Last weekend's assassination of Melissa and Mark Hortman and attempted slaying of other legislators underscores a grim trend: An increasingly volatile political climate has left state and local officials more exposed than ever to threats and harassment.

The big picture: The shootings, which officials have called "politically motivated," have drawn national, bipartisan condemnation and calls for more security for lawmakers serving at the state and federal level.

• But most of the abuse elected state officials endure still flies under the radar, even as signs mount that the problem has grown worse, particularly since 2020, experts say.

By the numbers: Nationally, 43% of state lawmakers reported facing threats during their most recent term in office and the preceding campaign, according to a 2024 survey published by the Brennan Center for Justice.

What they're saying: Sitting lawmakers have "massive concern" that such risks and toxicity could discourage others from seeking office, particularly from groups already underrepresented in government, Gowri Ramachandran, the Brennan Center's director of elections and security, told Axios.

Threat level: The public nature of the job and desire to balance access and transparency with safety concerns can heighten the risk.

• Until shortly after the shooting, some Minnesota lawmakers' home addresses were listed on their easily-searchable legislative bio pages — and they can still be found in other public filings.
• The state Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board confirmed to Axios that it removed street addresses from documents on its site Saturday in response to requests from lawmakers.

What we know: A list of names authorities discovered in an SUV that they say suspect Vance Boelter left at the Hortman home suggested his targets were Democrats who support abortion rights and abortion providers, an official who saw it confirmed to Axios.

Zoom out: Many lawmakers in both parties say the problem has gotten worse, though the Brennan Center's survey found that Republican lawmakers were more likely than Democrats to report that abuse had gotten more frequent since they took office.

What we're watching: Whether security policies change at the State Capitol, where visitors currently do not need to pass through metal detectors.

• Some lawmakers publicly asked for more exploration of weapon detection systems in January 2024.

Possible solutions

Charging documents paint a chilling picture of what federal prosecutors described as a "extensively planned" plot to kill DFL legislators.

• "It's no exaggeration to say this is stuff of nightmares," Joe Thompson, the acting U.S. attorney for the district of Minnesota, said as he announced six new federal charges against Boelter.

The latest: The criminal complaint and affidavit released yesterday also reveal new details about the attack and Boelter's alleged attempts to evade law enforcement in the two days before his capture.

• The 57-year-old suspect did not enter a plea in his first court appearance.

The attacks: Boelter, who authorities say posed as a police officer when he shot the Hortmans and Sen. John Hoffman and his wife at their doorsteps, attempted to visit the homes of two other lawmakers the night of the attacks, prosecutors say.

• Shortly after shooting the Hoffmans, he rang the Maple Grove doorbell of a state Democrat who was not home.

Boelter then traveled to the New Hope home of a DFL senator, prosecutors allege. Longtime Sen. Ann Rest later confirmed it was her house.

• A New Hope officer heading to the lawmaker's house for a wellness check saw Boelter's black SUV parked down the block, but thought he was an officer dispatched to the scene.
• She pulled up next to Boelter, rolled down her window and attempted to speak with him. He did not respond.

That officer drove up the block to Rest's house and the suspect drove away before additional officers arrived, prosecutors say.

• They allege he then traveled to Brooklyn Park, where he fatally shot Hortman and her husband as law enforcement arrived to check on that couple.

The escape: Boelter, who fled the scene on foot through the Hortman home, allegedly texted his wife and other family members after the attack that "Dad went to war last night."

Around 7 am, he asked a man at a bus stop in North Minneapolis to purchase his electric bike and car, paying $900 in cash, per an affidavit.

• Law enforcement later found that car abandoned in Sibley County, near where he was eventually captured.
• In it was a handwritten letter to the FBI in which the writer, who identified himself as Boelter, admitted to being "the shooter at large."

How they identified him: During a search of the SUV left at the Hortmans' home, officers said they found documents tying the vehicle to Boelter, five firearms, including semi-automatic assault-style rifles, and notebooks containing the names of 45 Minnesota state and federal officials.

More coverage: What to know about the Minnesota shooting suspect

U.S. Sen. Tina Smith directly confronted Sen. Mike Lee yesterday over the Utah Republican's posts about the shooting.

State of play: Lee is facing condemnation — including from multiple Minnesota Republicans — over social media posts that baselessly claim that Boelter had ties to Walz and the political left, Axios' Erin Alberty reports.

What she's saying: "I needed him to hear from me directly, what impact I think his cruel statement had on me, his colleague," Smith told reporters.

• She declined to share details of his reaction.

The big picture: Prominent right-wing figures, including Elon Musk, Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) and former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, posted messages spreading similar, now-debunked claims.

• Boelter's roommate told the Star Tribune he was a Republican who voted for President Trump.

Federal prosecutors said yesterday that it was "way too speculative" to say what was "motivating [Boelter] in terms of ideology" based on his writings, but confirmed that the lists included names of some abortion rights supporters.

Keep reading.

French-American restaurant Bûcheron took home the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant, making it Minnesota's second win in the competitive category in just four years.

• Karyn Tomlinson of St. Paul farm-to-table restaurant Myriel was named Best Chef - Midwest, beating Shigeyuki Furukawa of Kado no Mise and Diane Moua of Diane's Place, among others.

🍕 In other food news, Young Joni, Ann Kim's nationally recognized pizza restaurant in Northeast Minneapolis, will close on Sept. 14, the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reports.

If you think the rivalry between St. Paul and Minneapolis is petty now, get a load of what happened on this day back in 1890.

Flashback: Seven Minneapolis census takers were arrested by the U.S. Marshal from St. Paul, under accusations that they were cooking the books in order to lay claim to the title of "most populous city in Minnesota," according to the Minnesota Historical Society.

• Minneapolis officials then went to St. Paul with a warrant to recover six bags of evidence. St. Paul police officers drew their guns and showed them the door, according to the Star Tribune.

What they found: After a federal investigation that expunged thousands of phony names in both cities, the final tally that August came in with Minneapolis at 164,581 and St. Paul 133,156.

Where the population race stands

"Hope and resilience are the enemy of fear. Our parents lived their lives with immense dedication to their fellow humans. This tragedy must become a moment for us to come together. Hold your loved ones a little closer. Love your neighbors. Treat each other with kindness and respect. The best way to honor our parents' memory is to do something, whether big or small, to make our community just a little better for someone else."

The Hortmans' adult children, who also lost the family's dog in the attack, included in their statement a list of acts of kindness that would honor their parents, such as planting a tree, baking someone a cake and petting a dog.

• A GoFundMe started to support them has already raised over $90,000.