Crime: deadly shots in the USA: Not yet caught perpetrators

After the fatal shots in the US state of Minnesota, a large-scale search for the perpetrator is running. At the same time, another debate about politically motivated violence has flared up in the United States. “It is terrible that state employees have to worry about their personal security in such a concrete and scary way,” said the Democratic US senator for Minnesota, Tina Smith, in an interview by the broadcaster NPR.

On the early Saturday morning (local time), an armed man had killed a democratic MP in the parliament of Minnesota, Melissa Hortman, and whose husband Mark in her house in the city of Brooklyn Park. In another attack in the nearby Champlin, a democratic senator from the parliament of the state, John Hoffman, and his wife Yvette shot down and seriously injured.

The authorities assume a political motive behind the deeds. There is concern that other people could be in danger.

List with names of officials

Smith is one of several officials on a list that emergency services had found in addition to a larger amount of ammunition and a greeting card addressed for Father’s Day in the alleged perpetrator’s vehicle. According to the US broadcaster CNN, politicians from Minnesota and other states, as well as supporters of the right, were on abortion. The authorities therefore assume that more people could be threatened

Knowing that, she definitely worried, said Senator Smith. She saw her party colleagues Hortman and Hoffman hours before the attacks at a feast. “It is simply difficult to believe that the last night happened.”

Several other politicians – Democrats like Republicans commented similarly. US President Donald Trump shared the crime in Minnesota and spoke of a “targeted attack on state employees”. He announced that everyone involved “had the full hardness of the law” followed. His democratic predecessor Joe Biden called on platform X on unity against politically motivated violence. Hate and extremism should not find any space in the United States.

57 -year -old suspect has not yet

The perpetrator was still on the run on Saturday evening (local time). A 57-year-old man who is employed by US media is suspected of a private security company. The company’s website said that he had completed missions in crisis regions such as West Bank, the Gaza Strip and Lebanon and was also trained by members of the US military. “Don’t approach him. He is to be classified as armed and dangerous,” said a representative of the authorities.

The population was asked for helping. The federal police FBI exposed a reward of up to $ 50,000 (around 43,370 euros) for clues.

A friend of the suspect told the US broadcaster CNN that he had experienced him as a “loving, caring guy”. He also didn’t know why he did that. So far, it is unclear whether the alleged perpetrator acted alone.

Suspected perpetrator pretended to be a police officer

The police had become active after the attack on the Hoffman couple and had checked the Hortmans’ house as a precaution. There, emergency services came across a man in a police uniform, who spoke out as a civil servant. In the entrance there was a vehicle with flashing lights. When the police officers confronted the man, he opened the fire – there was a change of shooting. According to the authorities, the suspect initially fled into the house – and then from the crime scene. In the house, the officials found the Hortman and her husband.

Not the first attack on politicians in the USA

The incident is one of several politically motivated acts of violence in the United States in recent years. Threats against politicians have long been part of everyday life. Again and again authorities and experts warn of increasing radicalization in parts of society, heated by hate on the net and aggressive rhetoric.

At the end of 2022, the husband of the democratic US top politician Nancy Pelosi was seriously injured in an attack with a hammer. In the residence of the democratic governor of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, fire was only set a few months ago – according to investigators for political motives. In the past year, Trump – at that time still Republican presidential applicant – was injured in an assassination attempt with a firearm on the ear. He always used a partly radical language in the election campaign. In addition, it is relatively easy to get firearms in the USA.

There are protests nationwide, canceled demos in Minnesota

For security reasons, planned protests against Trump in Minnesota were canceled. Governor Tim Walz had called for the time to avoid demonstrations because the suspect is still fleeting. The protests under the motto “No Kings” had directed against Trump’s policy. According to the organizers, a total of more than five million participants took to the streets in around 2,100 cities.