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North Star Stories: Voices from Where We Live is comprised of a weekly 30-minute magazine-style newscast and daily, five-minute headlines segments that shine a spotlight on the stories and perspectives of Minnesota’s diverse communities, including Black, Latine, Asian American, East African individuals, people living with disabilities, LGBTQIA2S+ residents, laborers, veterans, and those from Greater Minnesota.
INTRO: YOU ARE LISTENING TO NORTH STAR STORIES: VOICES FROM WHERE WE LIVE, A DAILY NEWSCAST ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO LIVE IN MINNESOTA.
XAN HOLSTON: WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
REP. BAHNER: HE MISSED US GOING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY BY MAYBE 15 MINUTES.
XAN HOLSTON: MAPLE GROVE REPRESENTATIVE KRISTIN BAHNER WASN’T HOME WHEN CONFESSED POLITICAL ASSASSIN VANCE BOELTER CAME TO HER DOOR.
BAHNER WAS ONE OF THE LAWMAKERS AND OFFICIALS HE TARGETED IN THE 90 MINUTES BETWEEN SHOOTING SENATOR JOHN HOFFMAN AND HIS WIFE YVETTE … AND THE MURDERS OF FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER MELISSA HORTMAN, HER HUSBAND MARK, AND THEIR DOG GILBERT.
LAST WEEK BOELTER PLEADED GUILTY TO SIX FEDERAL COUNTS. IN HIS PLEA AGREEMENT HE ADMITTED HE PLANNED THE MURDERS MONTHS IN ADVANCE … ACTED ALONE … AND IMPERSONATED A POLICE OFFICER TO MOVE FROM LAWMAKER TO LAWMAKER.
INVESTIGATORS FOUND NOTEBOOKS WITH THE NAMES AND PERSONAL INFORMATION OF MORE THAN 45 STATE AND FEDERAL OFFICIALS.
REPRESENTATIVE BAHNER SAYS WHEN POLICE NOTIFIED HER THAT BOELTER HAD COME TO THEIR DOOR … SHE WAS IN SHOCK … AND SCARED FOR HER FAMILY.
REP. BAHNER: I DIDN'T WANT TO BELIEVE IT, BUT I KNEW, AND I SPENT THE NEXT DAY MOSTLY IN A BLUR. I'M NOT GONNA LIE, WORRYING INCESSANTLY ABOUT THE CHILDREN.
XAN HOLSTON: COURT RECORDS SAY IT STARTED AROUND TWO A-M AT SENATOR HOFFMAN’S HOME IN CHAMPLIN
BOELTER ARRIVED IN WHAT LOOKED LIKE A POLICE CRUISER ... DISGUISED AS AN OFFICER … BANGED ON THE FRONT DOOR … AND SHOT THE HOFFMANS MULTIPLE TIMES.
THE HOFFMAN’S DAUGHTER … HOPE … CALLED 9-1-1 AT TWO-O-FIVE A-M
BY 2-20 … BOELTER WAS IN MAPLE GROVE AT REPRESENTATIVE BAHNER’S FRONT DOOR … BUT SHE AND HER FAMILY WERE GONE.
AROUND 2-36 ... A NEW HOPE OFFICER DOING A WELLFARE CHECK ON SENATOR ANN REST’S SAW BOELTER IN HIS BLACK S-U-V NEAR THE HOME.
U-S ATTORNEY JOE THOMPSON SAYS THE OFFICER THOUGHT BOELTER WAS LAW ENFORCEMENT AND TRIED TO TALK TO HIM, BUT …
US ATTY JOE THOMPSON: BOELTER DID NOT RESPOND. ACCORDING TO THE OFFICER, HE JUST SAT THERE AND STARED STRAIGHT AHEAD.
XAN HOLSTON: THE OFFICER CONTINUED TO CHECK ON REST ... BY THE TIME MORE OFFICERS ARRIVED ... BOELTER WAS GONE.
NINETY MINUTES AFTER HOPE HOFFAMN’S 9-1-1 CALL … BROOKLYN PARK POLICE ARRIVED AT THE HORTMAN’S … WHERE BOELTER’S FAKE POLICE S-U-V WAS OUT FRONT … WITH POLICE-STYLE LIGHTS FLASHING.
AUTHORITIES SAY OFFICERS SAW BOELTER SHOOT MARK HORTMAN … THEN RUN INSIDE THE HOME … WHERE HE KILLED MELISSA HORTMAN AND THEIR DOG.
POLICE WAITED OUTSIDE THE HORTMAN HOME FOR NEARLY 90 MINUTES BEFORE ENTERING ... THE POLICE ACTIONS OUTSIDE THE HORTMAN’S HOME IS NOW THE FOCUS OF AN INTERNAL INVESTIGATION ON POLICE RESPONSE.
