On September 18, 2022, North Dakota man Shannon Brandt hit 18-year-old Cayler Ellingson with his SUV, killing the teen. Brandt struck Ellingson after a street dance party at a bar in McHenry, ND, and alleged, at the time, that Ellingson was part of a 'Republican extremist' group who was 'calling on others' to get Brandt. Brandt called 911 after fleeing the scene and asked the dispatcher if he was, among other things, going to prison.
Brandt was originally charged with vehicular homicide and those charges were later upgraded to murder, a Class AA felony, and Duty in Accident Involving Death, a Class B felony. Those charges were later reduced to manslaughter, and Brandt pleaded guilty to said charges in May of this year.
Shannon Brandt sentenced to prison in death of North Dakota teen Cayler Ellingson https://t.co/FovT0uyBmb
— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 10, 2023
On Friday, Brandt was sentenced to five years in prison for Cayler Ellingson's death. He will be credited time served for the year he was on house arrest, and be on supervision for three years after his sentence ends.
From Fox News:
According to Fox affiliate KVRR, Brandt was sentenced to five years in state prison but will get credit time served for his house arrest, which reduces his jail time by almost a year. Once he's released from prison, he will undergo three years of supervised probation.
The North Dakota State Medical Examiner's Office concluded that the incident was an accident, issuing a report stating that Brandt was trying to get out of a confrontation with Ellingson when he ran him over with the 2003 Ford Explorer.
According to KVRR, Brinster requested five years in prison for Brandt with credit for time served, as well as three years of supervised release. She alleged that statements made by Brandt to investigators didn't line up with the case's evidence and didn't take enough accountability for the death of Ellingson.
Recommended
This news broke just as more January 6 defendants are getting decades of prison time, including former Proud Boy and FBI informant Enrique Tarrio, who received 22 years behind bars for 'seditious conspiracy' even though he wasn't in DC on January 6, 2021.
BREAKING: Ex Proud Boy and former FBI informant Enrique Tarrio, who was not in DC on January 6 after being arrested for burning a BLM banner, has been sentenced to 22 years in jail for January 6, the longest of any defendent
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) September 5, 2023
Twitter was appalled at the sentence, and rightly so.
He ran over and murdered a teenager for being a “Republican extremist” and he was sentenced to five years in jail.
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) September 10, 2023
They’re giving sentences three and four times as long for January 6th.
We have no justice system in this country. https://t.co/3zIoPXaF2u
The federal government's fence is more important than the life of a young man. Others tied the attack to the 'MAGA extremism' speech Biden gave before Brandt hit Ellingson.Shannon Brandt who murdered Cayler Ellingson for being a Republican was sentenced today to 5 years in prison.
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) September 8, 2023
Shannon reportedly told 911 that Cayler was part of a “Republican extremist group.”
Meanwhile Republicans are getting jailed for 17 years for tearing down a fence. pic.twitter.com/8tL8L3y3Li
Flashback: This is the infamous MAGA Extremism speech that Joe Biden gave prior to a man running over and killing a Trump-supporting teen in September 2022.
— Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) September 9, 2023
Shannon Brandt accused 18-year-old Cayler Ellingson of being in an "extremist Republican group."
He was given FIVE YEARS… pic.twitter.com/00G84xuoNL
Days prior to the tragic death of Ellingson, which appears to have been motivated in part by animus against the teen for allegedly being part of an extremist group, President Joe Biden gave a controversial speech on purported right-wing extremism.'Too much of what’s happening in our country today is not normal,'Biden said Thursday night at Independence Hall, flanked by two U.S. Marines. 'Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic.'
'But there’s no question that the Republican Party today is dominated, driven and intimidated by Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans,' he added. 'And that is a threat to this country.'
Somehow, we don't believe this would be classified as an "accident" or simply "reckless" if the parties of the victim and perpetrator were flipped. Remember how the left smeared (and continues to smear) Kyle Rittenhouse? We remember."Your ‘Justice’ System at Work: Leftist Who Ran Over and Killed ‘Republican Extremist’ Teen Gets Just Five Years in Prison"
— Gray Wolf (@graywolf442) September 11, 2023
*Joe Biggs, a member of the Proud Boys, sentenced to 17 years in prison for his activities in the J6 riots. He shook a fence.
*Shannon Brandt, who…
No, no it does not.Only 5yrs for what looks like a politically motivated attack? Shannon Brandt thought teen Cayler Ellingson was a "Republican extremist”. Murder charge downgraded, allowed to serve part of sentence in home detention. Two tier justice system never ends well.https://t.co/T2oEQ3h3TX
— Rita Panahi (@RitaPanahi) September 9, 2023
“Try this in a red state” update https://t.co/8AXlZ4KKJZ
— DadBod Smittie GE.D (@smittie61984) September 11, 2023
Probably wise to keep this update in mind. Cayler's mother, Sheri Ellingson, asked the judge to hand down the maximum sentence for manslaughter, telling the court and Brandt ...
'Shannon, you took a piece of our family that’s not replaceable. When you chose to take Cayler’s life and happiness you took ours too. You have caused our family endless pain, heartache, sleepless nights. Our days, months, and years will never be the same because of your selfishness.'
Join the conversation as a VIP Member