Minnesota State Patrol asks people to stay home from "No Kings" protest after lawmaker shootings
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The Minnesota State Patrol is urging residents to refrain from attending Saturday's "No Kings" protests across the state out of "an abundance of caution" following the targeted shootings of two Democratic state legislators.
The big picture: Authorities are still searching for the assailant who fatally shot House DFL Leader Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark at their Brooklyn Park home early Saturday.
- State Sen. John Hoffman (DFL-Champlin) and his wife remain hospitalized following a separate attack at their residence overnight.
- Authorities say the suspect, who remains at large, was dressed like a police officer and driving an SUV similar to a police squad vehicle.
What they're saying: Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) superintendent Drew Evans said at a news conference that investigators found "No Kings" posters inside the SUV, which the suspected shooter abandoned at Hortman's home when law enforcement arrived.
- "We have no understanding that any of the events would be targeted, but we also find it of interest to the public that these would be in there," Evans said, noting that an "active manhunt" remains underway.
- Gov. Tim Walz echoed the warning in a post on X, saying "out of an abundance of caution my Department of Public Safety is recommending that people do not attend any political rallies today in Minnesota until the suspect is apprehended."
Zoom out: Organizers of the Twin Cities event initially issued a statement Saturday morning saying that they were "horrified by these acts of unspeakable political violence" but planned to proceed with their event.
- "We think it's important to gather peacefully. In the face of this horror, we will mourn and mark our determination for a peaceful, just, democratic future," they said.
Yes, but: Just before noon, they said in a post on Bluesky that they were cancelling events not yet underway for the "safety of all involved."
- A separate demonstration planned for Northeast Minneapolis had already been canceled amid an ongoing shelter in place.
What we're hearing: Organizers and speakers at the St. Paul rally addressed the "somber" turn of events as large crowds gathered on the state Capitol mall.
- "You could have made the choice to stay home, but you didn't. This choice is not free of risk — as is so evident today — and there are real reasons to feel fear," Indivisible Twin Cities leader Rebecca Larson told the crowd.
- "But today, you showed up … We cannot be deterred. We have to keep building this non-violent, peaceful movement."
What's next: Evans said the BCA is reaching out to politicians whose names were included in what authorities have described as a manifesto recovered at the scene.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect that organizers later canceled events not yet underway and to include statements from a rally in St. Paul.