Latest news with #MinnesotaShootings
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Minnesota attacks add to fears of rising political violence
The shootings of two Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota are the latest incidents to raise worries about the threat of political violence in the U.S. Experts warn that the attacks, which follow an assassination attempt against President Trump and an arson at the home of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D), are part of a broader pattern of political violence that could be on the rise amid heightened polarization as the midterms near. 'Each act has its own unique horror about it, and the details are uniquely awful. But in terms of the big picture, it's the latest in what's become a pattern of politically motivated attacks,' said Matt Dallek, a George Washington University historian and professor. 'For decades, we've been living in an era of partisan polarization, and the polarization has gotten worse over time, and that means that the general political climate has also coarsened and become more toxic.' Minnesota state Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman (D) and her husband, Mark Hortman, were killed in their home on Saturday in what the acting U.S. attorney for the District of Minnesota labeled 'a political assassination' and 'the stuff of nightmares.' State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette Hoffman, were also shot and seriously injured. A specific ideological motivation remains unclear, but officials revealed that the now-arrested suspect had traveled to the homes of additional Minnesota state politicians and filled notebooks with dozens of additional lawmakers' names. The tragedy underscored the threat environment for political figures at all levels. It came just a few weeks after an arson attack at the Pennsylvania governor's residence, in which the suspect who set the fire the night after a Passover Seder allegedly 'harbored hatred' against Shapiro, according to officials. Last year, then-candidate Trump was grazed by a bullet when a gunman attempted to assassinate him at a small-town Pennsylvania campaign rally. In 2022, Rep. Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) husband was wounded by an assailant looking for the then-Speaker. In April of that same year, a man pleaded guilty to an attempted assassination of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. 'We saw a lot of political violence in the '60s and '70s and even in the '80s, and then they kind of disappeared in the '90s and 2000s. And so this feels different, having a number of instances in the past year or so,' said Jillian Peterson, a professor of criminology and criminal justice at Minnesota's Hamline University and executive director of the Violence Prevention Project. Direct cause-and-effect lines are hard to draw, but the latest incidents come against a backdrop of intense political polarization and increasingly toxic rhetoric on the national stage. 'We see increasing demonization and delegitimizing political rivals. We see increasing language that portray political rivals as an existential threat to the nation, for democracy and so on. We see increasing … animosity towards people who hold different political views,' said Arie Perliger, an expert on political violence and extremism at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. As discourse becomes more virulent, political figures are increasingly perceived as 'symbols' of policy and ideas, Perliger said, noting that Trump has been 'a major factor' in fostering that perception. Trump has repeatedly hurled names and insults onto the political stage, casting rivals as enemies and taking heat for dehumanizing language against immigrants. Across the aisle, Democrats have pitched Trump and Republican policies as a threat to democracy. 'If you are consistently portraying the other side as a threat, it's no wonder that eventually there's some people who take that to the point where they say, 'OK, if the other side is a threat, violence against the other side is justified. That's the only way to save the country,'' Perliger said. 'I think both sides could learn from becoming much more responsible.' In the wake of the Minnesota shootings, Trump joined a chorus of condemnation from both sides of the aisle, saying 'such horrific violence will not be tolerated' in the U.S. Former President Biden said 'this heinous attack motivated by politics should never happen in America.' Former Vice President Kamala Harris urged that 'the hate and division that dominate our political discourse must end.' House GOP Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) stressed that 'no public official — or any American — should fear for their safety in their own home.' Others have called to turn down the temperature. But the flood of condemnation that comes after violent incidents, experts said, doesn't offset divisive political rhetoric year-round. The current moment seems to lack 'a particularly serious effort to seek any sort of reconciliation or unity or sustained condemnation of this kind of violence,' said Dallek. He pointed out that Trump has said he won't call Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) in the wake of the incident, knocking the blue state leader as 'whacked out.' There's also a growing cultural normalization of violence across the board. Back in December, UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed in New York City. This week, a satirical musical based on Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old charged with the killing, opened in San Fransisco. 