A person with a criminal history broke into the state capitol overnight and vandalized it, according to statements released by lawmakers on Saturday.
The Minnesota State Patrol did not immediately return calls or emails Saturday afternoon to confirm the crime or release details about it.
Minnesota Senate Republican Leader Mark Johnson released a statement calling on the State Patrol and the Capitol’s security teams to prevent any such future break-ins.
“I’m disappointed to learn that a major security breach occurred on Friday night and Saturday morning. We are living in a heightened threat environment. I expect the (State Patrol and Capitol security teams) will thoroughly review what happened and give Capitol officials and staff, and the public, their assurances that this will not happen again,” Johnson said.
In a statement released Saturday, House Speaker Rep. Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, hinted that the person suspected of trespassing had not been arrested.
“It’s frustrating that an individual with a criminal history was able to allegedly vandalize the Capitol and unlawfully trespass in the Senate chamber without being taken into custody,” Demuth said. “Anyone who trespasses in any building — let alone the State Capitol — should be arrested and prosecuted for breaking the law, and I look forward to learning why this did not take place in this highly disturbing incident.”
The incident occurred six weeks after a man shot four people in what authorities are calling a politically motivated assassination. Vance Luther Boelter, 57, is accused of fatally shooting Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, and wounding Sen. John Hoffman and his wife in another shooting in suburban Minneapolis.
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