The individual arrested after assaulting Paul Pelosi, husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, with a hammer will be formally charged Monday with felony attempted murder while Pelosi recovers from surgery he underwent following the attack.
The suspect has been identified as David DePape, 42, who is also hospitalized with minor injuries, but is expected to be charged with attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, abuse of an elderly person, battery, assault and other crimes before a San Francisco court. San Francisco Police Chief William Scott has stressed that «we know this was not a random act.»
Paul Pelosi, 82, has undergone surgery for a fractured skull and injuries to his right arm and hands. The attending medical staff expects him to make a full recovery.
A user identified as daviddepape has recently posted online support for former President Donald Trump and has shown support for the extremist group QAon. He has also posted anti-Semitic phrases, criticized women, transgender people and what he sees as censorship by big tech companies.
He has also criticized the prosecution of ex-cop Derek Chauvin for the racist murder of Georg Floyd, the origin of the Black Lives Matter protests.
As for political reactions, President Joe Biden’s condemnation was joined by the Republican spokesman in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, «horrified and disgusted» by the attack, and the Republican spokesman in the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, who inquired about the state of Paul Pelosi’s health. Former President Trump has not spoken out.
