Friday’s shooting, but no employees were hurt. Authorities emphasized the investigation was ongoing and urged anyone with information to contact investigators. The Sacramento Police Department did not discuss a possible motive and noted that investigators were reviewing surveillance video and other evidence collected at the scene.

The shooting followed a day of civil expression outside ABC10 related to the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live. Video and local coverage showed protesters outside the station Thursday carrying signs blasting ABC and defending Kimmel’s right to free speech. Police said there were no demonstrations underway at the time of the shooting, and they noted that the protest activity occurred at a different location than the attack.

The rapid sequence of events unfolded as corporate changes ripple through local affiliates. Nexstar Media Group, which announced a $6.2 billion deal to acquire Tegna and its affiliates—including KXTV, ABC10’s owner—this week, had already pressured for Kimmel’s removal this week. By midweek, ABC announced the late-night show would be “pre-empted indefinitely” while negotiations between Disney and Kimmel continued over a potential return. Tegna said extra security was being added to the Sacramento station amid the fallout and ongoing coverage of the incident. Protests extended to major media markets in New York and Los Angeles as the situation drew nationwide attention.

Gov. Gavin Newsom condemned the attack on X, calling it “an attack on our democracy itself.” The governor did not offer details on a possible connection between the broader media dispute and the shooting, and officials said they would not speculate on a motive.

Authorities again urged the public to come forward with any information that could help identify suspects or motives. The investigation is being led by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from federal investigators, who will review security footage, vehicle data, and potential links to threats or prior incidents. The case remains active as investigators work to determine whether the drive-by was random or tied to the broader dispute over Jimmy Kimmel Live and ABC10’s coverage.