Texas reps. planning to attend anti-Trump rally warned of 'credible threats' following 'politically motivated' shooting
The Texas Department of Public Safety has warned Saturday that 'credible threats' have been made to state legislators and their staff who plan to attend an anti-Trump rally at the Capitol in Austin.
This comes hours after two Democratic Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses were shot by a former appointee of the state's governor, Tim Walz.
The DPS alert was sent out just before 1pm on Saturday, according to emails obtained by The Texas Tribune.
Austin's 'No Kings Day' protest was scheduled to begin at 5pm, and roughly a half hour before, Texas House Democratic Caucus Chair and state Rep. Gene Wu confirmed it would commence as planned, despite the threats.
'We have every indication from the Austin No Kings organizers and Hands Off Central TX that our demonstration will continue,' Wu said in a statement.
'We are in active conversations with public safety officials, as well as state and local leaders to ensure have the opportunity to exercise their First Amendment rights without fear, intimidation, or violence,' he added.
And ten minutes before 5pm, a man was arrested in connection to the threats made this afternoon, a spokesperson with Texas DPS told DailyMail.com
A state trooper with DPS arrested the man in La Grange, a city 65 miles southeast of Austin.
The spokesperson said there is no longer an active threat against the Austin protest, which is one of more than 2,000 'No King Day' events across the country on Saturday meant to protest President Donald Trump's actions in his second term.
Officials scheduled to speak at the Capitol protest include Democratic US Reps. Greg Casar and Lloyd Dogfgett; Democratic state Reps. Lulu Flores and John Bucy III; and Democratic state Sen. Sarah Eckhardt.
Organizations involved with coordinating this large-scale resistance are strongly pushing back against what they describe as Trump's march toward authoritarianism on issues such as immigration enforcement, civil rights and cuts to the federal government through DOGE.
The simple message people involved want to get across is that 'we don't do kings in America,' said Ezra Levin, the co-executive director of progressive organizing group Indivisible.
The protests were also meant to counter Trump's military parade in Washington, D.C., which began at 6:30pm ET.
The threat against Austin's 'No Kings Day' protest came at a particularly sensitive moment.
Early on Saturday morning, a gunman entered the residence of Minnesota state Senator John Hoffman and his wife early Saturday, shooting both and leaving them critically injured.
He then proceeded to the home of former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman, where she and her husband were fatally shot.
Both lawmakers who were shot were Democrats.
Vance Luther Boelter, 57, who was appointed by Walz in 2019 to serve a four-year stint on the Governor's Workforce Development Board, has been identified as the suspect in the quadruple shooting.
The first shooting occurred just after 2am at Hoffman's home in Champlin, about 20 miles from Minneapolis. Hoffman and his wife were shot multiple times, KSTP reported.
The second attack took place at around 4am at Hortman's Brooklyn Park residence, eight miles south. After that shooting, police engaged the suspect in a gunfight on the street, officials said.
Drew Evans, head of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, confirmed that the suspect escaped during the exchange and remains at large.
According to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Boelter stands at 6-foot-1, weighs roughly 220 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes.
He was last seen on Saturday morning in Minneapolis, wearing a light-colored cowboy hat, a dark long-sleeve shirt, and light pants.
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The Sun
27 minutes ago
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Decapitated, disfigured and crushed to death… the most gruesome Disney disasters to hit beloved theme parks
BENEATH the sparkle of Sleeping Beauty's Castle and the cheery tunes of Main Street USA, Disneyland and its sister parks have endured moments of sheer horror. Over the decades, a series of gruesome incidents - from decapitations to crushing deaths have hit the beloved attractions. 17 17 17 Tragic deaths and injuries have hit the parks in the past - but Disney has worked to modernize safety systems. Accidents are rare these days at the attractions. But these shocking incidents remain a sobering reminder that even in the most magical place on Earth, things can go terribly wrong. Here is a roundup of some of the most gruesome disasters to hit Disney parks. Decapitated on the Matterhorn Bobsleds The snowy peaks of the Matterhorn turned into a scene of horror on January 3, 1984. Dolly Regene Young, 47, was thrown from her bobsled and decapitated when fatally struck by another oncoming vehicle. According to Snopes, Young's seat belt was found unbuckled, but it was never determined whether she removed it herself or if it had malfunctioned. Her absence wasn't even noticed until the ride concluded and the grisly discovery was made. Disney was not held legally responsible, but the shock and brutality of the incident continue to haunt the ride's history. Crushed to death at America Sings 17 17 It was supposed to be a fun summer job. But on July 8, 1974, 18-year-old Deborah Gail Stone, a promising student and new Disneyland employee, was crushed to death in front of stunned guests. The rotating wall of the America Sings attraction closed