Suspected gunman in the shooting deaths of a Minnesota Democratic state lawmaker and her husband in custody.
Credit: Reuters Photo
The suspect in the assassination of a Minnesota state lawmaker and the shooting of a second possessed a notebook that mentioned about 70 potential targets, some in neighbouring states, that included politicians, civic and business leaders, and Planned Parenthood centers, according to law enforcement officials.
The suspect, Vance Boelter, 57, was in police custody Sunday after a two-day search. Officials believe he is the gunman who impersonated a police officer and fatally shot Rep and her husband, Mark, and wounded state Sen John A Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, early Saturday.
Boelter had served on a state economic board with Hoffman, though it wasn’t clear if they actually knew each other.
US Sen Tina Smith, D-Minn., said the list included her and several other lawmakers, all of whom are Democrats. It was not clear whether Minnesota’s other US senator, Amy Klobuchar, was included, but according to Sen Charles Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, both she and Smith were being given additional security.
At least three of Minnesota’s Democratic female members of Congress were on the list, according to a law enforcement officer: Reps Ilhan Omar, Kelly Morrison and Angie Craig.
State Attorney General Keith Ellison, another Democrat, was also on the list, his office said.
The tally of names and locations was found among papers in a vehicle that was linked to the suspect and recovered by law enforcement officials. Other papers indicated that there may have been plans to target “No Kings” protests, which were organized throughout the country Saturday in response to the Trump administration’s policies.
Among the targets listed were abortion providers in Minnesota, according to a spokesperson for Smith. A federal law enforcement official said the list included locations for Planned Parenthood and other health care centers.
The Minnesota section of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said its members had been left “saddened and horrified” by the attacks. “It is unacceptable that people from within our ob-gyn community must work and live in fear as a result of providing essential reproductive health care,” the organization said in a statement.
Planned Parenthood North Central States, which covers Minnesota, said it was working with local law enforcement to increase patrols at all of its facilities. “Our doors will remain open,” Ruth Richardson, its president and CEO, said in a statement.