Man admits to killing teen after political dispute in Foster Co., court docs allege

[The Grand Illuminist]

MCHENRY, N.D. (Valley News Live) - A community is mourning the loss of an 18-year-old man from Grace City, North Dakota, as investigators look into what led up to a deadly crash. Foster County Deputies were called to a hit-and-run that happened in an alleyway near Johnston Street and Jones Avenue in McHenry, ND.

Court documents say at 2:35 Sunday morning, 41-year-old Shannon Brandt called 911 to report that he had hit a pedestrian because he was threatening him. Brandt told State Radio that the pedestrian was part of a Republican extremist group and that he was afraid they were “coming to get him.” The pedestrian has been identified in a GoFundMe page as 18-year-old Cayler Ellingson.

After visiting the scene where the incident happened, deputies went to Brandt’s house in Glenfield, ND, which is about 12 minutes from the crash scene. Brandt admitted to consuming alcohol before the incident, and stated he hit Ellingson with his car because he had a political argument with him. Brandt also admitted to deputies that he initially left the crash scene, then returned to call 911, but left again before deputies could arrive.

https://www.valleynewslive.com/2022/09/19/man-admits-killing-teen-after-political-dispute-foster-co/
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1 of the three hypothesis is correct

1. The guy is mental

2. The guy is a hero

3. The perp is actually a right winger who killed his own and and posed himself as a progressive to frame the movement.

[Ocelot II]

1. Sounds like the perp is mental and/or alcoholic.

[Sympthsical]

2. I've been observing the curious radio silence on this one

If the political affiliations were swapped around, is there any question it'd be everywhere immediately? A middle aged Republican killing a Democratic teenager over politics?

That would be a next day 48 hour Twitter storm and multiple articles about what it all means and how it confirms suspicions about what we think about violence on the Right. Jeff Tiedrich would snark about it.

Instead, everyone got very, very, very quiet when this came out on Sunday. I checked the MSM, because you'd think this would be a very big story after all that focus on dangerous partisanship a few weeks ago, and nothing was doing.

How did everyone weirdly and collectively decide to just sweep this one under the rug? It's curious.

Now it's coming out, because the Right has been absolutely raging for days about it in their spaces. But this story happened and was known all over the place five days ago. Did people get shamed into finally reporting about it?

The thing about caring about issues is, you prove you care when there is no perceptible personal benefit. If you only care because it's useful in the moment, that's not caring. That's exploiting.

Maybe something for people to think about.

Oh, and in case it's lost on anyone. The suspect is now free on absurdly low bond. Because I guess we weren't giving the Right enough talking points about crime. Imagine our reaction if the parties were swapped and the Republican walked free days after killing a teenager for being a Democrat.

[The Grand Illuminist]

4. I think the reason for the low key is.....

fear of retaliation.

[sarisataka]

5. Many will find your analysis uncomfortable,

But the truth often is.

[WarGamer]

13. +1000, great points

I posted the same thing earlier and it sank faster than a stone...

Sometimes it would do people good to view situations without red or blue lenses.

[W_HAMILTON]

15. Since you seem to be doing a lot of false equivalencies and hypotheticals...

...what leaders on the left have been calling for this sort of violence -- "dangerous partisanship," as you call it -- the same way that those on the right have?

[Sympthsical]

17. If someone puts a blindfold on

Then claims they can't see anything, what am I supposed to do with that?

They put it on, they can take it off. Or not. Sometimes people are just happier that way.

[W_HAMILTON]

28. In this case, you are the one with the blindfold on.

You are trying to create a false equivalency and coming up with a conspiracy theory to explain it away.

Our leaders on the left are not calling for violence, condoning violence, offering to pay the legal bills for violent criminals, etc. They are not encouraging this sort of political violence and none would dare defend what this man did.

If you can't see why a deluge of political violence from the right, urged on by the right's most prominent leaders, gets more coverage than some random drunk killing someone after an altercation with them, I don't know what to tell you. Actually, I do. "If someone puts a blindfold on then claims they can't see anything, what am I supposed to do with that?"

[Amishman]

18. I hate to say it, but I suspect you are correct

Politics in general in this country is getting too hostile. I strongly believe that foreign powers are using social media manipulation to empower and expand the political fringes of our country in an attempt to destabilize us. It appears to be working.

We want to turn a blind eye to politically motivated crimes by someone left of center, but we have that issue too (though not as pronounced).

The problem is once radicalized, people rarely return to their senses. I don't have a good answer for what to do other than to caution about the dangers of social media addiction.

[BlackSkimmer]

19. Surely you're not surprised? nt

[Sympthsical]

20. I'm not mad

I'm just disappointed.

