Political violence is surging in America, and it’s hitting lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
From mayors and state legislators to the 535 members of Congress, public officials are increasingly finding themselves and their families in the crosshairs.
In 2024 alone, U.S. Capitol Police investigated more than 9,000 threats against lawmakers, marking more than an 18% increase from the year prior and part of a trend of growing threats against public officials, according to police records.
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In Utah, Democrat State Sen. Stephanie Pitcher said that she and her colleagues have faced an "uptick" in digital harassment, menacing emails, and even stalking serious enough to require highway patrol officers to monitor lawmakers’ homes.
"Certainly, people feel empowered online and the worst versions of people tend to come out online where there's little accountability, and you can even mask your identity," she told Fox News Digital. "I've had colleagues that have experienced or have had people stalking them who've had to get our Utah Highway Patrol involved to help patrol their neighborhood and do surveillance on their homes. I think that's terrifying and very scary."
"It’s not for a lack of laws," Pitcher said. "What we once thought of as innocuous online threats, we now take very seriously. Some of it is certainly the nature of politics, but it has gotten worse over the past year or two."
On June 16, Raleigh, North Carolina Mayor Janet Cowell described being jolted awake at 3 a.m. by her cat, only to spot a pickup idling outside her home, headlights blazing.
Just days earlier, a Minnesota gunman had shot two Democratic lawmakers and their spouses, killing two people and leaving investigators scrambling over a reported "hit list" of dozens of targets.
That same week, a man was charged with threatening to kill 41 North Carolina lawmakers over a dispute about a shrimping bill, the News & Observer reported.
"It all hit home," Cowell told the News & Observer. "And, so then, two nights later [after the Minnesota shootings], to have a car in front of your house at the same time of the night was just disturbing."
She called 911, requesting law enforcement to check out the suspicious activity. Before officers arrived, the idling vehicle left her suburban neighborhood.
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In Minnesota, the suspect, later identified as 57-year-old Vance Boelter, allegedly carried out the deadly attack against state lawmakers. On June 14, Boelter disguised himself as a member of law enforcement and traveled to the homes of Democratic elected officials with "the intent to intimidate and murder," according to the Department of Justice.
Early that morning, Boelter, authorities allege, traveled to the Hoffmans' home in Champlin, Minnesota. By posing as a police officer, Boelter allegedly compelled the Hoffmans to answer their door. He is accused of repeatedly shooting Sen. John A. Hoffman and Yvette Hoffman, and attempting to shoot their daughter, Hope Hoffman.
Boelter then traveled to the homes of two other Minnesota elected officials, only to find that no one at those locations was home, authorities said. He then allegedly drove to the home of Speaker Emerita and Representative Melissa Hortman.
There, authorities allege, Boelter repeatedly shot, and killed, Rep. Hortman and her husband, Mark. Following a two-day manhunt, law enforcement arrested him near his family residence in Green Isle, Minnesota.
"Vance Boelter planned and carried out a night of terror that shook Minnesota to its core," Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota Joseph H. Thompson said. "He carried out targeted political assassinations the likes of which have never been seen in Minnesota."
Boelter is facing federal charges including: six felony charges, including two counts of murder, two counts of stalking, and two firearms offenses. In Hennepin County, a grand jury has also indicted Boelter.
The state charges include two counts of first-degree murder for the killings of Melissa and Mark Hortman, and four counts of attempted first-degree murder for allegedly trying to kill State Sen. Hoffman, his wife Yvette Hoffman, their daughter Hope Hoffman, and State Rep. Kristin Bahner.
Minnesota does not have the death penalty, so the maximum penalty for the state charges is life in prison. The federal charges could potentially carry the death penalty, though.
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In Washington, members of Congress benefit from the U.S. Capitol Police. The agency's mandate extends beyond guarding the Capitol itself to investigating threats against lawmakers and coordinating with local police when danger arises in members’ home districts. Since the January 6 riots, the agency has expanded its intelligence and threat-monitoring operations.
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To address security at home, Congress approved funding for lawmakers to install surveillance cameras, alarm systems, and reinforced doors at their personal residences.
Most state lawmakers do not have their own protective service like the Capitol Police. Instead, responsibility falls to state police or highway patrol units, which can provide escorts or home surveillance when threats are deemed credible.
Original article source: Political violence surges across America as lawmakers face growing threats at home
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