A man who “heard voices” smashed his Volkswagen Jetta through the front window of a gift shop called “New England for Trump” in Easton, Massachusetts.
The horrifying moment happened just after 5 p.m. Thursday, according to a statement from the Easton Police Department.
Responding officers found a 2015 Volkswagen Jetta that had crashed at the store, with pro-Donald Trump merchandise strewn about.
In raw video of the incident, the 1991 Nirvana song “Smells Like Teen Spirit” can be heard coming from the car.
The driver of the car was identified by police as Sean Flaherty, 46, of Raynham, Massachusetts.
His friends insist the stunt was the result of a mental health crisis and not hatred of the former president – but Flaherty has an anti-Trump sticker on his car’s rear fender.
The aftermath of the blast is pictured, with Flaherty’s friends insisting the stunt wasn’t political…
…even though the rear fender of his car has an anti-Trump sticker blasting the former president
Suspect Sean Flaherty, pictured here, “wasn’t in the right frame of mind mentally. He’s been through a lot in the past year,” a friend said
A friend of the suspect told WCVB: “It had nothing to do with Trump or anything political. It was just an unfortunate coincidence.”
The friend continued, “He wasn’t in the right frame of mind mentally. He’s been through a lot in the past year.”
A photographer from the Brockton Enterprise newspaper posted photos to Twitter showing the rear of Flaherty’s car, with at least one showing anti-Donald Trump sentiment.
The image featured a quote from Voltaire which reads: “Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.” It is accompanied by an image of Trump’s face with a rectangular barcode resembling Adolf Hitler’s mustache above his lip.
The store is adjacent to a hair salon, pizza restaurant and Mexican restaurant on Washington Street in Easton.
A New England staffer for Trump told Fox Business that there were no problems with the suspect and that he was not provoked into the crash.
Karla Kelley said the only thing the suspect said after the accident was that “the voices in his head told him to do it”.
A New England staffer for Trump told Fox Business that there were no problems with the suspect and that he was not provoked into the crash
Officer Karla Kelley said the only thing the suspect said after the accident was that “the voices in his head told him to do it”.
Shopkeeper Keith Lambert said: “It’s very unsettling to think anyone would do something like that.”
The store owner owns six New England for Trump stores in the area
The store’s owner, Keith Lambert, was not present when the crash occurred, the Brockton Enterprise reports.
Lambert told the newspaper: “It’s very disturbing to think that someone would do something like that.”
The store owner owns six New England for Trump stores in the area. He opened the shops in 2019 after struggling to buy a Make America Great Again hat in typically Democratic New England.
According to the store’s official website, the official name is NE for Trump and Lets Go Brandon Store.
According to the store’s official website, the official name is NE for Trump and Lets Go Brandon Store.
A photographer from the Brockton Enterprise newspaper posted photos to Twitter showing the rear of Flaherty’s car, with at least one showing anti-Donald Trump sentiment.
Owner Keith Lambert opened the stores in 2019 after struggling to buy a Make America Great Again hat in quintessentially Democratic New England
The store is adjacent to a hair salon, pizza restaurant and Mexican restaurant on Washington Street in Easton
Lambert told WCVB that his employee was about to go to the bathroom when the accident happened and was hit. He also said that minutes before the crash, a young boy was shopping at the store with his mother.
He went on to say the driver was traveling at about 35 miles per hour when he crashed through the window. Lambert said his staff will be doing their best to open for the weekend as they anticipate a busy Father’s Day.
Kelley told Fox Business in her interview that the store was open the day after the crash.
One customer told CBS News after the crash, “Just because you have different opinions, different ideologies, there’s no reason for that.”
Karla Kelley told Fox Business in her interview that the store was open the day after the crash
One customer told CBS News after the crash, “Just because you have different opinions and ideologies doesn’t make it a reason.”
While another told the network: “It’s a hate crime and someone could have been killed; that’s not fair.’
When asked if she was worried the store would be attacked again, Kelley said: “I’m not worried. I’m not worried Take it how it comes.’
In a separate interview with WHDH, Lambert said: “Actually, it’s disturbing if something like this would happen because someone didn’t like the store. You could have killed someone.”
According to the report, Lambert called for courtesy in the upcoming 2022 midterm elections.
Flaherty was taken to Good Samaritan Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. There was only one employee in the store at the time of the accident. The employee was not injured.
He can be seen just a few meters from the scene of the accident.
Flaherty faces charges of reckless operation of a motor vehicle and intentional destruction of property, with more charges likely to follow. He is likely to be charged in Taunton District Court.
The department also filed a request for the immediate suspension of Flaherty’s driver’s license.