St. Cloud Mayor Warns Assassinations Are Threat to Good Governance

(KNSI) – In the wake of this weekend’s shootings, politicians at the state and local level are trying to draw a red line at targeted assassinations.

Attempts have been made against both sides of the aisle in recent years, including President Donald Trump, a Republican, and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, a Democrat. St. Cloud Mayor Jake Anderson told KNSI Tuesday morning that the trend must be stopped now, or it risks becoming a part of the fabric of our political culture forever.

Anderson warns, “It’s like when the first school shootings occurred, right? You couldn’t believe this was happening. We can’t create this as the new normal. We have to ensure that violence is not accepted.”

He paints a stark picture of the consequences if the effort fails. “We can’t accept this as any type of normal. If we do, our entire government is in trouble because it strikes fear in people. Good people don’t want to serve in government.”

Four DFL lawmakers from the Twin Cities area were targeted early Saturday morning. Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman was murdered at her Brooklyn Park home.

___