Over 100 people attended today’s funeral for Cayler Ellingson, who was recently killed by a man who targeted him for supposedly being a “Republican extremist.”
As LifeNews reported, 41-year-old Shannon Brandt ran over Cayler Ellingson with his car following a political dispute in their small North Dakota town. Brandt admitted that he killed Ellingson because of his conservative views.
The killing has prompted national outrage as conservative Americans blamed Joe Biden for his recent firey speech, where he called conservative Americans “MAGA extremists.”
During the funeral for him today, Cayler Ellingson’s family said that the teenager will “forever be on our minds” and they said he was a “Kind, smart, and big-hearted person.”
Several of Ellingson’s friends and family members, including his brother, were pallbearers and carried the casket to the hearse.
Another person who chose to remain anonymous when speaking with Fox News Digital said that Ellingson was an “exceptional child” with a bright future ahead of him.
A message from the Ellingson family in the obituary states that the teenager will “forever be on our minds.”
“Our love for you will never go unnoticed, you will forever be on our minds, it’s heartbreaking to let you go, but please never say good-bye your time on earth was not finished. Please watch over all of us. Until we meet again, we love you Cayler, ‘give heaven some he–.’” the message from the family reads.
The teenager graduated from Carrington High School in May 2022 and was studying to be an ultrasound technician at Bismarck State College for Diagnostic Sonography when he passed away.
“It’s that’s all anybody can talk about right now,” one person said of the incident. “I still can’t wrap my head around it. I really can’t.”
Meanwhile, it’s bad enough that Shannon Brandt, who killed Republican teen Cayler Ellingson, is out on bail. But the leftist who killed the boy because he was supposedly a “Republican extremist” is not even under house arrest.
According to police, Ellingson called his mom to come help him as Brandt, who was reportedly drunk at the time, followed him with his vehicle after a street dance ended. But by the time she arrived on the scene, he was dead. Brandt called police on himself after the incident and reported that he had killed Ellington. Court papers indicate that Brandt thought Ellison was calling for backup to go after him rather than ask to be rescued.
Brandt called 911 around 2:30 a.m. Sunday and told the 911 dispatcher that he just hit Ellingson, claiming the teen was part of a Republican extremist group and was calling people to come get Brandt after a political argument.
In the aftermath of the killing, Brandt asked for no bail, saying he has family and a job in town and is not a flight risk.
“I have a job, a life and a house and things I don’t want to see go by the wayside — family that are very important to me,” Brandt told the judge, according to InForum.
Brandt has already been released on a $50,000 bail. He posted his $50,000 and was released, according to county jail records.
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But, as Fox News reports, Brandt is also not under house arrest.
Brandt, who is accused of fatally hitting 18-year-old Cayler Ellingson with an SUV, is not under house arrest and has no curfew after posting a $50,000 bond, court documents obtained by Fox News Digital show.
Court documents obtained by Fox News Digital show that Brandt was not placed under house arrest and has no curfew after posting bond. Under the terms of Brant’s bail order, he cannot leave North Dakota, cannot drink alcohol and must participate in a 24/7 sobriety program with constant testing.
Brandt is also not allowed to possess “a firearm, destructive device, or other dangerous weapon,” and cannot go within 300 feet of the Ellingson family.
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Neama Rahman told Fox News Digital that the bond handed down to Brandt is a “low amount” and “woefully inadequate.”
“Yeah, it’s a low amount, no question. Whenever you’re dealing with a vehicular manslaughter case, that’s low in general,” Rahman said.
If convicted, Brandt could face a minimum of 10 years in prison.
Americans across the country are outraged by the killing and upset that Brandt has already been released on bail for a murder he admitted committing. Burgum agreed and condemned the shooting and offered prayers of support for Ellingson’s family.
“Tonight we pray for the family of Cayler Ellingson in the aftermath of their tragic and unnecessary loss,” he said in a post on Twitter. “Violence is never the answer to disagreements of any kind, including political, and those who perpetrate it must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
Ellingson’s mom told police her son called her just before the crash, asking if she knew Brandt, which she does. She does not believe her son knew him. Police say Brandt was drunk when he hit and killed Ellingson with his SUV in an alleyway.
A gofundme has been set up to help pay for Ellingson’s funeral expenses.
“I would like to set a goal to help Sheri, Cole (husband) and Chase (second son) with Funeral expenses and anything to help them through this whole grieving process,’ reads the GoFundMe account. ‘Please lend a helping hand to help this family in such a huge and tragic loss of Cayler.”
One conservative web site blames Joe Biden’s rhetoric against conservatives for the attack.
Shannon Brandt, 41, mowed down 18-year-old Cayler Ellingson early Sunday morning over what he later claimed was a “political argument” over whether “the teen was part of a Republican extremist group.” That language strongly resembles the description used by Biden just a few weeks ago to describe Trump and “MAGA Republicans” as being “a threat to the very soul of this country.” In that speech, Biden claimed it was Republicans who had “blind loyalty to a single leader and a willingness to engage in political violence”
Despite recently claiming that combatting political violence and domestic extremism is a top priority for the agency, the FBI avoided answering The Federalist’s questions about whether it plans to investigate the motives for the alleged homicide. Instead, the FBI suggested The Federalist contact “local authorities” for more information about the crime.
The homicide comes as pro-life groups, pregnancy centers and churches have been subject to a rash of pro-abortion violence.