North Dakota Man Murders 18-Year Old for Conservative Beliefs — The Danger of Painting Half the Country as Extremists, Terrorists
Shannon Brandt, a 41 year-old suspect, has confessed to the murder of 18-year-old Cayler Ellingson because of his “extremist” conservative views. Brandt fatally hit Ellington, a pedestrian at the time, which his vehicle on Sunday. The two reportedly had a political argument at a street festival, after which Brandt allegedly chased down the teen and plowed into him using his vehicle in an alleyway. Brandt then fled the scene, refusing to provide aid to the teen who was taken to a hospital, but did not survive the attack.
Additionally, Brandt admitted to consuming alcohol prior to the incident, and was found to be above the legal blood-alcohol limit. Brandt was charged with vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of a deadly accident, however has been released as of Tuesday, on a $50,000 bond.
Brandt spend mere days in Stutsman County Jail before he was released into the community. His release is causing outrage throughout the country, many are calling for a full-fledged investigation into why a man who confessed to murdering a teenage boy over political and ideological disagreement was ever given the option to post bail in the first place.
Brandt pleaded with the judge to set a lower bail, claiming that he would not be a flight risk. He stated, “I have a job, a life and a house and things I don’t want to see go by the wayside — family that are very important to me.”
Brandt allegedly hit the teen, a pedestrian with his vehicle, because, “the pedestrian was threatening him,” according to a probable-cause affidavit obtained by Fox News Digital. The document states that Brandt killed the victim because of his alleged “extreme” conservative political beliefs. It was a targeted and intentional attack.
“Ellingson’s parents later told police they knew Brandt, but they did not believe their son did. Ellingston’s mother described how she was on her way to pick up her son from McHenry when he called her and said “that ‘he’ or ‘they’ were chasing him.” She could no longer reach him after that.“
Fox News
This is the danger of claiming that your political opponents are “extremists” or “threats” as so many have begun to do. Our nation’s DOJ even labeled thousands of concerned parents domestic terrorists for asking questions at their local school board meetings. This is what happens when you excuse certain forms of political violence and condemn others, such as the fatal and financially devastating BLM riots during the “summer of love.” More recently, many politicians have condoned the the direct targeting of pregnancy crisis centers across the country, some of which were simply vandalized with threats spray painted across their building, and others had the entire clinic burned to the ground, windows shattered.
There is no room in our country for political violence of any kind, there is never a reason, never a time. Our hearts are broken for Cayler Ellingson’s family, as they grieve the loss of their son, and as their community recovers from a devastating and horrific act of hatred.
