BREAKING: Sinclair canceled airing tribute to Charlie Kirk after ABC stations got violent threats: report

Sinclair Broadcast Group scrapped its plans to air a tribute to Charlie Kirk after multiple violent threats were directed at local ABC affiliate stations, according to a report from the New York Post. Last week, Sinclair was set to air the special on its affiliate stations but abruptly announced it was pulled and would be available on a YouTube link.

The TV giant, which owns over 40 local ABC affiliate stations, was facing “local threats directed at specific local ABC stations resulting from [the] ABC suspension" of Jimmy Kimmel, a source told the outlet. The revelations come after a suspect also shot up a local ABC affiliate station in California last week.

At the time of pulling the on air special, Sinclair posted to X, "Tonight, Sinclair will continue to air ABC network programming as scheduled in the late-night time period. The Charlie Kirk special will instead be available on The National News Desk's YouTube channel, ensuring viewers can continue to enjoy ABC programming while also providing full access to the special online."

The man that was arrested last week for shooting three bullets into an ABC affiliate station in Sacramento, California, Anibal Hernandez-Santana, also had a timeline full of anti-Trump posts on his social media. The Post reports that after the shooting, there were increasing concerns about ABC affiliates getting targeted. Sinclair notified law enforcement as well as private security firms over the threats. 

The source that spoke to the outlet also said that Sinclair added more security measures at its local ABC affiliate stations. The broadcasting group had earlier that week said that it would replace the slot of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"with the special on Kirk.