Homes of two Minnesota state lawmakers targeted in shootings

Two lawmakers' homes were shot at overnight, police say

The homes of two Minnesota state lawmakers were specifically targeted in shootings overnight, authorities confirmed Monday.

The shootings, which occurred within a few hours of each other, are believed to be related, said Paul Schnell, chief deputy of the Carver County sheriff's office.

One shooting happened at the home of a Democratic state representative, and the other took place at the home of a Republican state senator who is running for higher office.

Lawmaker: "My family is now living with this fear"

"My family is now living with this fear and anxiety" said the representative, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, in a statement.

"We know this is not an isolated incident, as shots were fired earlier at the home of a Republican state senator also in the metro area," the statement added.

Related shootings

The shootings come just a day after protesters rallied outside the Minnesota State Capitol to denounce recent violent attacks on Democratic lawmakers.

The protests were held in response to recent shootings at the homes of state lawmakers, including one last month at the home of House Speaker Melissa Hortman.

"It's unacceptable that legislators and their families are living in fear" said one protester, John Thompson.

"It's time for us to stand up and say we want to live in a society where legislators and their families are not living in fear of being gunned down."

Investigation underway

Authorities said they are investigating the shootings as related and are working to determine the suspects' identities and a possible motive.

"These were not random targets," Schnell said. "There is something deeper here, and that is what we are working hard to uncover."

"Until those suspects are taken into custody, until we can have a better handle on why this occurred, we're going to maintain that heightened vigilance," Schnell added.

"It's unsettling, and I know that our community is concerned about it," he continued. "We are too, and we're going to get to the bottom of it."

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