MADISON — A spokesperson for Sen. Tammy Baldwin confirmed that the senator was included on the "list of names" authorities say belonged to the man suspected of fatally shooting a Minnesota state representative and her husband and wounding a state senator and his wife.
Authorities say they found writing inside 57-year-old Vance Boelter’s vehicle, with dozens of names, including those of politicians and abortion rights advocates, that could have been potentially targeted.
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Boelter is accused of fatally shooting state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, at their home early Saturday morning, after first shooting Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, at their residence several miles away.
In a statement Monday, a spokesperson for Baldwin said the senator condemned the shootings and condemned “this abhorrent, senseless political violence,” and said she remains focused on “honoring the legacy and life of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, praying for the other victims who are fighting for their lives.”
Boelter was arrested Sunday night in a wooded area of Sibley County, about 60 miles southwest of Minneapolis. Authorities credited officers who conducted a wellness check at Hortman’s residence after being alerted to the earlier shooting at Hoffman’s home. Officials said the officers encountered Boelter at the Hortman residence, where he reportedly opened fire on them before fleeing.
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Drew Evans, superintendent of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, believes that encounter was critical to stopping Boelter’s rampage.
"I have every confidence that this would have continued throughout the day," Evans said. "By his officers encountering him ... it forced him to abandon the vehicle at that time and led to what we got to today."
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Boelter is charged with two counts of murder in the deaths of the Hortmans and two counts of attempted murder in the shootings of the Hoffmans. He is being held in the Hennepin County Jail on $5 million bail.
You can read the Senator's statement below:
“Senator Baldwin was informed by law enforcement that she was included on the alleged shooters' list of names. She is grateful for law enforcement’s swift action to keep the community safe and remains focused on the things that matter most here: honoring the legacy and life of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, praying for the other victims who are fighting for their lives, and condemning this abhorrent, senseless political violence.”
Scripps News contributed to this report.
