Minnesota lawmaker shootings: Sen. Tammy Baldwin on Vance Boelter's list

MINNEAPOLIS, Min. - The man now charged with shooting two Minnesota state lawmakers and their spouses in their own homes had targeted dozens of democratic officials, according to Vance Boelter's "hit list."

FOX6 has also learned that U.S. Senator from Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin's name was on that list.

Baldwin's office sent FOX6 a statement:

"Senator Baldwin was informed by law enforcement that she was included on the alleged shooter’s 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."

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List of politicians

What we know:

Federal prosecutors confirmed 45 Democrats were listed, including dozens of Minnesota lawmakers and members of Congress such as Rep. Angie Craig, Rep. Ilhan Omar, and Sen. Tina Smith. It also included members of Planned Parenthood, philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, who has donated hundreds of millions of dollars to the organization, and several healthcare centers across the Midwest. 

Rep. Melissa Hortman was listed. Hortman and her husband were shot and killed at their home in Brooklyn Park early Saturday morning. Police encountered Boelter at Hortman's home, setting off a massive, two-day manhunt that likely prevented additional lawmakers from being targeted, according to investigators.

Federal prosecutors confirmed that Boelter visited at least four homes of state lawmakers Saturday morning.

Sen. John Hoffman (DFL-Champlain) was not named but the district he represents was listed. Hoffman and his wife are recovering from multiple gunshot wounds after they were shot in their home in Champlain.

Not a traditional manifesto

What they're saying:

The head of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension clarified Sunday that Boelter's notebook contained a list of lawmakers but not ideological writings. 

"I want to clarify for everybody, this is not a document…that would be like a traditional manifesto that’s like a treatise on all kinds of ideologies and writings," Drew Evans said at a press conference prior to Boelter's arrest.

Evans said the notebook did include "other thoughts" and documents.

The BCA revealed over the weekend that law enforcement had recovered the notebook and that it contained the list of lawmakers, including pro-choice supporters, and "No Kings" papers.

"I don’t want the public to have the impression that there’s this long manifesto that’s providing all of this other information and details and then is associated with names," Evans said. 

The list obtained by FOX 9 indicates Boelter was targeting politicians who support abortion rights and healthcare centers that provide related services. It specifically listed Planned Parenthood of North Central States as well as healthcare centers in Iowa and Nebraska.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, former Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and Sen. Tina Smith were all listed under a section that said "added protections for abortions in MN."

Sen. Nicole Mitchell (DFL-Woodbury) was also on the "hit list." Mitchell's trial on burglary charges was scheduled to begin Monday morning but was delayed while the manhunt was still ongoing due to security concerns.

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What's next:

Evans said the notebook will be part of a "deeper dive" to understand the motivation of this individual. The Hennepin County Attorney and the U.S. Attorney for Minnesota held separate news conferences Monday morning announcing numerous state and federal charges against Boelter.

"This was a political assassination, which is not a word we use very often in the United States, let alone here in Minnesota," said Joseph Thompson, who was appointed the acting U.S. Attorney for Minnesota by President Donald Trump last month. "It's a chilling attack on our democracy, on our way of life."

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