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Need for increased security at MN Capitol building
With threats at the Minnesota State Capitol Building, lawmakers are wanting to increase security. FOX 9's Corin Hoggard has the latest.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Security concerns are rising at the Minnesota Capitol as threats have surged this year, prompting significant upgrades.
Security upgrades underway
What we know:
Capitol security has closed all but four entrance doors to the public since August. They are planning further enhancements ahead of February.
Minnesota Capitol security is adding a threats investigator by the end of the year due to increasing political violence. Additionally, 20 new officers will join the Capitol security team, with training set to begin in mid to late November.
The backstory:
Capitol threats are expected to triple compared to the 19 reported in 2024. This year, 50 threats have been reported in less than 10 months, with 13 leading to criminal charges. The threats do not include the June attack on DFL legislators, which resulted in the assassination of Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and the shooting of Sen. John Hoffman and his wife.
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Threats at MN Capitol more than doubled in 2025
Threats at the Minnesota State Capitol have increased in 2025, and now more security measures are being considered. FOX 9's Corin Hoggard has more.
Future security measures
What they're saying:
"Mid to late November is when they'll [the 20 new officers] start their training and then be put into their own classification and then be out there in the field, so to speak, and functioning as Capitol security officers," said Lt. Col. Jeremy Geiger of the Minnesota State Patrol.
Minnesota is one of 13 states without metal detectors at the Capitol doors, but adding them could be costly due to the tunnel system connecting eight buildings. The state is also one of 16 allowing guns at the Capitol, a policy Republicans are unwilling to change.