By Nick Smith and Lily Guiney
Gongwer News Service
Multiple Michigan elected officials, including members of the state’s congressional delegation and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, were among the dozens of politicians named in documents that may have identified them as potential targets by the person suspected of shooting two Minnesota state lawmakers and their spouses early Saturday morning.
This prompted one member of Michigan’s congressional delegation who was on the purported list to postpone a scheduled Monday evening town hall as a precaution.
Early Saturday morning the suspected shooter, identified as Vance Boelter, 57, who was dressed as a law enforcement officer, shot and killed Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband inside their home.
The shooter later wounded state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, shooting them multiple times in their home. State and federal authorities have described the shootings as deliberate political attacks.
During a Sunday night press conference upon the shooter being taken into custody, Minnesota said a list of dozens of names of state and federal Democratic officials were found among the writings inside the suspected shooter’s vehicle. The shooter was taken into custody near his home Sunday night.
It was not immediately clear Monday if the list of names may have been a list of potential targets.
During that Sunday night press conference, law enforcement said the names on the list included officials from Midwest states, including Michigan. A source told the Detroit Free Press on Monday that the list included names of multiple Democratic members of the Michigan congressional delegation, who were provided with additional security on Sunday evening.
“There’s a few, I don’t want to say it because it won’t be exhaustive, but Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, some others, there was a variety – Nebraska, Iowa, we’ve had contact with,” Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said in during the press conference after the shooter was taken into custody. “What I will tell you, and I won’t get into any more specifics, (is that) we are in coordination with our federal partners and our fusion centers in those states and the state fusion centers that are there to be able to provide that information and notify those individuals that they were on that list.”
U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-Grand Rapids) in a statement said she was postponing a town hall planned to be held in Muskegon due to her name being on the suspected shooter’s documents. She pledged to have the event rescheduled as soon as possible.
“Open, honest dialogue with West Michigan is at the heart of my service – and I will not be deterred from standing up for this community,” Scholten said. “Out of an abundance of caution and not to divert additional law enforcement resources away from protecting the broader ublic at this time, this is the responsible choice.”
In an interview with Gongwer News Service on Monday, Benson confirmed that her name was among those found in the shooter’s documents. She said the crimes committed warrant a potential revisitation of Michigan’s policies requiring candidates for office and elected officials to list their home addresses on publicly available disclosure forms.
“It’s hard, because you’ve got to balance transparency with security,” she said. “I think we should examine all those things.”
Benson said her experiences as a public figure have put her in a unique position to understand the tug-of-war between full disclosure and safety in an increasingly tense political climate.
“As someone who regularly has people showing up at my home and saying things through the mail, I’ve seen firsthand how important that is,” she continued. “I think it’s a conversation we should be having … we’ve done it for judges, we’ve done it for domestic violence victims, so I think that should be revisited.”
Rep. Sarah Lightner (R-Springport), who chairs the House Judiciary Committee , told Bridge Michigan Monday that she expects the “horrific and very, very sad” events over the weekend to bring the topic of revising address disclosure back before the Legislature in the coming weeks.
Benson spoke further about the shootings in a post to X, formerly Twitter, denouncing political violence in all forms and attributing the murders of the Hortmans and near-fatal shootings of the Hoffmans to a rising tide of division and threatening rhetoric in politics.
“Public officials wake up every day to server their communities and work toward a better future – no one who chooses to serve the people should fear for their life doing their job. Yet that is what this era of violent rhetoric and threats is producing.” Benson said. “The targeted assassinations and assaults in Minnesota are gutting and horrifying. We cannot accept this violence as normal, and we all must work to turn down the hate and division that led to these tragedies.”
U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Detroit) in a statement said he was informed by U.S. Capitol Police and the FBI that he was among the Michigan officials listed in the shooter’s documents.
“The heinous crimes the shooter allegedly committed are unequivocally politically motivated and should be condemned by everyone across the political spectrum. There is no place for political violence in a democracy,” Thanedar said. “As for those who were victimized in this horrific incident, I am sending strength to the families of the victims as well as those who are currently recovering from their injuries.”
Others reportedly on the list of names included U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Ann Arbor) and U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit).
Messages left Monday with spokespersons with the Department of State Police and the Department of Attorney General were not immediately returned.
“The leader takes concerns of political violence very seriously. She is staying in close contact with state and local law enforcement,” Rosie Jones, spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids), said Monday.
She referred Gongwer to State Police for further comment.
Michigan leaders from both parties condemned the shooting and the use of political violence which has seen a considerable uptick nationally over the last several years.
Previous incidents nationally have included a 2011 mass shooting that nearly killed then-Democratic U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords of Arizona, a mass shooting in 2017 wounding several people including Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana ahead of a yearly congressional baseball game, and an attempt to assassinate Donald Trump in 2024 while he was campaigning for a second term as president.
