Latest news with #politicalviolence
Daily Mail
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Accused Minnesota assassin Vance Boelter indicted on federal murder charges over Democrat shootings
A man indicted Tuesday on charges he fatally shot the Democratic leader in the Minnesota state House and her husband, and wounded another lawmaker and his wife, confessed to the crimes in a rambling handwritten letter to FBI Director Kash Patel, but didn't say why he targeted the couples, prosecutors said. Vance Boelter also wrote in the letter that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz had approached him about killing the state's two US senators, fellow Democrats Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith. Asked by a reporter if all that was a fantasy, acting US Attorney Joseph Thompson replied: 'Yes, I agree.' 'There is little evidence showing why he turned to political violence and extremism,' Thompson said. 'What he left were lists: politicians in Minnesota, lists of politicians in other states, lists of names of attorneys at national law firms.' The indictment handed up murder, stalking and firearms charges against Boelter. The murder counts in the deaths of former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, could carry the federal death penalty. The indictment also charged Boelter with shooting and wounding a state senator and his wife, and attempting to shoot their adult daughter. Thompson said a decision on whether to seek the death penalty 'will not come for several months' and will be up to US Attorney General Pam Bondi. Minnesota abolished its state death penalty in 1911, but President Donald Trump's administration says it intends to be aggressive in seeking capital punishment for eligible federal crimes. Prosecutors initially charged Boelter with the same six counts, but under federal court rules they needed a grand jury indictment to take the case to trial. His arraignment, where he could enter a plea, will probably be scheduled for later in the week, Thompson said Boelter's federal defender, Manny Atwal, did not immediately return messages seeking comment on the indictment and the new allegations. Thompson also disclosed new details at a news conference. He said investigators had found the handwritten letter, which was addressed to the FBI chief, in a car Boelter abandoned near his home. 'In the letter, Vance Boelter claims that he had been trained by the U.S. military off the books and he had conducted missions on behalf of the U.S. military in Asia, the Middle East and Africa,' Thompson said. The letter doesn't specifically say though why he targeted the Hortmans and Hoffmans. Friends have described Boelter as an evangelical Christian with politically conservative views who had been struggling to find work. At a hearing on July 3, Boelter said he was 'looking forward to the facts about the 14th coming out.' In an interview published by the New York Post on Saturday, Boelter insisted the shootings had nothing to do with his opposition to abortion or his support for Trump, but he declined to discuss why he allegedly killed the Hortmans and wounded the Hoffmans. 'You are fishing and I can´t talk about my case...I´ll say it didn´t involve either the Trump stuff or pro life,' Boelter wrote in a message to the newspaper via the jail´s messaging system. Boelter also faces state murder and attempted murder charges in Hennepin County, but the federal case will go first. Prosecutors say Boelter, 57, who has lived in rural Sibley County south of Minneapolis, was disguised as a police officer, driving a fake squad car, wearing a realistic rubber mask and wearing tactical gear around 2am on June 14 when he went to the home of Senator John Hoffman, a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, in the Minneapolis suburb of Champlin. He allegedly shot the senator nine times, and Yvette Hoffman eight times, but they survived. He also allegedly tried to kill their adult daughter, Hope, but they pushed her out of the way and she was not hit. Prosecutors allege he then stopped at the homes of two other lawmakers. One wasn't home while a police officer may have scared him off from the other target. Boelter then allegedly went to the Hortmans' home in nearby Brooklyn Park and killed both of them. Their dog was so gravely injured that he had to be euthanized. Brooklyn Park police, who had been alerted to the shootings of the Hoffmans, arrived at the Hortman home around 3:30am, moments before the gunman opened fire on the couple, court documents said. Boelter allegedly fled and left behind his car, which contained notebooks listing dozens of Democratic officials as potential targets with their home addresses, as well as five guns and a large quantity of ammunition. Thompson said the gun used to shoot the Hoffmans was found near the Hortman home, while the gun used to shoot the Hortmans was recovered from a pond near their home a few days later. Law enforcement officers finally captured Boelter about 40 hours later, about a mile from his rural home in Green Isle, after what authorities called the largest search for a suspect in state history. Senator Hoffman is out of the hospital and is now at a rehabilitation facility, his family announced last week, adding he has a long road to recovery. Yvette Hoffman was released a few days after the attack. Hope Hoffman said in a statement Tuesday that she was relieved that Boelter will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. 'Though I was not shot physically, I will now forever coexist with the PTSD of watching my parents be nearly shot dead in front of me and seeing my life flash before my eyes with a gun in my face,' she said. Hortman led the House from 2019 until January and was a driving force as Democrats passed an ambitious list of liberal priorities in 2023. She yielded the speakership to a Republican in a power-sharing deal after the November elections left the House tied, and she took the title speaker emerita.
