Minnesota lawmakers sheltering in place, in touch with law enforcement following shootings

Minnesota lawmakers were sheltering and communicating with law enforcement Saturday afternoon amid a massive manhunt for a shooter who killed House DFL Leader Melissa Hortman and her husband and injured state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife.

Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said in a news conference Saturday morning that the shooter’s vehicle contained a “manifesto” with names of other lawmakers and officials police believed were targets. Police identified the suspected shooter Saturday afternoon as Vance Luther Boelter.

That list of potential targets included U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, the senator confirmed Saturday afternoon, but said she and her family are safe in Minnesota and “grateful for the protection that we’re being provided by local law enforcement.”

“I think, of course, about my own safety, and I think about the safety of my loved ones as well,” she said. “And of course, it’s scary.”

U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar was included on the list as well, according to a source close to the congresswoman. Her office declined to comment when reached.

U.S. Rep. Kelly Morrison confirmed she was also on the list. She learned something had happened early Saturday morning after local police came to her door and instructed her to shelter. She discovered later that her former colleagues in the state Legislature had been shot.

She said in an interview she was “absolutely devastated.”

U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum said she and fellow Congressional Democrats were safe and that she is canceling weekend events “in part because it’s a time for mourning in our state.” She declined to say whether she was on any list of targets, citing the ongoing investigation.

“I’m safe. I’m following the directions of public service professionals, and I feel perfectly safe,” she said.

U.S. Rep. Angie Craig said she had just seen Hortman and the Hoffmans the night before at the DFL’s Humphrey-Mondale dinner and spoke with Hortman earlier in the week about the end of Minnesota’s legislative session.

But she woke up early Saturday morning to an urgent text message from McCollum alerting her that there had been a shooting.

Craig said she is sheltered in place with armed security protecting her and was forced to cancel her planned appearance at a No Kings rally in Rochester, noting police have said the shooter had literature that may have showed they were aware of rallies across the state.

Even before the shooting, Craig said she’s already had to increase security measures on her own, citing a “rise in political threats of violence for some time now.” She said she doesn’t do events in her own district without private security or police presence, including at Friday’s dinner, saying “it’s just become part of what we do.”

“I think a lot of us have seen, for a very long time, that this is where it could end up,” she said. “Many of us have been forced to take actions as best we can, to try to protect ourselves and our families.”

Craig declined to say whether she was listed on the shooter’s manifesto but said she had “armed folks in my driveway right now.”

U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar had just arrived in Boston en route to attend political events across New Hampshire throughout the day on Saturday. But then she got a call from the governor hours after she landed, who called to inform her that a shooting had happened in Minnesota.

After the call, she got on the first flight back to Minnesota.

“My first thoughts are just with them and their families, because I knew them,” Klobuchar said.

Klobuchar said she does not know if she was on the list of people the shooter wanted to target, noting that law enforcement will ultimately decide whether to release the list or not.

State lawmakers were also in contact with law enforcement and receiving instructions from their party leaders to remain safe as the manhunt continued.

Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, DFL-St. Paul, said leaders “are in contact with our Senate members and staff and are working with law enforcement and the administration to ensure their safety.”

Sen. Nick Frentz said Senate Democrats were told to be in touch with local law enforcement officials to ensure they remained safe in the aftermath of the shootings, which Gov. Tim Walz described as acts of “targeted political violence.”

Frentz, DFL-North Mankato, said he had received texts from colleagues saying they were in touch with law enforcement or receiving guidance. Frentz said sheriff’s departments in Blue Earth and Nicollet counties got in touch with him immediately.

Rep. Dan Wolgamott, DFL-St. Cloud, said in a post on social media that his family was sheltering in place and local police were stationed outside their home.

House GOP spokeswoman Amanda Tinsley said the chamber’s sergeant at arms “is on top of this.”

“They’ve been working since very early this morning to make sure that everyone has the information they need to stay safe,” Tinsley said, adding that the sergeant contacted House Speaker Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, early Saturday morning.

Demuth had marked police squad cars outside of her house on Saturday morning.

“We have informed members in our caucus about what they should be doing to be safe today,” said House GOP Floor Leader Harry Niska, R-Ramsey.