‘Incredibly hateful and dehumanizing’: WA rep warns of rising political violence after Minnesota assassination

A massive, nearly two-day search for the man suspected of killing a Minnesota lawmaker and wounding another ended when law enforcement located him crawling in a field in the woods near his home.

The search for Vance Boelter was the “largest manhunt in the state’s history,” Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley told The Associated Press.

Washington Congressman Adam Smith spoke with CNN Monday about his biggest concern, that this was likely a politically motivated attack.

“My biggest concern is that we, as a society, are normalizing political violence, and you see this on many points on the political spectrum, the denigration and attacking of elected officials that you disagree with, it becomes incredibly hateful and dehumanizing,” Smith said on CNN.

Boelter was arrested and charged with two counts of murder and two of attempted murder. He is accused of posing as a police officer and fatally shooting former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, in their home early Saturday in the northern Minneapolis suburbs.

Authorities said he also shot Sen. John Hoffman, a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette. They were injured at their residence, approximately nine miles away.

Authorities did not give a motive as they announced Boelter’s arrest.

A list of about 70 names was found in writings recovered from the fake police vehicle that was left at the crime scene, 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. The writings and list of names included prominent state and federal lawmakers and community leaders, along with abortion rights advocates and information about health care facilities, according to the officials.

An escalation in political violence

The shootings come as political leaders nationwide have been attacked, harassed, and intimidated amid deep political divisions.

“You see this in much of the dialogue that we have, no one side of the political spectrum has a monopoly on it,” Smith continued. “Certainly you’ve seen it on the right and the left. But President Trump is the biggest problem here. I mean, he has used hateful, degrading rhetoric from the day he decided to run for president.”

Lawmakers said they were disturbed by the attacks as Twin Cities residents mourned.

“This cannot be the norm. It cannot be the way that we deal with our political differences,” Walz said Sunday.

On Sunday evening, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar shared a statement from Yvette Hoffman expressing appreciation for the outpouring of public support.

“John is enduring many surgeries right now and is closer every hour to being out of the woods,” Yvette Hoffman said in a text that Klobuchar posted on social media. “He took nine bullet hits. I took eight and we are both incredibly lucky to be alive. We are gutted and devastated by the loss of Melissa and Mark.”

Brightly colored flowers and small American flags were placed Sunday on the gray marbled stone of the Minnesota State Capitol along with a photo of the Hortmans. People scrawled messages on small notes, including, “You were our leader through the hardest of times. Rest in Power.”

Pam Stein came with flowers and knelt by the memorial. An emotional Stein called Hortman an “absolute powerhouse” and “the real unsung hero of Minnesota government.”

Contributing: The Associated Press

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