Gov. JB Pritzker says he wasn't among Midwest officials on alleged Minnesota shooter's lists

Chicago Tribune

6 hours ago

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said Monday his name was not among those of Midwestern officials kept on lists by the 57-year-old man charged with assassinating the Democratic leader of the Minnesota House and her husband.
Pritzker, who was in Minnesota on Friday for a state Democratic Party fundraiser, made the comments about 12 hours after Minnesota law enforcement officials confirmed late Sunday the alleged shooter, Vance Boelter, had information that featured public officials in other states, including Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois.
'There is not a hit list that has Illinois politicians on it,' said Pritzker, who told reporters he'd been in touch with the head of the FBI's Chicago office as well as Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
In addition to a list of about 70 names found in Boelter's vehicle before he was apprehended on Sunday night, there was 'a hodgepodge of names that were put together, but not, as I have been told, a hit list of any sort,' Pritzker said.
'As I understand, I was not on that list,' the governor said.
Pritzker said there were 'Illinois folks' listed but the governor did not provide any names of who those Illinois politicians were.
'The FBI specifically said to me that these people are not targets, and they certainly, now that he has been apprehended … they're not concerned about those people being targeted in any way whatsoever,' Pritzker said.
A spokesman for Illinois Senate President Don Harmon had no immediate comment on whether the Oak Park Democrat's name or those of any state Senate Democrats appeared on any such list.
A spokesman for Illinois House Speaker Emanuel 'Chris' Welch said there was no indication the Hillside Democrat was among those named.
But Welch spokesman Jon Maxson said he understood some House Democrats' names were found on some documents among Boelter's possessions. Maxson said there will be a more formal briefing from the Illinois State Police for any lawmakers concerned about their security.
A spokeswoman for the Illinois State Police said the agency 'is communicating with individuals in Illinois whose names were on one of the lists found' among Boelter's possessions.
'The information the shooter had accumulated, potentially in paper and electronic form, was filled with inaccuracies and needs to be put into the appropriate context before being shared with the individuals being referenced, and has been in the process of being vetted overnight by ISP special agent,' Illinois State Police spokeswoman Melaney Arnold said Monday morning in an emailed response to questions. She said she had no other information to provide at that time.
At a separate news conference Monday after federal charges were filed against Boelter, Joseph Thompson, the acting U.S. attorney for Minnesota, said it was 'clear from the evidence that he's been planning these attacks for quite some time.'
'There's voluminous writings, as you've seen in the reporting, that were found both in his car and his house, about his planning, lists of names and individuals,' Thompson said. 'In terms of the why, it's unclear.'
In addition to being charged in the deaths of state House Democratic leader Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, Boelter allegedly also shot and injured Democratic Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, in the early morning hours Saturday.