By Katabella Roberts
Contributing Writer
A Michigan man allegedly confessed to running over and seriously injuring an elderly man with an ATV in what police say was a “politically motivated” attack against a supporter of former President Donald Trump, then apparently took his own life, law enforcement officials said on Tuesday.
In a press release on social media, the Houghton County Sheriff’s Office said it was contacted by an individual on Monday who told officers they wanted to “confess a crime involving an ATV driver within the last 24 hours.”
The individual, whose name has not been released, also requested that the police “send someone to pick me up.”
When officers arrived at the address provided by the individual, they found a 22-year-old man who was deceased from a “single, self-inflicted gunshot wound,” police said.
After obtaining a search warrant and searching the man’s home, officers recovered several electronic devices, which will be searched by computer forensic specialists, according to the press release.
They also found “additional evidence,” including the four-wheeler ATV that was allegedly used during the attack on the elderly man in the city of Hancock as well as “clothing the suspect had been wearing during the original incident.”
The city of Hancock Police Department said it responded to three separate incidents on Sunday that appeared to be politically motivated, including the attack on the 80-year-old man.
The city of Hancock, in Houghton County, has a population about 4,500 people (2020 census) in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on Lake Superior.
The elderly man — who police have not yet identified — was putting up a “political sign” in his yard when the alleged attacker drove into his yard and ran him over with the ATV, according to the police department.
The victim was taken to a hospital with serious injuries and remains in critical condition, police said.
The alleged attacker also intentionally vandalized vehicles on the same day he ran over the elderly man; appearing to target “both Trump and law enforcement supporters,” according to police.
They did not elaborate on how the alleged attacker knew the vehicles belonged to supporters of Trump or law enforcement.
The ATV and vandalism attacks come shortly after 20-year-old gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire at Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania on July 13.
The 2024 Republican nominee was shot in the ear in a narrow escape. One attendee was killed and two were seriously injured in the shooting.
Police said they are still investigating the attacks in the city and more details will be released in the future.
There is no ongoing threat to the public related to the attacks at this time, the sheriff’s office added.
If you or someone you know is experiencing a crisis or is considering suicide, has mental health issues, or is engaging in substance abuse, dial or text the U.S. Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 to speak with a counselor.
