Everything about the shooting of two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses early Saturday morning is odd. It's additionally horrific and tragic. But it's odd.
While the nation was focusing on Flag Day, a planned parade in D.C., and planned "No Kings" protests across the country, Saturday morning brought news of a horrifying development in Minnesota, with state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband having been killed, and state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife shot and fighting for their lives.
Authorities quickly identified 57-year-old Vance Boelter as the suspect, and a manhunt was underway after Boelter reportedly exchanged gunfire with police outside Hortman's home and then fled on foot. According to authorities, Boelter left behind "No Kings" flyers, weapons, a manifesto of some sort, and a list of multiple Minnesota lawmakers and other officials, indicating he may have had a "hit list."
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Boelter was apprehended late Sunday night. On Monday, the purported "hit list" was released — or, at least, a typewritten version of it was.
Inside the vehicle, police recovered a disturbing cache of weapons, including at least three AK-47 assault rifles and a 9mm handgun, along with a manifesto that listed the names and addresses of other public officials.
About 70 names were found in the manifesto, according to two law enforcement officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Officials said the list also included the names of abortion rights advocates and information about healthcare facilities.
Former congressman Dean Phillips claimed in a post on X that his name was on the list found in Boelter’s car.
"As someone whose name was on his list, I extend heartfelt gratitude to Minnesota’s law enforcement professionals," Phillips wrote. "Now, we must take steps to prevent political violence before it’s too late."
As the list came to light, it seemed to raise more questions than it provided answers:
There's very little about this case that makes much of any sense at the moment — Boelter's odd employment history, the multiple residences, the roommates when he's married with five children, the wife's apprehension with money, passports, and weapons.
It's understandable that people want it to make sense. There's a knee-jerk instinct to try to fit a situation like this into a familiar framework — oh, this was political/ideological. And maybe it was. Or maybe it doesn't make sense because we're not dealing with someone who was thinking or acting in rational fashion. Or maybe there's just a lot more to this, and we're only seeing glimmers of that.
Hopefully, in the coming hours and days, we'll have more answers and fewer questions. For now, there's a lot that remains murky.
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