On Friday afternoon, a series of three shots were fired into a window at the ABC affiliate station in Sacramento, a day after a protest occurred outside the station in response to the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel. The incident, which took place around 1:30 p.m. at the station's headquarters located at 400 Broadway, has prompted an investigation by local police, who currently have no information regarding potential suspects or whether the shooting was random or targeted.
According to a police spokesperson, responding officers observed at least three gunshots into a window of the building. “At this time, our detectives have responded out and will be processing this scene and conducting follow-up,” the spokesperson stated. It is noteworthy that the station was occupied at the time of the shooting; fortunately, no injuries were reported among the staff or visitors.
The protest, which took place on Thursday, involved approximately 15 demonstrators voicing their objections to the decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel Live! The Sacramento Bee highlighted that the affiliate, ABC10 (KXTV), is owned by Tegna, a company currently in the process of being acquired by Nexstar. The protests centered around claims that ABC’s actions represented an infringement on free speech.
Molly McMahon, a spokesperson for Tegna, confirmed the shooting incident, stating, “We can confirm that shots were fired into our station at KXTV earlier today. 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.”
The protests were catalyzed by ABC's decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel Live!, which has been off the air since Wednesday. The suspension followed comments made by Kimmel that drew criticism from conservative groups. During his monologue on Monday, Kimmel discussed the suspect involved in the killing of Charlie Kirk, suggesting that the MAGA gang was “desperately” trying to distance itself from the suspect, who he implied had ties to right-wing ideology. This sparked a strong backlash from conservatives, who pointed to evidence that the suspect actually held leftist beliefs.
As the investigation continues into the shooting incident, the situation remains tense, with concerns about the safety of media personnel amid growing political tensions. The response from law enforcement and the community will be closely monitored in the coming days.