'I'm not sure if it's a great thing to make people who are murderers cultural heroes. I don't think it's the best idea, as much as we can have different views about their motivations and so on,' said Perliger. And among Trump's first moves of his second term were sweeping pardons for hundreds convicted in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Though details are still unfolding about the Minnesota shootings, they raise warning signs and security concerns for political figures ahead of what's set to be a high-stakes midterm fight for both parties. The risk goes up 'the more that these types of really heated or hate-filled types of political rhetoric make it into the public sphere — and of course, during election cycles that happens more,' said Peterson. 'It's sort of that violence begets violence, and so if we don't start to really tone down the rhetoric … I think it's time to really take that seriously as we move into this next election cycle,' she said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
23-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Minnesota lawmaker shootings suspect had nearly 50 firearms at his Green Isle home, warrant reveals
Here is a new look at the timeline of the Minnesota lawmaker shootings Here is a new look at the timeline of the Minnesota lawmaker shootings Here is a new look at the timeline of the Minnesota lawmaker shootings Search warrants show police recovered nearly 50 firearms from the home of Vance Boelter, the man charged in the shootings of two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses earlier this month. Law enforcement carried out a search warrant at Boelter's Green Isle, Minnesota, home the afternoon of June 14, just hours before police arrested him nearby, ending a manhunt that lasted over 36 hours. Documents reveal that investigators found a total of 48 guns in Boelter's home as well as a tub of ammunition. Of those guns, there were 20 rifles, 15 revolvers, nine shotguns and four pistols. Additionally, charges say officers found at least three AK-47 assault rifles and a 9mm handgun inside an SUV registered to Boelter. On a desk inside his residence, law enforcement found a notecard with the names and states of public officials written on it, according to the search warrant. Investigators also recovered nearly $18,000 in cash from the home. Boelter, 57, is accused of shooting state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette around 2 a.m. on June 14, shortly before fatally shooting state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark in their Brooklyn Park home. In between the two shootings, investigators said Boelter visited the homes of two other Democratic legislators. Those lawmakers have since identified themselves as state Rep. Kristin Bahner and Sen. Ann Rest. Police caught up to Boelter at the Hortmans' home, where they exchanged fire with him, the FBI said. Boelter, however, escaped out the back door after allegedly killing the Hortmans. While searching the area near the Hortmans' house, a search warrant shows police found a ballistic vest, a disassembled 9mm handgun, a mask and a gold police-style badge. Court documents say investigators searched a storage locker in Minneapolis rented out by Boetler and found empty rifle cases, gun-cleaning supplies and a bike. According to an affidavit filed by an FBI special agent, Boelter's wife told the investigator they were "preppers," meaning they "prepare for major or catastrophic incidents." She says her husband gave her a "bailout plan," including a directive to go to her mother's home in southwestern Wisconsin. Boelter is charged in the state of Minnesota with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree attempted murder. He is also facing six charges in federal court, including stalking and murder. He is scheduled back in federal court in St. Paul for his second hearing on Friday. , and contributed to this report.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Move to unseat Mike Lee gains steam after Utah senator's tweets mock Minnesota political shootings
The movement to unseat Republican Representative Mike Lee of Utah is gaining traction as he faces backlash for his posts about the shootings of two Minnesota politicians last week. Last week, Democratic state Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband were fatally shot in their Minnesota home. State Senator John Hoffman and his wife were also shot in their home, but survived. Two days later, officials arrested and charged Vance Boelter with two counts of second-degree murder and attempted murder in connection with the shootings. After the shootings, Lee wrote on X: 'This is what happens when Marxists don't get their way.' In another post, he posted a photo of Boelter with the caption 'Nightmare on Waltz Street.' The caption appeared to be a reference to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a Democrat. Lee has since deleted the posts. Now, federal and state lawmakers alike are slamming Lee for sharing the posts in the wake of the deadly shooting. Utah State Senator Nate Blouin, a Democrat, told The Bulwark he's getting messages from constituents asking him to hold Lee accountable. Fellow Democratic lawmakers in Utah say they've been similarly flooded with emails from constituents who want to donate to support efforts to unseat Lee, according to The Bulwark. But Blouin told The Bulwark he doesn't think a Democrat like him could win Utah 'at a statewide level.' However, he would support rallying behind an independent challenger, he added. 