LANSING, Mich. — Michigan lawmakers are being urged to remain vigilant following a shooting in Minnesota that left one lawmaker dead and another seriously injured.
- A Michigan state representative opens up about their safety following the assassination of a Minnesota legislator.
- Emily Dievendorf says now is the time for state lawmakers to 'keep each other safe'.
- Watch the video to see Dievendorf's comments and hear from an MSU student who leads a political group on campus
WATCH: MICHIGAN LAWMAKERS RESPOND TO DEADLY MINNESOTA SHOOTING THAT TARGETED ELECTED OFFICIALS
"I was horrified and then I was concerned," said Rep. Emily Dievendorf, who represents Michigan's 77th District.
The shooting has heightened awareness about the dangers facing elected officials as details emerge about the Minnesota incident, where authorities revealed the suspect had a hit list of 45 lawmakers, including Michigan U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.
"There has been a growing threat against us and against democracy. That means that we need to do more to keep each other safe," Dievendorf said.
WATCH: SIX MICHIGAN LAWMAKERS ON ALLEGED MINNESOTA SHOOTER'S HIT LIST
The Democratic state representative told me she's received hundreds of threats since taking office more than two years ago.
"I'm not sure if the average person understands that that is an experience that comes with running for office and serving for office," Dievendorf said.
Despite these concerns, Dievendorf emphasized that connecting with constituents remains essential to her role.
"I'm not here just for the people, I'm of the people. I need to be out and about in my community for me to be able to feel the pulse," Dievendorf said.
WATCH: MULTIPLE WISCONSIN LAWMAKERS NAMED IN ALLEGED HIT LIST FOLLOWING MINNESOTA SHOOTING
For young people interested in politics, the violence hasn't deterred their ambitions. Michigan State University junior Jade Holloway, who serves as president of MSU College Democrats, remains committed to political engagement.
"Not at all, honestly," Holloway said when asked if the shooting deterred her from pursuing politics.
"It's kind of jolted me more so into wanting to become more involved with politics and make sure that people my age and everyone have their voices heard," Holloway said.
WATCH: SUSPECT IN SHOOTINGS OF 2 MINNESOTA LAWMAKERS CRAWLED TO OFFICERS, SURRENDERED, POLICE SAY
Holloway believes tragic events like this should motivate meaningful action.
"Seeing this act of violence, it's clear that some pretty big change is going to come. We need to take that fear and our anger and drive it into actually making change," Holloway said.
Dievendorf emphasized that political disagreements should never escalate to violence.
"Dehumanizing each other, threatening each other, it does nothing to resolve a conflict. It does nothing to make us safer," Dievendorf said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