In Michigan, there have been multiple instances in recent years of threats made against members of the Legislature. Most notably, several people were arrested in 2020 for a plot to kidnap and kill Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
“The shooting of two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses is yet another horrific act in the continued rise of political violence in America. We must call out this violence, no matter who it’s aimed at or where it originates.” Whitmer said on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday. “The loss of State Rep. Hortman and her husband is a tragedy, and we are pulling for the recovery of Sen. Hoffman and his wife. This must stop.”
Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II on X called the attacks “horrifying acts of violence against public servants and their families” while offering his condolences and prayers.
“There is no justification for political violence against anyone, for any reason. It has no place in this country.” Gilchrist said.
A post Saturday on X from Senate Majority Leader Winne Brinks (D-Grand Rapids) showed her and Melissa Hortman having a meal together with their husbands. She said it had been a privilege to have known her and that state lawmakers across the country are grieving their loss.
“Steve and I are stunned and heartbroken for their families and we are praying for a full recovery for the Hoffmans. Violence is not how we settle our differences in this country, and we will not be intimidated into silence.” Brinks said.
Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt (R-Porter Township) on X said he was “disgusted and heartbroken” Saturday by the news of the shootings.
“In this country we settle our political differences at the ballot box, not with violence.” Nesbitt said.
House Minority Leader Ranjeev Puri (D-Canton) said Saturday’s shooting was a sign of the increasing political divisiveness across the country.
“In order to begin bridging this gulf, those at every point of the political spectrum must recognize this did not happen in a vacuum,” Puri said. “Our country has been slowly marching toward cultural and political polarization, with increasingly hateful rhetoric, and it is becoming easier – and more acceptable – to view those who disagree with you as inhuman. Now we are seeing the cost of that inhumanity. … Whatever happens next, my caucus and I will continue, not without fear, but in spite of it, to advocate for the changes we know are critical to establishing a better, safer, state and world. Even for the people who disagree with us.”
Attorney General Dana Nessel in a statement said there currently is no evidence of any danger to anyone in Michigan following the arrest of the shooter. She said her office will be in contact with lawmakers and other elected leaders in the wake of the events of last weekend.
“This is a devastating attack on public servants, public service, and our shared values as Americans,” Nessel said. “We cannot tolerate political violence anywhere in this country and it must be met with the strongest, universal condemnation and every time. … The Department of Attorney General remains vigilant in these efforts today and stands ready to enforce the full might of state law to keep Michiganders safe – including our elected officials.”
Gongwer News Service
Multiple Michigan elected officials, including members of the state’s congressional delegation and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, were among the dozens of politicians named in documents that may have identified them as potential targets by the person suspected of shooting two Minnesota state lawmakers and their spouses early Saturday morning.
This prompted one member of Michigan’s congressional delegation who was on the purported list to postpone a scheduled Monday evening town hall as a precaution.
Early Saturday morning the suspected shooter, identified as Vance Boelter, 57, who was dressed as a law enforcement officer, shot and killed Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband inside their home.
The shooter later wounded state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, shooting them multiple times in their home. State and federal authorities have described the shootings as deliberate political attacks.
During a Sunday night press conference upon the shooter being taken into custody, Minnesota said a list of dozens of names of state and federal Democratic officials were found among the writings inside the suspected shooter’s vehicle. The shooter was taken into custody near his home Sunday night.
It was not immediately clear Monday if the list of names may have been a list of potential targets.
During that Sunday night press conference, law enforcement said the names on the list included officials from Midwest states, including Michigan. A source told the Detroit Free Press on Monday that the list included names of multiple Democratic members of the Michigan congressional delegation, who were provided with additional security on Sunday evening.
“There’s a few, I don’t want to say it because it won’t be exhaustive, but Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, some others, there was a variety – Nebraska, Iowa, we’ve had contact with,” Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said in during the press conference after the shooter was taken into custody. “What I will tell you, and I won’t get into any more specifics, (is that) we are in coordination with our federal partners and our fusion centers in those states and the state fusion centers that are there to be able to provide that information and notify those individuals that they were on that list.”
U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-Grand Rapids) in a statement said she was postponing a town hall planned to be held in Muskegon due to her name being on the suspected shooter’s documents. She pledged to have the event rescheduled as soon as possible.
“Open, honest dialogue with West Michigan is at the heart of my service – and I will not be deterred from standing up for this community,” Scholten said. “Out of an abundance of caution and not to divert additional law enforcement resources away from protecting the broader ublic at this time, this is the responsible choice.”
In an interview with Gongwer News Service on Monday, Benson confirmed that her name was among those found in the shooter’s documents. She said the crimes committed warrant a potential revisitation of Michigan’s policies requiring candidates for office and elected officials to list their home addresses on publicly available disclosure forms.
“It’s hard, because you’ve got to balance transparency with security,” she said. “I think we should examine all those things.”