'We're not going to win with a Democrat right now in Utah at a statewide level. It is not going to happen. I love the optimism, but it is not a reality,' Blouin told the outlet. 'We've got a lot of work to do on the ground level to convince people that Democrats aren't, you know, demons and eating babies trying to make everyone have an abortion.' A senior staffer for Minnesota Senator Tina Smith also wrote a scathing email to Lee, The Salt Lake Tribune reports. The staffer, who knew Hortman, said they were speaking 'through enormous grief.' 'It is important for your office to know how much additional pain you've caused on an unspeakably horrific weekend,' the email read. 'I am not sure what compelled you or your boss to say any of those things, which, in addition to being unconscionable, also may very well be untrue.' 'You exploited the murder of a lifetime public servant and her husband to post some sick burns about Democrats,' the message continued. 'Did you see this as an excellent opportunity to get likes and retweet[s]? Have you absolutely no conscience? No decency?' Smith told CNN on Monday she also confronted Lee in person. She recalled telling Lee: 'You need to take responsibility and accountability for what you are saying and doing out there in the social media world.' Gabi Finlayson, founder of a Democratic consulting firm in Utah, told The Bulwark that Lee's posts 'really broke something open in Utah.' 'There certainly is a lot more urgency,' Finlayson said. 'The idea that we truly have to get him out of office is no longer a theoretical thing or just a liberal idea. It is a moral imperative.' The Independent has contacted Lee's office for comment.
The Independent
20-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Move to unseat Mike Lee gains steam after Utah senator's tweets mock Minnesota political shootings
The movement to unseat Republican Representative Mike Lee of Utah is gaining traction as he faces backlash for his posts about the shootings of two Minnesota politicians last week. Last week, Democratic state Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband were fatally shot in their Minnesota home. State Senator John Hoffman and his wife were also shot in their home, but survived. Two days later, officials arrested and charged Vance Boelter with two counts of second-degree murder and attempted murder in connection with the shootings. After the shootings, Lee wrote on X: 'This is what happens when Marxists don't get their way.' In another post, he posted a photo of Boelter with the caption 'Nightmare on Waltz Street.' The caption appeared to be a reference to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a Democrat. Lee has since deleted the posts. Now, federal and state lawmakers alike are slamming Lee for sharing the posts in the wake of the deadly shooting. Utah State Senator Nate Blouin, a Democrat, told The Bulwark he's getting messages from constituents asking him to hold Lee accountable. Fellow Democratic lawmakers in Utah say they've been similarly flooded with emails from constituents who want to donate to support efforts to unseat Lee, according to The Bulwark. But Blouin told The Bulwark he doesn't think a Democrat like him could win Utah 'at a statewide level.' However, he would support rallying behind an independent challenger, he added. 'We're not going to win with a Democrat right now in Utah at a statewide level. It is not going to happen. I love the optimism, but it is not a reality,' Blouin told the outlet. 'We've got a lot of work to do on the ground level to convince people that Democrats aren't, you know, demons and eating babies trying to make everyone have an abortion.' A senior staffer for Minnesota Senator Tina Smith also wrote a scathing email to Lee, The Salt Lake Tribune reports. The staffer, who knew Hortman, said they were speaking 'through enormous grief.' 'It is important for your office to know how much additional pain you've caused on an unspeakably horrific weekend,' the email read. 'I am not sure what compelled you or your boss to say any of those things, which, in addition to being unconscionable, also may very well be untrue.' 'You exploited the murder of a lifetime public servant and her husband to post some sick burns about Democrats,' the message continued. 'Did you see this as an excellent opportunity to get likes and retweet[s]? Have you absolutely no conscience? No decency?' Smith told CNN on Monday she also confronted Lee in person. She recalled telling Lee: 'You need to take responsibility and accountability for what you are saying and doing out there in the social media world.' Gabi Finlayson, founder of a Democratic consulting firm in Utah, told The Bulwark that Lee's posts 'really broke something open in Utah.' 'There certainly is a lot more urgency,' Finlayson said. 'The idea that we truly have to get him out of office is no longer a theoretical thing or just a liberal idea. It is a moral imperative.'
