A man accused of posing as a police officer, killing a Democratic congresswoman and her husband and wounding two others appeared in court in Minnesota yesterday, after an attack that further fueled fears of a rise in politically motivated violence in the United States.
The gunman, Vance Belter, was a devout evangelical Christian who had traveled to Africa to speak about his religious experience and who, in at least one sermon, explicitly questioned American morality when it came to sexual orientation, according to videos and social media posts reviewed by CNN. According to his friends, Belter was a conservative who strongly opposed abortion rights, but he never publicly expressed any particular anger toward the officials he shot.
Belter, 57, was arrested Sunday night in Green Isle, Minnesota, after the largest manhunt in the state's history, authorities said. He is accused of fatally shooting Melissa Hortman, the Democratic leader of the Minnesota House of Representatives, and her husband, Mark, on Saturday in what Gov. Tim Walz called a "politically motivated murder."
Belter is also accused of shooting and wounding another Democratic lawmaker, state Senator John Hoffman, as well as his wife Yvette, at their home a few miles away.
Officials said that after exchanging gunfire with police outside the home of one of the victims and fleeing, Belter left an alleged hit list with dozens of names in his car, CNN reported. According to officials, the notes and list of names included prominent state and federal lawmakers, community representatives, abortion rights advocates, as well as information about health facilities that provide abortion services.
“After a two-day manhunt and two sleepless nights, law enforcement officers have arrested Vance Beltre,” Governor Volz said at a news conference. “The actions of one man, unthinkable actions, have changed the face of Minnesota. “At a time when we are witnessing the outbreak of violence in this country, this cannot become the norm. This cannot be the way we resolve political differences. Now is the time to recommit to the core values of this country — and each of us can play a part in that.”
The attack came amid the most intense period of political violence in the United States since the 1970s. Reuters has documented more than 300 cases of politically motivated violence since supporters of President Donald Trump attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Trump survived two assassination attempts during his campaign last summer as the Republican presidential nominee. In April, an attacker set fire to the official residence of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, a Democrat.
Still, the attack near Minneapolis came as a particularly powerful shock to many, as it occurred during several days marked by protests in Los Angeles, the violent removal of a US senator from a press conference and a rare military parade in Washington.
The attack, according to Reuters, is not only a stark reminder of the spread of political violence, but also occurred in a state that many, rightly or wrongly, consider a haven of civil decency and bipartisan cooperation, which is reflected in the cultural stereotype of "Minnesota nice".
Although Minnesota has a predominantly Democratic leaning in statewide elections, control of the legislature is evenly divided between parties, forcing legislators to compromise. Both Hortman and Hoffman were known for working with colleagues from opposing parties.
“Minnesota has a unique reputation, and I think it’s somewhat deserved. We’ve traditionally not been, at least politically, as extreme as some other places,” David Hahn, a former chairman of the Minnesota Republican Party, told Reuters. “But I think that’s changed.”
Some say the racial justice protests that followed the killing of George Floyd in 2020, which were accompanied by looting and violence, have shattered any illusion that their state is immune to excessive political polarization. “The violence is here and now,” Carolyn Breitbach, 81, said after Sunday’s service. “I think people are too focused on their own agendas. They want to take matters into their own hands and fix them.”
Larry Kraft, Hortman's Democratic House colleague, said he has noticed the rhetoric has become increasingly harsh in recent years.
“How could it not be? The discourse is getting more and more harsh and partisan everywhere,” Kraft told Reuters. “But I think in Minnesota we're doing a pretty good job of bridging those differences.
The 2024 presidential election further heightened political tensions in Minnesota. Then-candidate Donald Trump and his allies harshly attacked Governor Volk, who was Kamala Harris' running mate, for his support for abortion rights and LGBTQ+ rights in the state.
Harris won the state with 50,9% of the vote, while Trump won 46,7%. However, Trump narrowed the gap compared to 2020, indicating a shift to the right. The last Republican to win Minnesota was Richard Nixon in 1972.
Trump condemned the shootings in Minnesota, but said in an interview with ABC News on Sunday that he did not invite Volk, calling him a "terrible governor" who is "utterly incompetent."
Erin Kegel, a Democratic representative in the state House of Representatives, echoed the comments, saying Trump is fueling political divisions. “He’s the one who’s stoking the fire,” Kegel said, adding that she was disappointed that her Republican colleagues in Minnesota hadn’t “come out and say this is wrong.”
White House spokeswoman Abby Jackson accused Democrats of trying to exploit this "senseless tragedy" and "blame President Trump, who survived two assassination attempts, and who is now uniting the country and making America safe again."
Kegel pointed to Melissa Hortman as a politician of exemplary behavior, recalling how Hortman conditioned appointments to leadership positions on committees on the candidate's promise to be kind and polite to Republican colleagues.
"That's something she always stood for," Kegel said. "Even when there were really polarizing debates in the sessions, she would always say, 'Let's not be angry and mean. We have to find a way to discuss this in a civilized way.'"
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