Benson said her experiences as a public figure have put her in a unique position to understand the tug-of-war between full disclosure and safety in an increasingly tense political climate.
“As someone who regularly has people showing up at my home and saying things through the mail, I’ve seen firsthand how important that is,” she continued. “I think it’s a conversation we should be having … we’ve done it for judges, we’ve done it for domestic violence victims, so I think that should be revisited.”
Rep. Sarah Lightner (R-Springport), who chairs the House Judiciary Committee , told Bridge Michigan Monday that she expects the “horrific and very, very sad” events over the weekend to bring the topic of revising address disclosure back before the Legislature in the coming weeks.
Benson spoke further about the shootings in a post to X, formerly Twitter, denouncing political violence in all forms and attributing the murders of the Hortmans and near-fatal shootings of the Hoffmans to a rising tide of division and threatening rhetoric in politics.
“Public officials wake up every day to server their communities and work toward a better future – no one who chooses to serve the people should fear for their life doing their job. Yet that is what this era of violent rhetoric and threats is producing.” Benson said. “The targeted assassinations and assaults in Minnesota are gutting and horrifying. We cannot accept this violence as normal, and we all must work to turn down the hate and division that led to these tragedies.”
U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Detroit) in a statement said he was informed by U.S. Capitol Police and the FBI that he was among the Michigan officials listed in the shooter’s documents.
“The heinous crimes the shooter allegedly committed are unequivocally politically motivated and should be condemned by everyone across the political spectrum. There is no place for political violence in a democracy,” Thanedar said. “As for those who were victimized in this horrific incident, I am sending strength to the families of the victims as well as those who are currently recovering from their injuries.”
Others reportedly on the list of names included U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Ann Arbor) and U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit).
Messages left Monday with spokespersons with the Department of State Police and the Department of Attorney General were not immediately returned.
“The leader takes concerns of political violence very seriously. She is staying in close contact with state and local law enforcement,” Rosie Jones, spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids), said Monday.
She referred Gongwer to State Police for further comment.
Michigan leaders from both parties condemned the shooting and the use of political violence which has seen a considerable uptick nationally over the last several years.
Previous incidents nationally have included a 2011 mass shooting that nearly killed then-Democratic U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords of Arizona, a mass shooting in 2017 wounding several people including Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana ahead of a yearly congressional baseball game, and an attempt to assassinate Donald Trump in 2024 while he was campaigning for a second term as president.
In Michigan, there have been multiple instances in recent years of threats made against members of the Legislature. Most notably, several people were arrested in 2020 for a plot to kidnap and kill Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
“The shooting of two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses is yet another horrific act in the continued rise of political violence in America. We must call out this violence, no matter who it’s aimed at or where it originates.” Whitmer said on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday. “The loss of State Rep. Hortman and her husband is a tragedy, and we are pulling for the recovery of Sen. Hoffman and his wife. This must stop.”
Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II on X called the attacks “horrifying acts of violence against public servants and their families” while offering his condolences and prayers.
“There is no justification for political violence against anyone, for any reason. It has no place in this country.” Gilchrist said.
A post Saturday on X from Senate Majority Leader Winne Brinks (D-Grand Rapids) showed her and Melissa Hortman having a meal together with their husbands. She said it had been a privilege to have known her and that state lawmakers across the country are grieving their loss.
“Steve and I are stunned and heartbroken for their families and we are praying for a full recovery for the Hoffmans. Violence is not how we settle our differences in this country, and we will not be intimidated into silence.” Brinks said.
Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt (R-Porter Township) on X said he was “disgusted and heartbroken” Saturday by the news of the shootings.
“In this country we settle our political differences at the ballot box, not with violence.” Nesbitt said.
House Minority Leader Ranjeev Puri (D-Canton) said Saturday’s shooting was a sign of the increasing political divisiveness across the country.
“In order to begin bridging this gulf, those at every point of the political spectrum must recognize this did not happen in a vacuum,” Puri said. “Our country has been slowly marching toward cultural and political polarization, with increasingly hateful rhetoric, and it is becoming easier – and more acceptable – to view those who disagree with you as inhuman. Now we are seeing the cost of that inhumanity. … Whatever happens next, my caucus and I will continue, not without fear, but in spite of it, to advocate for the changes we know are critical to establishing a better, safer, state and world. Even for the people who disagree with us.”
Attorney General Dana Nessel in a statement said there currently is no evidence of any danger to anyone in Michigan following the arrest of the shooter. She said her office will be in contact with lawmakers and other elected leaders in the wake of the events of last weekend.
“This is a devastating attack on public servants, public service, and our shared values as Americans,” Nessel said. “We cannot tolerate political violence anywhere in this country and it must be met with the strongest, universal condemnation and every time. … The Department of Attorney General remains vigilant in these efforts today and stands ready to enforce the full might of state law to keep Michiganders safe – including our elected officials.”
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