Officials will hire an independent expert to conduct a security assessment of the Minnesota State Capitol complex in St. Paul, following the home shootings of two Minnesota lawmakers earlier this summer and a recent incident during which a man trespassed on the Capitol campus three times in 24 hours.
On Monday night, the state Department of Public Safety announced the Minnesota State Patrol began to discuss the importance of hiring a third-party firm for “an independent security review” following the June 14 murders of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and the shootings of state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette.
In addition to the shootings, a man was found naked Friday inside the Senate chamber at the State Capitol and was later arrested Saturday night after returning to the Capitol three times.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Public Safety Department, including the Minnesota State Patrol, and other law enforcement agencies will discuss security at the Capitol complex during a 2 p.m. news conference.
In recent weeks, there has been renewed discussion about whether security for the State Capitol building should be tightened. It is one of only a few in the country that does not use metal detectors or X-ray machines. Some officials are urging state leaders to add a screening process for those entering the building.
“The assessment is in addition to measures already taken to improve security at the Capitol complex in collaboration with local law enforcement partners,” the department said in a Monday night release.