CBS News
16 hours ago
- Politics
- CBS News
U.S. Attorney says grand jury indictment of Vance Boelter in Minnesota lawmaker shootings is first step in seeking death penalty
A federal grand jury Tuesday handed down a six-count indictment against Vance Boelter, the man accused of shooting two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses last month, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. Boelter, 57, is charged with killing former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, as well as shooting state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette, who survived. The grand jury indictment includes: If convicted on the stalking or shooting charges, Boelter could face a maximum sentence of life in prison. If convicted on the murder charges, he could face life in prison or the death penalty. Joseph H. Thompson, acting U.S. attorney for the District of Minnesota, who led Tuesday's news conference, says the indictment includes a "notice of special findings," which he says is the first step in seeking the death penalty. "The ultimate decision on whether to seek the death penalty will not come for several months," Thompson said. "And will ultimately be decided by Attorney General (Pam) Bondi with input from the Capitol Case Unit in the Department of Justice, along with this office and the victims." Boelter also faces state charges, and could face life without parole if convicted on those. Thompson previously said the federal case will precede Hennepin County's case because of the serious issues involved. "Vance Boelter committed a terrible act of political violence and extremism — a targeted political assassination that was unprecedented in the state of Minnesota," Thompson said Tuesday. "It's been a terrible, personal tragedy for the Hoffman and Hortman families and something that has rocked the entire state of Minnesota and even the country." Authorities say Boelter impersonated a police officer and shot the lawmakers and their spouses at their respective Twin Cities homes on June 14. He was arrested at his Sibley County home after a 36-hour manhunt that officials said was the largest in state history. Earlier this month, Boelter made a court appearance where he waived his right to a probable cause hearing and a detention hearing he had scheduled. He told the judge he was "looking forward to the truth about the 14th [getting] to the public." In a previous court appearance, Boelter told the court he hadn't slept in about two weeks and complained of poor conditions at the Sherburne County Jail in Elk River, Minnesota. The Sherburne County sheriff disputed those claims. Police recovered more than 50 guns from his Green Isle, Minnesota, home and his vehicle. This story will be updated.
Daily Mail
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Zohran Mamdani's dad's startling words about suicide bombers as 'soldiers' who could end his political career
The father of New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is facing backlash over a resurfaced book in which he referred to suicide bombers as a type of 'soldier.' Mahmood Mamdani - a 79-year-old professor of anthropology, political science, and African studies at Columbia University - has faced growing criticism, alongside his son, for his stance on Israel, particularly in the lead-up to the anticipated November election. On Thursday, however, Mahmood sparked a new wave of controversy on social media after an excerpt from his 2004 book, Bad Muslim: America, the Cold War, and the Roots of Terror, was shared on X. 'We need to recognize the suicide bomber, first and foremost, as a category of soldier,' the younger Mahmood wrote. 'Suicide bombing needs to be understood as a feature of modern political violence rather than stigmatized as a mark of barbarism,' he added. Since ultimately winning the Democratic primary, 33-year-old Zohran has faced mounting scrutiny, with some far-right MAGA lawmakers even calling for his citizenship to be revoked over claims linking him to 'Islamic terrorism.' Earlier this month, the self-described socialist was pressed by NBC's Kristen Welker over his refusal to condemn the phrase 'globalize the intifada' - a slogan many interpret as a call for violence against Israeli and Jewish people worldwide. His father has since been thrown into the voices of distaste, after billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman reposted an excerpt from Mahmood's book to X on July 10. 