Minnesota Shooting Suspect had Target List of Abortion Providers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
June 14, 2025 
CONTACT: Carina Pacheco, [email protected] 

Statement from NAF Chief Program Officer Melissa Fowler:

“We are beyond devastated by the murders of Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband and the violent attacks on Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman and his wife. It is clear that these were politically motivated attacks—police found the suspect’s list of over 70 targets, which include a number of abortion providers and pro-abortion advocates. This is a horrific tragedy. No public servant, medical professional, or any individual should have to live in fear of violence.”

“NAF has been tracking incidents of violence and disruption against abortion providers for 45 years, and this targeting of providers is unfortunately not new. The harassment and violence targeting physicians, nurses, clinic staff, and the people they care for is yet another form of hate and fear-mongering inflicted by white supremacists and far-right extremists.

“Despite these attacks, just this past week, anti-abortion lawmakers in the House Judiciary Committee voted to advance a repeal of the FACE Act—a critical piece of legislation that has been effective at keeping abortion providers and their patients safer since 1994, after abortion provider Dr. David Gunn was fatally shot in Florida in 1993. This legislative action follows the Trump administration’s announcement in January that it would no longer be enforcing the FACE Act and going so far as to pardon individuals who were convicted of FACE Act violations. Since then, NAF has already heard from providers who are seeing an increase in harassment and violence at their clinics, as extremists start to test what they can get away with.

“NAF is working with our members in Minnesota to provide additional security support while the suspect is still at large. NAF will do everything within our power to ensure abortion providers have the resources, trainings, and security support so that they can continue to provide quality, evidence-based abortion care to their communities.”