A 21-year-old Chicago man told police that whenever he sees former President Donald Trump it causes him to be violent.
The suspect, Andrew Brierly, is accused of breaking windows at the Trump International Hotel & Tower during mental health episodes he suffered this year, CWB Chicago reported on Tuesday, noting the damage due to the incidents reached $145,000.
An image shows the suspect in the case:
On October 16, he allegedly threw rocks, breaking six windows at the location on North Wabash. A security officer at the complex recognized the suspect, telling law enforcement he did the same thing on May 17, the CWB Chicago article said, citing a police report.
Brierly was later arrested at his home.
“A Chicago police supervisor noted in the report that Brierly told officers that seeing Trump while having an episode ‘makes him do it.’ Judge Deidre Dyer released Brierly to await trial,” the article read.
Social media users commented on the CWB Chicago report, one person writing, “As a Trump supporter in Chicago I see Harris signs everywhere. Do I smash shit and act like a little bitch? No. I think ‘what an idiot’ shake my head and live my best life.”
“Toxic Trump Derangement Syndrome,” another user commented.
Authorities have charged Brierly with two counts of criminal damage between $10,000 and $100,000.
In 2023, the Chicago location was put on lockdown when a woman with a rifle walked into the building, Breitbart News reported at the time, noting SWAT officers responded to the scene:
The SWAT team reported to an apartment on the 27th floor, where the armed woman “allegedly went after [sic]” claiming she was “tired of being abused by her husband,” according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
The woman forced the SWAT team into a standoff that reportedly lasted three hours.
Officers also partially blocked off streets surrounding the Trump International Hotel and Tower. Authorities said the incident was “domestic-related,” and there was no threat to the public.
According to the Trump International Hotel & Tower website for its Chicago location, “The shimmering glass building soars 92 stories above Michigan Avenue and the Chicago River, offering breathtaking views of the city and Lake Michigan.”
“In September 2008, Trump International Hotel & Tower, Chicago became the tallest completed residential building in the world,” the site reads.