CBC
19-06-2025
- Politics
- CBC
U.S. political violence is landing on the doorstep now, with deadly effect
The recent shootings at the homes of Minnesota state lawmakers, which have left two people dead, are a "grim milestone" in the ongoing history of American political violence. That's the assessment of analyst Riley McCabe, who helped compile a comprehensive report on that subject released in late 2024 by Washington think-tank the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). The shootings saw Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, killed by gunfire at their Brooklyn Park, Minn., home on June 13. Democratic state senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, somehow survived despite reportedly being shot several times each at their residence in a separate neighbourhood. Vance Boelter, 57, charged with murder, attempted murder and stalking offences, allegedly texted his family "Dad went to war last night," per a federal criminal document. Several Democrats, even from outside the state, say police told them their names were found in the suspect's private writings. While it's early days in the investigation, the Minnesota suspect may fit a phenomenon CSIS has increasingly tracked in the past decade, McCabe told CBC News, namely, "a partisan attack targeting the members of the opposite political party." As well, unlike the high-profile shooting of Republican Steve Scalise almost exactly eight years to the day of the Hortman-Hoffman shootings, there haven't been uniform calls across the aisle for unity, or to rachet down demeaning language. Man suspected of shooting 2 Minnesota lawmakers arrested after sweeping manhunt 3 days ago Duration 4:40 More personal threats Whereas a significant majority of attacks between 1991 and 2004 were inspired by general animus toward the federal government, CSIS reports, the inspiration has often become more individualized or specific in recent years. Between 2016 to 2023, the think-tank documented 21 "terrorist attacks on public officials motivated by partisan political beliefs," as compared to just two over the previous two decades. Fortunately, the vast majority did not lead to death. "In the last few years, elected officials have been receiving a much higher number of threats," Lilliana Mason, who co-authored the 2022 book, Radical American Partisanship: Mapping Violent Hostility, Its Causes, and the Consequences for Democracy. "The Capitol Police report a larger number of threats to people in Congress, and judges are getting threatened more if they disagree with [President Donald] Trump." And Democrats are not alone in being targets for violence. On the day Mason spoke to CBC, it was announced a Georgia man was being indicted for violent voicemail threats directed at Republican senators Ted Cruz and Deb Fischer. Residential attacks While the U.S. is outlier among G7 nations in terms of gun violence, it's important to stress the uniqueness of last week's attacks, even in American history. Tennessee's Tommy Burks was, in 1998, the last state lawmaker specifically targeted in a political attack and killed. While South Carolina legislator Clementa Pinckney was killed in a 2015 mass shooting at a church, there was no indication the white supremacist gunman was motivated by his political function. Federal politicians Scalise, and Democrat Gabrielle Giffords, forced to retire from U.S. Congress after a 2012 shooting, were attacked in public spaces. But the Minnesota shootings are part of a disturbing recent cluster of violence at residences. Just this year, a man was charged with arson and other offences after a fire at the Pennsylvania governor's residence, while a former Republican candidate was convicted on an assortment of charges after hiring men who shot at the houses of New Mexico political rivals a few years ago. Meanwhile, a 29-year-old will be sentenced later this year after travelling to Supreme Justice Brett Kavanaugh's street in Maryland in 2022. The armed Californian didn't commit violence, after spotting two federal marshals near Kavanaugh's residence. Judges in high-profile cases have been doxxed via unsolicited pizza deliveries, while police have responded several times to a residence owned by Republican House member Marjorie Taylor Greene for swatting calls, once inadvertently causing another person's death. Rhetoric matters State or local public figures can't realistically