80-year-old Trump supporter struck by ATV driver in Michigan recovering; deceased suspect's name released



The elderly man who was run down by an ATV driver in an apparently politically motivated attack in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan last weekend is back home and recovering, cops say, and the identity of the suspect in the case has now been released.

Last Sunday, a suspect driving an ATV unleashed a show of rage against signs and images supporting law enforcement and/or former President Donald Trump, as Blaze News previously reported. The suspect apparently damaged tire valves, smashed windows, and even tore off a mirror on at least two vehicles sporting Trump or "thin blue line" stickers in Hancock, Michigan, a small city at the base of the Keweenaw Peninsula, the stretch of land in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan that juts out into Lake Superior.

'We’re looking into the media devices and hoping that we find some indication in those devices themselves as to what his mindset would have been.'

In addition to the acts of vandalism, the ATV driver also targeted an 80-year-old Hancock man who had Trump signs posted on his front lawn. First, the driver tore the signs down. When the man attempted to put them back up, the ATV driver ran him down from behind, causing serious injuries, reportedly including a brain bleed.

The Hancock Police Department has since shared a promising update about the victim and his condition. He was released from the hospital on Wednesday night and "will be recovering at home," the police statement said.

Hancock Police Chief Tami Sleeman called the victim's improvement "really good news."

In the press release, the department also revealed the name of the suspect: Joshua Kemppainen, a 22-year-old resident of Quincy Township, just north of Hancock.

On Monday, Hancock police received a call from an individual believed to be Kemppainen. The caller wanted to "confess a crime involving an ATV driver within the last 24 hours" and asked cops to come pick him up.

When deputies and officers arrived at the Quincy residence associated with the caller, they found Kemppainen dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. On his property, they found the ATV believed to have struck the elderly Hancock man as well as clothing that matched clothes seen on surveillance images of the ATV driver. They also confiscated some digital devices that will be passed along for forensic analysis at the Michigan State Crime Lab in Marquette.

"We did not find any notes or anything like that at this point," said Houghton County Sheriff Josh Saaranen. "We’re looking into the media devices and hoping that we find some indication in those devices themselves as to what his mindset would have been, or his MO."

Kemppainen "had no prior known contacts with local law enforcement," the police press release said.

In the wake of the apparently politically motivated attacks, Sheriff Saaranen called for unity. "We don’t have to agree with each other at all times," he said, "but we as a community need to come together."

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80-year-old MAGA supporter in critical condition after ATV driver apparently ran him over as he put up Trump sign



An 80-year-old man living in a small city in Michigan's Upper Peninsula is in the hospital with serious injuries after an ATV driver apparently ran him over as he put up a sign in his front yard to show his support for the candidacy of former President Donald Trump.

On Sunday, police received reports of three attacks likely tied to the same suspect in Hancock, Michigan, a small city at the base of the Keweenaw Peninsula, the stretch of land that juts out into Lake Superior in the northwestern area of the state's Upper Peninsula.

'We’re not sure what could happen. Could he die from these injuries? Possible.'

Two of the incidents involved "intentionally vandalized" vehicles, a press release from the City of Hancock Police Department said. On one car, "the tire valves were broken off," while the other had all its windows "smashed ... out," added Hancock Police Chief Tami Sleeman.

However, the third incident may cost an elderly man his life.

On Sunday afternoon, an unidentified 80-year-old man was attempting to put Trump signs back up in the front yard of his home along the 1400 block of Anthony Street after the ATV driver suspected in the vandalism incidents allegedly pulled the signs down. Around 5:45 p.m., while the man was still working on the signs, the ATV driver allegedly returned to the home and struck the man with his vehicle.

The victim was rushed to UP Health System hospital in Portage, where he remains in critical condition. Reports say he may have suffered a "brain bleed."

"We’re not sure what could happen. Could he die from these injuries? Possible," Sleeman said.

Not only do police believe the ATV driver is involved in all three incidents, but they also believe that all three incidents may have been "politically motivated." "The subject appeared to target both Trump and Law Enforcement supporters," the police press release said.

Police soon identified a suspect, but the individual has likely already died. On Monday, Hancock PD reportedly received a call from someone who wanted to "confess a crime involving an ATV driver within the last 24 hours." The person also requested a ride.

Hancock police and Houghton County Sheriff's Office then went to the address associated with the caller. There, officers and deputies discovered "a 22-year-old male suspect ... found deceased with a single self-inflicted gunshot wound," a statement from the sheriff's office said.

At the suspect's residence, investigators allegedly found "the four-wheeler used during the incident in the city." They also confiscated electronic devices that will be subjected to forensic analysis. The suspect's name has not been released.

Investigations into the incidents remain ongoing, and "there is no further threat to the public at this time," the statement from the sheriff's office added.

H/T: Libs of TikTok

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