In the small city of Hancock, Michigan, an 80-year-old man is battling for his life in a hospital after being run over by an ATV driver.
The elderly man was in the process of erecting a sign in his front yard to express his support for former President Donald Trump when the incident occurred.
According to The Blaze, the Hancock Police Department received reports of three separate attacks on Sunday, all presumably linked to the same suspect. The city, nestled at the base of the Keweenaw Peninsula, has been shaken by these events. The peninsula, a strip of land extending into Lake Superior, is located in the northwestern part of Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
The police department's press release detailed two of the incidents, both involving vehicles that had been "intentionally vandalized." Hancock Police Chief Tami Sleeman reported that one vehicle had its "tire valves broken off," while the other had all its windows "smashed ... out."
However, it is the third incident that has the potential to claim a life. The 80-year-old man, whose identity remains undisclosed, was attempting to reposition Trump signs in his front yard on Anthony Street when the ATV driver, suspected of the earlier vandalism, allegedly ran him over. The elderly man was immediately rushed to UP Health System hospital in Portage, where he is currently in critical condition. "Were not sure what could happen. Could he die from these injuries? Possible," Sleeman stated.
The police suspect that the ATV driver is responsible for all three incidents and that the attacks were likely "politically motivated." The press release from the police department noted that the suspect seemed to target both Trump and Law Enforcement supporters.
The suspect, however, is believed to be dead. On Monday, the Hancock Police Department received a call from an individual wishing to "confess a crime involving an ATV driver within the last 24 hours." The caller also requested transportation. Upon arriving at the caller's address, the Hancock police and Houghton County Sheriff's Office discovered a "22-year-old male suspect ... found deceased with a single self-inflicted gunshot wound," according to a statement from the sheriff's office.
Investigators found "the four-wheeler used during the incident in the city" at the suspect's residence, along with electronic devices that will undergo forensic analysis. The suspect's identity has not been disclosed.
While investigations into these incidents continue, the sheriff's office assures that "there is no further threat to the public at this time." This assurance, however, does little to quell the shock and concern that such politically motivated violence has occurred in this small Michigan city.
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