A congresswoman from Illinois was listed in notes belonging to the man accused of murdering a Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband, the congresswoman said.
U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski wrote on the social media platform X that Capitol Police informed her that her name was included on the murder suspect’s notes.
Budzinski offered condolences to the family of Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, who were both killed after Vance Luther Boelter, 57, allegedly entered their home, a federal affidavit said.
Prior to that killing, Boelter allegedly went to the home of Minnesota Sen. John Hoffman, shooting him and his wife, Yvette, disguised as a law enforcement officer and wearing a silicone mask covering his head and face, prosecutors said, which was early on June 14. The two underwent surgery and were expected to recover, USA Today reported.
Budzinski in the post lastly decried political violence.
“As I’ve said before, there is absolutely no place in this country for political violence. We must be a nation that values civility and mutual respect – always,” she wrote.
Were others in Illinois in danger?
Drew Evans, who is the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent, said officials from Illinois were listed, as well as officials in Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan, and Nebraska.
This “Manifesto” listing other potential targets, according to the St. Cloud Times, was found when authorities searched a vehicle left behind by Boelter.
Boelter was arrested on the night of June 15 after an intense manhunt and faces both state and federal murder charges, including multiple counts of murder and stalking.
Pritzker shares info
Authorities recovered more than 600 names, but “very few” Illinoisans were listed, Gov. JB Pritzker said at a news conference.
Pritzker received a call from Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz following the shooting, letting him know what had happened, Pritzker said. Pritzker was reportedly the keynote speaker at a dinner in Minneapolis on June 13.
Pritzker is in communication with Illinois State Police among others in monitoring the situation, he wrote in a statement.
The Illinois State Police issued the following statement to the SJ-R regarding Illinois lawmakers being a potential target:
“The Illinois State Police (ISP) takes all threats to elected and public officials very seriously. ISP has communicated with House and Senate leaders about security steps legislators can take, as well as provided ISP contact information should a legislator need additional/specific security recommendations based on their specific situation or environment.
The suspect in the shootings in Minnesota is in custody. The incident appears to be the work of that single individual and there are no broader threats at this time. ISP is vetting information found among the suspect’s property and provided to ISP by Minnesota and federal law enforcement agencies, as it relates to Illinois elected officials, potentially in both paper and electronic form. ISP will continue to communicate with Illinois legislators as additional information is available and assessed.”
Tom Ackerman covers breaking news and trending news along with general news for the Springfield State Journal-Register. He can be reached at tackerman@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Springfield representative listed in notes of Minnesota shooter, she said
Reporting by Tom Ackerman, Springfield State Journal- Register / State Journal-Register
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