MEANWHILE ... A PATCHWORK OF OTHER LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ATTEMPTED TO WORK WITH CAPITOL AND STATE POLICE TO CONTACT AND WARN OTHER LAWMAKERS OF THE DANGER.
BUT THERE WAS NO SINGLE, RELIABLE WAY TO WARN EVERY LAWMAKER AT HOME THAT A GUNMAN POSING AS POLICE MAY BE COMING TO THEIR DOOR.
SINCE THEN … STATE LEADERS HAVE WORKED TO UPDATE ALERT SYSTEMS … AND CREATED A NEW CAPITOL SECURITY UNIT TO RESPOND TO THREATS AGAINST LAWMAKERS.
FOR BAHNER … THE CHANGES COME AFTER A YEAR OF TRYING TO KEEP DOING THE JOB … WHILE LIVING WITH WHAT HAPPENED.
REP. BAHNER: THERE ARE TIMES AND PLACES WHERE I AM TERRIFIED, BUT I'M NOT GOING TO LET IT STOP ME FROM HELPING MY NEIGHBORS.
XAN HOLSTON: NORTH STAR STORIES WILL TAKE A DEEPER LOOK AT IT THIS WEEK.
BROOKLYN PARK WILL HOLD A COMMUNITY REMEMBRANCE WEDNESDAY NIGHT IN THE EDINBURGH NEIGHBORHOOD … WHERE MELISSA AND MARK HORTMAN LIVED.
THE EVENT RUNS FROM SIX TO SEVEN-THIRTY… AT 87-HUNDRED EDINBROOK CROSSING.
THE COMMUNITY GATHERING WILL REMEMBER THE HORTMAN FAMILY AND HONOR THE HOFFMAN FAMILY’S RECOVERY.
BEMIDJI CITY LEADERS SAY FEDERAL OFFICIALS STILL HAVEN’T TOLD THEM HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE DETAINED IN LAST WEEK’S ICE OPERATION.
MAYOR JORGE PRINCE SAYS SEVERAL CONTRACTOR EMPLOYEES WERE TAKEN INTO CUSTODY AT THE VISTA NORTH HOUSING DEVELOPMENT THURSDAY.
CITY POLICE AND BELTRAMI COUNTY DEPUTIES SAY THEY DID NOT TAKE PART.
NATIVE CHILD-WELFARE PROTECTIONS WILL STAY IN PLACE AFTER THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE TO THE INDIAN CHILD WELFARE ACT IN DECADES.
THE U-S SUPREME COURT REJECTED CLAIMS THAT THE LAW UNFAIRLY FAVORS NATIVE FAMILIES IN FOSTER CARE AND ADOPTION CASES.
TRIBAL ADVOCATES CALL IT A MAJOR WIN FOR NATIVE CHILDREN, FAMILIES AND SOVEREIGN NATIONS.
WE LEAVE YOU WITH FINAL THOUGHTS FROM MINNESOTA LONGTIME SPORTS JOURNALIST LARRY FITZGERALD SENIOR... WHO DIED THIS MONTH AT 71.
FITZGERALD SPENT MORE THAN 45 YEARS AT THE MINNESOTA SPOKESMAN-RECORDER… COVERING SPORTS… MENTORING JOURNALISTS… AND PUSHING FOR BLACK ATHLETES AND COACHES TO GET THE COVERAGE THEY DESERVED. K-M-O-J RADIO C-E-O FREDDIE BELL SAYS FITZGERALD WAS A ROCK OF THE COMMUNITY.
FREDDIE BELL: WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT SPORTS… YOU THINK ABOUT LARRY. WE’VE REALLY LOST A REAL ICON.
XAN HOLSTON: FITZGERALD WAS ALSO THE FATHER OF CARDINALS FOOTBALL GREAT LARRY FITZGERALD JUNIOR… WHO WILL BE INDUCTED INTO THE PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME THIS SUMMER.
‘THE ORIGINAL’ LARRY FITZGERALD SENIOR LEFT LISTENERS WITH THIS MESSAGE:
LARRY FITZGERALD: LARRY FITZGERALD REMINDING YOU THAT THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE WAITING FOR YOU AT THE EXIT RAMP OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE… AN INVESTMENT IN KNOWLEDGE ALWAYS PAYS THE BEST INTEREST.
XAN HOLSTON: FOR NORTH STAR STORIES, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
OUTRO: NORTH STAR STORIES IS PRODUCED BY AMPERS, DIVERSE RADIO FOR MINNESOTA'S COMMUNITIES WITH SUPPORT FROM THE MCKNIGHT FOUNDATION AND THE STATE OF MINNESOTA. ONLINE AT AMPERS DOT ORG.