Minnesota Shooting: Gunman Allegedly Used Online Data to Hunt Politicians, Find Addresses

A horrifying act of violence happened in Minnesota over the weekend as State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband were fatally shot in their home.

The suspected shooter, 57-year-old Vance Boelter, is also accused of critically wounding State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, in a related attack earlier that same night.

According to the investigation, authorities found that Boelter potentially used online data broker services to obtain private information on his victims.

Shooter Tracked Lawmakers Using Publicly Available Information

Minnesota Shooting: Gunman Allegedly Used Online Data to Hunt Politicians

As reported in an FBI affidavit obtained by WIRED, police found notebooks in Boelter's car with the handwritten names and addresses of over 45 Minnesota state and federal officials.

Rep. Hortman was among them, her name found alongside her home address. The police also discovered a list of 11 websites most often used to trace individuals' personal details, indicating that Boelter used the internet extensively to prepare for his attack.

Both victims' addresses were publicly available—Hortman's on her campaign site, Hoffman's on his legislative website, The New York Times said. Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson charged the suspect with carefully stalking his victims before shooting them, gathering information on them and their families from these sites.

Data Privacy Regulation Needs a Major Revamp

The devastating episode has reignited intense calls for the United States to crack down on the largely unregulated data broker business. Critics say that in the absence of significant legislation, anyone with a credit card can buy sensitive information, from home addresses to names of family members, with little effort.

Oregon's Senator Ron Wyden voiced outrage, stating that Congress doesn't require any more evidence that there are killings based on sold personal data. He said that every American's safety is at stake until Congress cracks down on this "sleazy industry."

Cybersecurity professionals attest to how simple it is to access personal data. Gary Warner of DarkTower explained that even for people who have resided at the same house for many years, obtaining home addresses is "trivial." Even lesser-known figures can be traced using publicly available "people search" engines.

Increasing Pressure for Congressional Action

Digital rights organizations such as Fight for the Future have long cautioned of the risks data brokers present. Deputy Director Evan Greer highlighted the severity of the situation and noted,

"These are not the first murders that have been abetted by the data broker industry. But most of the previous targets were relatively unknown victims of stalking and abuse."

Despite continued attempts, the US continues to remain without comprehensive federal data privacy legislation, exposing citizens to doxing, stalking, as well as violent assaults.