Klobuchar on Minnesota shooter's motivation: There's 'some throughline with abortion'
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) said the deadly shooting of state Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman (D) and her husband on Saturday was politically motivated, noting that there was some "throughline with abortion" after his list of targets was found to include abortion advocates and facilities.
"Clearly, this is politically motivated," she told NBC's "Meet The Press" host Kristen Welker on Sunday when asked about a possible motive for the suspected shooter, who was identified as Vance Boelter, 57. He also shot state Sen. John Hoffman (D) and his wife, who were wounded.
Klobuchar mentioned Boelter's list of targets, which was found in his car. The list included “prominent pro-choice individuals in Minnesota, including many Democratic lawmakers who have been outspoken about pro-choice policy positions,” an official who has seen the list told The Hill’s sister network NewsNation.
"It was politically motivated, and there clearly was some throughline with abortion because of the groups that were on the list, and other things that I've heard were in this manifesto. So that was one of his motivations," she said.
Klobuchar noted that investigators are also looking into any possible interaction between the lawmakers and Boelter prior to the shooting.
"But again, they're also checking out, did he have interaction somehow with these without legislators? Is there more to this?" she said.
However, Klobuchar advised viewers not to speculate and let police "do their jobs."
"They obviously have information we don't have," the Democratic Senator said. "And so what we've been trying to do as political leaders is make really clear we will have plenty of time to analyze what happened here, but right now it is trying to report any sighting of this person, and to be very careful, and to listen to what law enforcement says. Because the advice has changed for obvious reasons over time. And that is what we have to do right now."
Her comments come after the FBI announced that it launched a manhunt for Boelter. Additionally, a $50,000 award is being offered for information leading to his arrest and conviction in the shooting.