(That's devastating. Everyone is devastated right now).

[Bettie]

22. First I've heard about it

hitting someone with a car is always wrong, no matter who does it or why. He should go to prison, but I refuse to feel guilty about not noticing a single story in the firehose of news.

However, the Left has not been stoking violence for years, also, I've not seen anyone defending this guy's actions or hiring him an expensive lawyer.

Low bail for white dudes is a common occurrence. Republicans constantly walk free after killing people, cops stay on the job if they kill Black people.

I think the guy came up with an excuse after he drunkenly hit someone, in an attempt to get away with it. It's wrong and he should go to prison, but frankly, white men seldom do. Also: do you really think that a North Dakota jury would be moved by this?

https://www.inforum.com/news/north-dakota/trooper-no-evidence-north-dakota-teen-was-republican-extremist-called-others-to-get-driver-in-fatal-crash

McHENRY, N.D. — Evidence gathered against a 41-year-old man accused of killing an 18-year-old man in northeast North Dakota does not support the defendant’s claims that the teenager was a Republican extremist who called people to come after the suspect before the vehicle-pedestrian crash, a state trooper said.

Investigators continue to gather information and statements from witnesses connected to the Sunday, Sept. 18, death of Cayler Ellingson, who was fatally hit by a vehicle after a street dance in McHenry, a town of roughly 60 people about 50 miles north of Jamestown.

Shannon Joseph Brandt, 41, of Glenfield, North Dakota, was charged Monday in Foster County District Court with criminal vehicular homicide and failure to report the crash immediately to law enforcement.

Brandt acknowledged to law enforcement that he drank alcohol before the crash, according to a criminal complaint. Brandt also allegedly left the scene but returned to call 911, the complaint said. He then returned to his home before officers arrived at the crime scene, according to the complaint.

[Sympthsical]

23. Why didn't you hear about it?

Seems to me if it were swapped around, it would've gone viral rapidly. It wasn't. That is a lot of my point. Whether people care about political violence is awfully situational.

One of my big problems, in general, is how dehumanization of the other is excused away as long as it's ideologically useful. You can't call everyone who disagrees with you a fascist and a nazi without people beginning to believe their opponents are dangerous and something must be done.

It has consequences. Wrong types hear the message.

Behold one. And don't explain it away while doing so.

[Bettie]

25. So, what response would you have liked to this story?

The guy did a terrible thing and should go to prison for it. I feel for the kid's family; I have a kid close to that age and it would destroy me to lose him.

Am I supposed to scream that all liberals are inherently violent drunks because of this one guy in North Dakota?

Or am I supposed to suddenly believe that all the right wing Trumpers are perfectly wonderful people in every way and embrace their lunacy?

I truly don't understand what response you think it should have provoked?

Oh, and I didn't hear about it because I don't look for North Dakota news, since I don't live there, I don't have cable, so I don't see regular newscasts, and it wasn't in the news until yesterday, it seems from an internet search.

[Kingofalldems]

31. Good answer.

[Kaleva]

29. You don't know if it would have gone viral if it were swapped around

As it is, the Freepers are pretty much ignoring it.

[DashOneBravo]

30. +1

[W_HAMILTON]

35. Yoohoo -- something for you to think about:

Little evidence of political argument before teen’s death

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — There is little indication that an 18-year-old who died after being struck by an SUV in North Dakota was a political extremist like the driver claimed.

Investigators say none of the witnesses they have interviewed support the idea that there was a political argument before authorities say Shannon Brandt struck Cayler Ellingson with his vehicle on Sept. 18 in McHenry, and a family friend who knew the teen said he wasn’t active in politics.

...

“I can’t get into details about what the witnesses are describing to us. But what I can tell you is that this is not political in nature at all,” he said, adding: “There is no evidence to support Brandt’s claim on the 911 call that Mr. Ellingson was a Republican extremist. There is no evidence to support that all through our continued investigation.”

Taken from: https://apnews.com/article/bismarck-north-dakota-c6a2c46243e6655dd71a47b7df55087e

Good thing reputable news outlets didn't jump to conclusions like lunatic right-wingers and you did.

[Sympthsical]

36. You didn't read that for context at all, did you?

Here, allow me:

"There is little indication that an 18-year-old who died after being struck by an SUV in North Dakota was a political extremist like the driver claimed."

The man who killed the teen has claimed the teen was an extremist. The article notes the kid wasn't.

This is about the murderer's intent and belief. Did he believe he was harming an "extremist". According to 911 dispatches, that is what he himself claimed. The murderer claimed that. With his own words. On tape.

This article doesn't say anything like what you think it says, and it's kind of . . . gross to try to bend a kid's murder around a hoped for useful narrative. Not a good look.

