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Just one day after a protest occurred outside of the building in support of Jimmy Kimmel, whose late-night show had been suspended earlier this week, gunshots were fired at the Sacramento offices of ABC10 on Friday, September 19, 2025.
Police reported that several bullets had hit the station’s lobby windows in the early afternoon, but no one inside had been hurt. An inquiry is being pursued to identify whether the attack was connected to the protest or if it was a random act of violence.
Jimmy Kimmel has been associated with ABC for more than 20 years. His late-night talk show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, was initially broadcast on January 26, 2003, and has since become the longest-running late-night show in the history of the network.
However, the show has been suspended indefinitely following the backlash that he received for his statements regarding the murder of conservative activist, Charlie Kirk.
Protest against Kimmel's suspension preceded the shooting
The Sacramento shooting incident involving the ABC10 affiliate occurred around 1:30 pm local time on Friday. Witnesses reported that a vehicle had pulled outside the station at approximately that time and the bullets had hit the glass entrance at least three times.
The shots shattered the lobby windows, but no one was hurt inside the building. According to the Sacramento Police, the officers managed to arrive within several minutes, securing the area and launching an investigation into the case.
So far, there have been no arrests yet, and the officials have not confirmed whether or not the station itself was the intended target. The incident occurred less than just 24 hours following an assembly of the demonstrators outside the same building to protest against the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! by ABC.
Signs in hand, the protesters yelled slogans at the network, accusing it of falling into corporate and political pressure. The protest was peaceful with no arrests or violence reported, yet the timing compared to the gunfire has caused some doubts as to whether the two are connected.
The affiliate’s owner, Tegna, released a statement condemning the shooting and stating that the safety of its employees is the highest priority. Representatives for Tegna said in a statement to the press:
“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 company also confirmed that security in the Sacramento office has been increased due to the incident.
Jimmy Kimmel's monologue on Charlie Kirk’s passing
This crisis started on September 10, 2025, when conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was fatally shot during a speech that he was giving at Utah Valley University. His death sent shockwaves across political circles, especially within the conservative movement, where Kirk had been a prominent figure for many years.
Weeks later, during a monologue on September 15, 2025, on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Kimmel brought up the incident in a manner that many perceived as crossing a line. He remarked on the political consequences of the murder:
"The MAGA Gang is desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it. In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving.”
The backlash was swift. Several major ABC affiliate groups, including Nexstar and Sinclair, showed concern on how they would air the program, and high-level political leaders demanded some form of accountability.
The FCC Chairman, Brendan Carr, publicly commented on the matter, with the reporting of the Associated Press, stating that the remarks of Jimmy Kimmel might have regulatory implications on the broadcast licenses of ABC:
“Nexstar strongly objects to recent comments made by Mr. Kimmel concerning the killing of Charlie Kirk and will replace the show with other programming in its ABC-affiliated markets.”
The move sparked a controversial debate over freedom of speech in the media.
Stay tuned for more updates.
