September 9, 2026
St. Paul — Representative Paul Novotny (R-Elk River), GOP Chair of the House Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee, released the following statement in response to last Wednesday’s shooting in downtown Minneapolis:
“Tonight, my thoughts are first with the people who were shot, their families and everyone caught up in what happened in Minneapolis. This is a terrible tragedy, and there are still a lot of questions we don’t have answers to.
“We need to give investigators the time to determine exactly what happened before drawing conclusions.
“During my three decades in law enforcement, I came to know the painful feeling of learning that officers, who are husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters, had become victims while responding to calls themselves. These officers went into harm’s way to help others and found themselves in a very dangerous situation. I’m thinking about them, their families, their fellow officers and close friends tonight.
“Above all, my thoughts and prayers are with every person and family affected by what happened today, and with the Minneapolis community as it begins to process this tragedy.”