I thought the "yoohoo" part before presenting an egregious misread was cute, though. Great confidence in error seems pretty characteristic of our social media culture these days.

[W_HAMILTON]

37. The drunk killer claimed a defense that has not been borne out by any of the evidence.

You doubling down on your original terrible take -- which is still there, embarrassingly, for everyone to read -- even in the face of the new evidence is what is gross. We don't need you trying to explain away what we can go back and plainly read for ourselves.

And you dare to accuse someone else of "try(ing) to bend a kid's murder around a hoped for useful narrative" -- that is EXACTLY what your original post was about! Just like the right-wing nutjobs, you soooo wanted this story to be some example of hypocrisy on the left, some evidence of bias on the left, etc., and it appears it was nothing of the sort. The people that didn't jump to conclusions and waited for the evidence to come out appear to be the ones that were in the right here -- not you and the crazed Republicans that wanted to use this murder as "a hoped for useful narrative."

It wouldn't have been that hard to say, "you know, you're right, I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions, sorry about that" and learned your lesson.

[Sympthsical]

38. You have two (terrible) options here

Either the murderer mistakenly believed the kid was a Republican extremist and killed out of that motive.

Or.

The murderer thought claiming the kid was a Republican extremist somehow made what he did kind of understandable.

I'm not even understanding what your argument is here. That the murderer tried to use the idea the kid was a Republican as a good explanation was somehow better? Because that seems to be what you're arguing towards.

And again . . . it's not a very decent look. It disengages with basic humanity.

I'll just reiterate. It's very gross.

[W_HAMILTON]

39. He was a drunken murderer.

A drunken murderer that claimed a defense to cover his ass that has not been borne out by any of the evidence thus far. You are the one still putting stock into what he says over what the evidence has shown because you -- still, apparently -- want to blame those on the left for being biased and hypocritical when you are the only one here that has been exposed as being those things by jumping to a conclusion to further a false narrative you so badly wanted to be true. And it looks like now it wasn't.

The people that you were so quick to criticize were the ones in the right.

You, trying to point fingers, are the one that comes off looking terrible.

They were right. You were wrong. There are no words that you can type out now that will change that. Discussion over.

Glad to see yet another manufactured """both sides""" narratives go down in flames -- as they usually do.

[Polybius]

3. One thing for sure, he's certainly not 2

This guy is no hero.

[sarisataka]

6. In what possible way, shape or form

Would this person be considered a hero??

[SWBTATTReg]

7. Sounds like an open and shut case of MURDER. The guy didn't like the other's viewpoint,

got mad, ran him over. An 18-year-old. This is a 41-year guy that ran over a kid basically.

[Iggo]

9. This was a right-wing wet dream during the George Floyd protests.

Why are they mad now? Isn’t this what they wanted?

[comradebillyboy]

8. Warning!!! Don't act like a Republican. It will end badly.

[former9thward]

10. You support what happened?

[comradebillyboy]

12. Of course not. The perp acted like a Republican by running over that kid.

He will be going to jail for a long time.

[Kingofalldems]

32. Exactly--they make their killers into heroes.

No one here made that guy into a folk hero--the attacks are so transparent IMO.

[blogslug]

11. Those hypotheses are bad

That's what I think

[Captain Stern]

14. Or....4. The guy's a drunken asshole. n/t

[MrsCoffee]

21. +1

[W_HAMILTON]

16. Where in your story does it claim the man was a progressive?

[Liberal In Texas]

24. EXACTLY A lot of jumping to conclusions in this thread. He could have had an argument

because he was merely repub RWer and the other guy was a fascist far right militia or something like that. Or maybe one guy was TFG supporter and the other Desandis.

Not enough facts from the article to say this was a progressive killing a righty.

[Kaleva]

27. We don't know if there even was a political arguement

or if the 28 year old was a radical Republican

[Kingofalldems]

33. I think it was seen as an opportunity to attack DU

and Democrats.

[Vinca]

26. Note to self: no matter how much you hate them, don't run them over.

[Eugene]

34. Little evidence of political argument before teen's death

Little evidence of political argument before teen’s death (Associated Press)

North Dakota Highway Patrol Capt. Bryan Niewind said Friday that authorities have talked to dozens of witnesses and plan to talk to more as they try to get a better picture of exactly what happened before the crash.

“I can’t get into details about what the witnesses are describing to us. But what I can tell you is that this is not political in nature at all,” he said, adding: “There is no evidence to support Brandt’s claim on the 911 call that Mr. Ellingson was a Republican extremist. There is no evidence to support that all through our continued investigation.”

https://apnews.com/article/bismarck-north-dakota-c6a2c46243e6655dd71a47b7df55087e