Many lawmakers named in writings of suspected Minnesota shooter vow not to bow down

From a legislator in downtown Minneapolis to a veteran Ohio congresswoman, many lawmakers included in the suspected Minnesota gunman’s writings and list of targets have vowed not to bow down.

Vance Boelter, 57, was charged with federal murder and stalking, along with state charges, following a nearly two-day search that culminated in his capture in the woods near his home.

He is suspected of shooting and killing former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, in their home early Saturday. He is also accused of wounding Democratic Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette.

The dozens of politicians included in Boelter’s writings were Democrats, according to acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson. Authorities said the writings contained the names of about 45 Minnesota state and federal elected officials but have not identified them publicly.

His writings also mentioned community leaders and abortion rights advocates and had information about health care facilities, said two law enforcement officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss details of the ongoing investigation.

Members of Congress from at least five other Midwest states said law enforcement told them that their names were in Boelter’s writings. They included U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and U.S. Reps. Nikki Budzinski of Illinois, Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri, and Joyce Beatty and Marcy Kaptur of Ohio.

Authorities have not provided a motive for the shootings. Manny Atwal, Boelter’s lead attorney, declined to comment, saying the office just got the case.

Here’s how some lawmakers are reacting to the violence:

Former Minnesota state Rep. Ruth Richardson

Richardson, who is now president of Planned Parenthood of North Central States, said she learned from law enforcement that she was named as a potential target. She said risk is the ‘’sad reality’’ for abortion providers and health center staff, as well as those who seek services at Planned Parenthood facilities.

‘’Threats against Planned Parenthood are unfortunately not a new occurrence,’’ Richardson said. ‘’They’re getting renewed focus because of the brutal events of this weekend, but this is something that we are consistently navigating.’’

Richardson said she worked with local law enforcement to increase security and patrol of Planned Parenthood’s health centers.

Minnesota state Rep. Esther Agbaje

Agbaje spent the weekend with friends and family after learning that her name was on Boelter’s list and said she is still trying to make sense of the violence.

Since his arrest, the lawmaker, whose district includes portions of northern and downtown Minneapolis, has returned home. She said she now feels ‘’more committed than ever’’ to her work as a legislator.

‘’We cannot allow people to divide us and then use violence to keep up those divisions,’’ she said.

U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, Michigan

A day after Dingell learned her name was included in Boelter’s writing, she held a town hall Monday in a high school auditorium in Dexter.

‘’We cannot let terror terrorize us," she told the audience, who cheered.

Dingell, who represents the Ann Arbor area, said some people wanted her to cancel the event.

After the town hall, she reflected on her habit of going out in public without her staff because she always wants people to be able to talk with her. After the shooting, law enforcement officers have told her to be more careful.

‘’We can’t let elected officials be cut off," she said. “We can’t let elected officials become afraid.’’

U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten, Michigan

Scholten, who represents Grand Rapids, said she was postponing a Monday town hall after learning she was a potential target.

‘’Out of an abundance of caution and to not divert additional law enforcement resources away from protecting the broader public at this time, this is the responsible choice,’’ Scholten said in a statement.

Minnesota state Rep. Alex Falconer

Falconer, whose district includes a portion of the Twin Cities, said he woke up Saturday while on vacation with his wife and kids to a flurry of text messages about the shootings. The police chief then called to warn him about a list of targets.

Falconer said he later learned he wasn’t on the list, but his family decided to stay away until the suspect was in custody. The police chief increased patrols in his neighborhood and stationed a police car outside of his house, he said.

While the question of whether to stay in politics was top of mind for him this weekend, Falconer said, ‘’They win if we quit.’’

Falconer and his Democratic colleagues in the Minnesota House gathered at the Capitol on Monday to seek comfort in one another and share stories of Hortman, Falconer said. It was the first time they could meet since the shooting because they had been told by law enforcement to not leave their homes while the suspect remained at-large, he said.

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This story has been corrected to reflect that the name of the senator from Wisconsin is Tammy Baldwin, instead of Tammy Duckworth.

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Associated Press writers Mike Balsamo in Washington; Joey Cappelletti and Isabella Volmert in Lansing, Michigan; Hannah Fingerhut in Des Moines, Iowa; and John Hanna, in Topeka, Kansas, contributed to this report.