'The apple @ZohranKMomdani doesn't fall far from the tree,' he captioned it. One person online wrote in response: 'This is very scary,' while another added: 'Only an out-of-touch academic like this man could convince people that blowing yourself up with the express goal of killing as many innocents as possible, is not barbarism.' A third chimed in: 'This guy CANNOT win. And anyone who supports his candidacy is naïve.' The book - which argues that the labels 'good' Westernized and 'bad' premodern Muslims refer to political identities rather than cultural or religious ones - aims to provide insight into the years following 9/11 and address the pressing question of how it happened. In the excerpt, while defending his position on recognizing suicide bombers as 'soldiers,' Mahmood wrote: 'Clearly, the prime objective of the suicide bomber is not to terminate his or her own life but that of others defined as enemies.' 'Does not the suicide bomber join both aspects of our humanity, particularly as it has been fashioned by political modernity, in that we are willing to subordinate life - both our own and that of others - to objectives we consider higher than life?' he added. He then explains that labeling suicide bombing as mere 'barbarism' is dangerous, as it overlooks its nature as a form of political warfare rather than a random act of violence. 'The danger of a moral discussion by itself (how can any culture condone suicide) is that it quickly turns into a replay of Culture Talk, stereotyping individuals and preventing any deliberation about alternative strategies,' Mahmood wrote. The resurfacing of the 324-page book sparked renewed controversy over Mahmood's political and activist affiliations, revealing that the professor is involved with several groups condemning the unfolding genocide on Palestinian soil. Mahmood is listed on the advisory policy council for The Gaza Tribunal - an organization founded in London in 2024 with the stated goal of 'awakening civil society to its responsibility and opportunity to stop Israel's genocide in Gaza,' according to its website. Richard Falk, president of The Gaza Tribunal, outlined the group's support for the BDS movement, which critics describe as 'an international campaign to delegitimize the State of Israel as the expression of the Jewish people's right to national self-determination,' according to Influence Watch. The campaign, which stands for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions, is part of the Tribunal's broader mission, with Falk stating in an online post that it aims to 'legitimize and encourage civil society solidarity initiatives around the world, such as BDS.' Zohran has also voiced support for the BDS movement, stating that it is 'consistent with the core of my politics, which is non-violence,' in response to questions about whether he believes Israel has a right to exist. Despite the online backlash, Falk has stated that Jewish voters in Manhattan 'should not worry' about Mahmood ties to The Gaza Tribunal or about Zohran's candidacy for mayor, according to Fox News Digital. 'Both father and son are respectful of international law, the UN, human rights of all peoples, and the pacific settlement of political disputes,' Falk told the outlet. The Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health reported this week that more than 55,104 people in Gaza have been killed and nearly 127,400 have been wounded in the last 20 months - with women and children making up more than half of the casualties, according to the Associated Press. The World Health Organization also reported that many more are believed to be buried under rubble or in areas inaccessible to local medics, according to the outlet. On Wednesday, Israel announced that its forces had recovered the remains of two additional hostages in Gaza, while militants are still holding 53 captives - fewer than half of whom are believed to be alive.