in on her, trapping her between a moving and stationary section. It is unclear whether a misstep or insufficient training led her to the fatal spot, according to David Koenig's book 'Mouse Tales'. The attraction shut down for two days while emergency safety modifications — including warning lights and breakaway walls — were installed. No official blame was cast on Disney, but the case cast a long shadow over park operations. Dragged under Roger Rabbit ride 17 17 A trip to Toontown turned into a medical nightmare for four-year-old Brandon Zucker, who slipped from a Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin vehicle on September 22, 2000. He was dragged beneath the car, sustaining devastating internal injuries, brain damage, and cardiac arrest. According to the LA Times, the lap bar may have malfunctioned, and the child had been seated near an open side. After two years, Disney settled with the family for an undisclosed amount, without admitting fault. The settlement's terms were not made public, but guaranteed the boy would receive medical treatment for the remainder of his life. Brandon remained severely disabled until his death in 2009 at age 13. He was found unresponsive at his dad's home in Anaheim and died at Children's Hospital of Orange County, the Pantagraph reported at the time. Deadly derailment on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad 17 17 17 A routine thrill ride became a fatal wreck on September 5, 2003, when Big Thunder Mountain Railroad derailed. Marcelo Torres, a 22-year-old graphic designer, suffered massive internal bleeding and blunt-force trauma when the ride's locomotive detached and slammed into his passenger car. As ABC7 News reported at the time, investigators discovered that fasteners on the train's wheel assembly had not been properly tightened — a maintenance error that caused the axle to come loose. Ten others were injured in the crash. Though Disney settled the lawsuit with Torres' family, the park was widely criticized for what some called a "cost-cutting culture" in the maintenance department during the early 2000s. 17 Fatal blow on the Sailing Ship Columbia A Christmas Eve cruise around the Rivers of America ended in death and chaos when a metal cleat tore loose from the Sailing Ship Columbia and struck two guests and a cast member in 1998. One man, 33, later died from head injuries. According to Aitken Law, the plaintiff's attorneys on the case, the cleat came free when a nylon rope — used in place of the standard, non-stretch hemp — snapped and recoiled, launching the hardware into the crowd. California's OSHA (Division of Occupational Safety and Health) fined Disney $12,500 for inadequate training and misuse of materials. The company paid the victim's family an estimated $25 million in a settlement. 17 17 Foot crushed on Alice in Wonderland ride A 15-year-old boy from Mesa, Arizona, left Disneyland with broken bones after his foot became wedged between a moving ride vehicle and a guardrail on December 21, 2000. Emergency responders were called after the teen's leg was crushed while riding the Alice in Wonderland attraction, the LA Times reported. Investigators found that the boy had likely been dangling his leg outside the vehicle — despite visible signage and lap bar restraints advising against it. Anaheim Fire Division Chief Kent Mastain said 'the car did exactly what it was supposed to do,' stopping automatically. Disneyland reopened the ride just hours later and was not found liable for the accident. Space Mountain ejection leaves teen paralyzed 17 In 1983, 18-year-old James Higgins was left partially paralyzed and brain-damaged after allegedly being thrown from his seat on Space Mountain. Higgins sued Disney, claiming a flawed lap bar design was to blame. His attorneys sought $3.3 million in damages. The case hinged on the ring-shaped lap bars then in use, which a physicist testified could be removed by guests, according to the LA Times. However, under cross-examination, the expert admitted gravity and proper positioning should have kept riders in place. The jury sided with Disney in 1985, 9–3, determining Higgins may have stood up mid-ride despite warnings. The lap bar was eventually replaced, but no fault was ever assigned to Disney. 'Permanently disfigured' after Blizzard Beach horror 17 17 Meanwhile in Florida, a 334-pound Disney World guest is suing the company after allegedly being 'permanently disfigured ' in a water slide accident at Blizzard Beach. Eugene Strickland filed a lawsuit in Orange County on May 29, seeking over $50,000 for 'permanent catastrophic injuries' he claims were caused by Disney's negligence. Strickland says he was allowed to ride the Downhill Double Dipper, despite exceeding the 300-pound weight limit set by ASTM guidelines. At the time, he weighed 334 pounds. A jury trial is scheduled for May 2027. Disney has not yet commented on the case. The Sun reached out to Disney for comment. Disabled woman dead after Jungle Cruise fall 17 In one of Disneyland's most recent cases, a disabled woman died of septic shock after falling while trying to exit the Jungle Cruise in 2021. 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Daily Mail
34 minutes ago
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Jimmy Kimmel takes to the streets during No Kings protest against Trump with obscene MAGA insult
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34 minutes ago
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Fox News guest is yanked off air as she slurs her words after drinking champagne during military parade
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