afford the level of security provided to a Supreme Court justice, and even at the federal level there are limits to what can be done, Congress members in D.C. said this week. Former U.S. senator and business executive Mitt Romney once told a journalist he spent $5,000 out-of-pocket per day on security after the 2021 Capitol riot. That makes the rhetoric of leaders very important, says Mason, who is also a political science professor at Johns Hopkins University. Since 2017, Mason and Nathan Kalmoe, associate professor of political communication in Louisiana State University, have conducted over a dozen surveys of between 1,000 and 3,000 Americans to probe views on political violence, in partnership with YouGov. While Mason and Kalmoe stress there is little evidence that all but a very small slice of the population would commit a violent attack of a politicized nature, the surveys suggest a growing openness to the idea of political violence. Mason and Kalmoe report that in their surveys, support for a statement that the opposing party is "downright evil" jumped from 40 to 59 per cent between 2017 and 2021. In early November 2020, 39 per cent of Democrats and 48 per cent of Republicans agreed that political violence might be justified if the opposing party was violent first, but by June 2024, the figures were 58 per cent of Democrats and 60 per cent of Republicans. To contrast, in 1978-79 surveys conducted by two political scientists and later summarized in a book, only six per cent said violence was sometimes necessary to achieve a political goal. Calming words from the right people could have a positive impact, even on the most passionate of partisans, the researchers say. "We did an experiment where we just had people read one quote from either Joe Biden or Donald Trump that disavowed political violence, and even that one short little thing, people who read that were less approving of violence than people who didn't read anything," Mason told CBC. 'Ugly politics' The universal condemnation and calls for comity seen after the Scalise shooting in 2017, sadly, no longer seem to occur, though the response this week from the MAGA right has arguably not reached the derision of 2022 when the likes of Donald Trump Jr. mocked the attack of Paul Pelosi in his San Francisco home. The Canadian attacker sought to confront Democrat Nancy Pelosi, who was in D.C., but viciously assaulted her husband. Just hours after the Minnesota manhunt was made public, Utah Sen. Mike Lee and Elon Musk spread without evidence the theory that the suspect was from the "hard left" or "Marxist." "A lot of what we see in the aftermath of these attacks is the attempt by both sides to push the perpetrator into the [other party's] camp, which I think is ugly politics, frankly," said McCabe, an associate fellow with the warfare, illegal threats and terrorism program at CSIS. Lee was taken aside by Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith, who called several posts distasteful. Lee, with over 600,000 X followers, eventually took the posts down, but they were live for a couple of days. Jon Stewart on The Daily Show was less circumspect in his language than Smith, taking Lee to task for "edgelord shitposting" at a time of tragedy. 'Why should I call him?' While Trump called last weekend's attacks "horrendous" in a social media post, he doesn't appear to have reached out to state officials to emphasize support or express condolences. "I think the governor of Minnesota is so whacked out. I'm not calling him. Why would I call him?" he said Tuesday. Trump on Thursday continued his habit of using dehumanizing language — which in the past has included words like vermin, traitor, and treasonous — referring to former Biden White House officials as "scum." Trump's combative approach remains unchanged even after the assassination attempt on his own life last year, with an arrest following weeks later of an armed man with known anti-Trump views. As well, Trump's first term saw a supporter of his sent pipe bombs — inoperable, fortunately — to the residences of several liberal or Democratic figures in 2018. Joseph Thompson, acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota, said Monday he hoped the killings could at least be a "wake-up call to everyone that people can disagree with you without being evil," but part of that message isn't being received where it might matter the most.