Fox News
a day ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Report gives new details on Trump assassination attempt suspect's 'descent into madness'
The 20-year-old gunman who tried to assassinate President Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, last summer experienced a "descent into madness" leading up to the incident, during which he was "having conversations with someone that wasn't there," a new report says. The New York Times, citing thousands of pages of school assignments, internet activity logs and interviews with dozens of people who knew Thomas Matthew Crooks and the investigation surrounding him, among other documents, reported this week that "he went through a gradual and largely hidden transformation from a meek engineering student critical of political polarization to a focused killer who tried to build bombs." "There was a mysteriousness to Thomas Crooks's descent into madness," Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., who served on a Congressional task force that investigated the July 13, 2024 shooting, told the newspaper. He was "having conversations with someone that wasn't there," Higgins added, after learning information about Crooks' mental health during a trip to Pennsylvania to investigate the assassination attempt. TEXTS REVEAL OFFICERS WERE AWARE OF THOMAS CROOKS 90 MINUTES BEFORE SHOOTING Prior to the shooting targeting Trump, the only time Crooks got into trouble was receiving lunch detention in middle school for chewing gum, according to the New York Times. The newspaper reported that Crooks scored 1530 out of a possible 1600 on the SAT and graduated from the Community College of Allegheny County, where he spent several semesters on the dean's list while earning an engineering degree. He was preparing to transfer to Robert Morris University located outside of Pittsburgh, telling classmates he wanted to have a career in aerospace or robotics, the newspaper added. However, Crooks' father noticed his son's mental health taking a turn in the year before the shooting and especially after the May 2024 graduation, telling investigators he had seen Thomas talking to himself and dancing around in his bedroom late at night, the newspaper said. The alleged behavior coincided with a history of mental health and addiction struggles in Crooks' family, the New York Times reported, citing portions of a report from the Pennsylvania State Police. A classmate said to the newspaper that during high school, Crooks enjoyed talking about the economy and cryptocurrencies. At community college, he reportedly designed a chess board for the visually impaired, such as his mother, the New York Times added. "He seemed like a really intelligent kid – I thought he would be able to do whatever he wanted," Trish Thompson, who taught Crooks' engineering at the Community College of Allegheny County, told the newspaper. About a year before graduation, in April 2023, Crooks reportedly wrote an essay in favor of ranked-choice voting in American politics, arguing against "divisive and incendiary campaigns which are pulling the country apart." "As we move closer to the 2024 elections we should consider carefully the means by which we elect our officials," Crooks was quoted by the New York Times as saying. "We need an election system that promotes kindness and cooperation instead of division and anger." ATTEMPTED TRUMP ASSASSIN SEEN WALKING AROUND PENNSYLVANIA RALLY HOURS BEFORE OPENING FIRE Around that same time, the FBI said, Crooks made more than 25 different firearm-related purchases from online vendors using an alias. One purchase that Crooks made with an encrypted email address was gallons of nitromethane, a fuel additive that can be used to build explosives, according to the New York Times. He reportedly listed his home address for the delivery. In the summer of 2023, Crooks joined a local gun club, the New York Times reported. The newspaper added that Crooks visited news and gun websites, as well as the Trump administration's archives, before narrowing his online searches in the days leading up to the attack to queries such as 'How far was Oswald from Kennedy?'" Searches also included "major depressive disorder" and "depression crisis," the Times said. He also reportedly continued to show up for his job as a dietary aide at the Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in the weeks leading up to the Trump assassination attempt. On the night of the shooting, ATF agents visited Crooks' home in Bethel Park but had to evacuate after one spotted an ammunition can "with a white wire coming out" and a gallon jug labeled "nitromethane" in his closet, according to the New York Times. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Outside the property, agents then interviewed Crooks' parents, with them saying he liked building things and visiting the gun range, and his father also reportedly claiming that he did not "know anything" about his son.
CNA
2 days ago
- Politics
- CNA
Colombian senator Uribe showing signs of recovery after assassination attempt
BOGOTÁ: Colombian presidential candidate and senator Miguel Uribe is showing signs of improvement five weeks after surviving an assassination attempt, the clinic treating him said on Monday (Jul 14). Uribe, 39, was critically injured on Jun 7 when a 15-year-old suspected hitman opened fire during a campaign speech in Bogotá, striking him twice in the head and once in the leg. He underwent emergency surgery to stop internal bleeding and has remained in intensive care. The clinic said Uribe is still sedated and on a ventilator but "has shown a favourable and stable clinical response" to ongoing treatment. He is expected to begin neurorehabilitation to recover from his traumatic brain injuries. Authorities have arrested five individuals in connection with the attack, including the teenage shooter and one suspected mastermind. Uribe's wife, Maria Claudia Tarazona, said his condition continues to fluctuate. "It changes so quickly and is so difficult that I don't even ask what will happen tomorrow," she told Caracol Television on Sunday. "I see Miguel alive, his body warm, his heart beating, his breathing... and that's what I hold onto every day." The attempted assassination comes amid a broader security crisis in Colombia, where President Gustavo Petro's "total peace" strategy has struggled to curb violence. Armed groups continue to battle for control over drug trafficking routes, illegal mining zones and rural territories. The attack on Uribe, a conservative senator and prominent opposition figure, has intensified scrutiny on the country's deteriorating public safety and political tensions ahead of the next election cycle.
