Sen. Baldwin, Reps. Moore, Pocan included on Minnesota shooter's list; Wisconsin lawmakers react to tragedy

MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Eleven Wisconsin lawmakers were named in a manifesto believed to be written by a Minnesota man who is accused of shooting and killing Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, according to Democratic sources. On Monday, June 12, the three Democrats representing Wisconsin in Congress, Senator Tammy Baldwin and Representatives Gwen Moore and Mark Pocan, were on the suspected gunman's list. 

A spokesperson for Sen. Baldwin sent us the following statement: 

“Senator Baldwin was informed by law enforcement that she was included on the alleged shooters' list of names. She is grateful for law enforcement’s swift action to keep the community safe and remains focused on the things that matter most here: honoring the legacy and life of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, praying for the other victims who are fighting for their lives, and condemning this abhorrent, senseless political violence.”

A spokesperson for Pocan confirmed Monday afternoon the Madison area Democrat was also on the suspected gunman's list.

“I recently heard that my name was in one of the Minnesota shooting suspect’s notebooks and I’m appreciative that law enforcement apprehended the suspect," Pocan said in a statement. "I will not back down in the face of terror, however, we, as elected officials, must do better to lower the temperature. That said, my schedule remains unchanged.”

Pocan followed up later in the day with a second statement, sharing his name was on "additional documents" found, not on the original manifesto police found immediately after the shooting Saturday morning.

“It came to my attention on Sunday," Pocan said. "We have received no other information.”

Rep. Gwen Moore told CBS 58 at a Port of Milwaukee event Monday morning she's horrified by the situation. 

Moore said Hortman was a close friend of her colleague, Congresswoman Betty McCollum, and upon hearing the news, Moore reached out to her colleagues and counterparts in Minnesota to make sure they were safe and offer support. 

Moore posted on X Monday evening she had also learned she was on the suspected gunman's list.

Moore told CBS 58 she feels political violence is becoming more and more common in the United States, especially toward women, and she wants President Donald Trump to publicly denounce that behavior. 

"I would implore the President of the United States to try to work toward calming some of the rhetoric down," Moore said. "His anger, his retribution, his resolve to retaliate is spilling out into the culture, and it's continuing to divide Americans." 

State lawmakers affected

Democratic sources told CBS 58 this weekend at the state party's convention in Wisconsin Dells several state lawmakers were also on suspected gunman Vance Boelter's list.

State Sen. Kelda Roys (D-Madison) declined to say whether she was notified about being on the list. Early accounts about Boelter indicate he was fervently anti-abortion, and Roys acknowledged she's been one of the Legislature's most outspoken abortion rights supporters.

"What I'll say is that law enforcement has been really clear that they do not want the folks who were on the list to be publicly named," Roys said. "And that is because of the risk of copycat violence, so I'm not gonna be discussing the individual content of myself or my colleagues who may or may not be on the list."

State Rep. Christine Sinicki (D-Milwaukee) said the mood at the convention was initially one of sadness at times Saturday, but she added it was for the best Democrats were with one another over the weekend as they processed the information coming in from Minnesota.

"I think it was a good thing that so many of us were in the same space when we got all this news," Sinicki said. "Because there were a lot of hugs and a lot of, 'I hope you're alright, are you hanging in there?'"

Seeking security measures

When asked what she thought could be done to keep lawmakers safe, Roys pointed to a bill Gov. Tony Evers signed into law last year. It restricted how data companies are able to use judges' personal information, including their home addresses. The goal is to make it harder to find those details about judges.

The bill was based on the 2022 killing of former Juneau County Judge John Roemer. Roys said she'd like to see the Legislature expand that protection to lawmakers, prosecutors and public defenders.

"To me, it seems like a no-brainer," Roys said. "That, if you're an elected official, that you should be able to avail yourself of those types of services."

Brian Dorow, who runs a private security company, Secure Resources Unlimited, said he agreed such legislation could put a useful barrier between lawmakers and a would-be assassin.

"That all makes sense because these are public figures," Dorow said. "If I Google you, your name's gonna come up. I can look at your house. Let's get rid of that. Let's make it more challenging."

Dorow said the most important security factor is people alerting authorities when somebody they know appears to be getting radicalized. He added one of the most frightening aspects of the Minnesota shootings was the reminder of how easy it has become to impersonate a police officer.

"Certainly, you can procure a badge," he said. "You can procure a uniform, patches. All that stuff is readily accessible, and you can get that almost immediately."

As for more immediate security measures, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) told media outlets through a spokesperson Monday he plans to request an increased security presence for Wednesday's session at the state Capitol. Vos' office did not respond to request for an interview Monday.

Security at the Capitol was a conversation in the fall of 2023 when a man armed with a handgun went to the Capitol to speak with Evers. Police arrested him, but later that same day, the man was released from jail and returned to the Capitol with an AK-style assault rifle. The man was arrested again, and nobody was hurt.

Roys said she opposes the idea of metal detectors or fewer public entrances to the Capitol.

"I'm not a fan of locking the Capitol down or having metal detectors," Roys said. "I think this beautiful building belongs to everyone in the state of Wisconsin, and we want it to be open."

Meantime, Wisconsin lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are reacting to the shooting: