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Federal and state officials in Minnesota have announced murder and stalking charges against Vance Boelter, the man accused of assassinating Democratic state lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband in their home, as well as for shooting state Senator John Hoffman and his wife. Authorities say Boelter visited the homes of two other lawmakers on the night of the killings and had a hit list that included Planned Parenthood centers and the names of more Democratic politicians. One of the names on that list was Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who joins Democracy Now! to discuss how the shootings have shaken his state, the risk of spreading political violence, and his own friendship with Hortman. "Right up until we lost her, she was fiercely fighting for people," says Ellison, who faults President Trump for exacerbating political tensions. "We must stop political violence."
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The Republican senator from Utah suggested in social media posts that the killings were the work of "Marxists," and mocked Minnesota's Democratic governor. He later issued a more sober condemnation of the violence.
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After the biggest manhunt in Minnesota history, authorities have detained 57-year-old Vance Boelter, who is accused of fatally shooting democratic lawmaker and former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark in their Minnesota home early on Saturday in what authorities say were politically motivated assassinations. He is also accused of wounding state Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette at their home in a separate shooting.
"Melissa Hortman was an outstanding leader that was very loved and respected by many people, and what this means for us is that we lost a leader that was very important to us," says Patricia Torres Ray, a former Minnesota state senator and a former colleague of both Hortman and Hoffman.
Police say they found three AK-47 assault rifles, a 9mm handgun and a hit list written by the gunman that contained the names of about 70 people, including prominent Democratic lawmakers and abortion providers and advocates. Flyers for Saturday's No Kings rallies were also found, prompting many organizers in Minnesota to cancel their protests.
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