Charlie Kirk’s Shooting Echoes Recent Minnesota Political Attacks

By Frankie McLister | September 12, 2025 | CBS Minnesota

After over 20 years in the FBI, Rob Chadwick says politically motivated shooters have specific goals. 

“It’s an act of violence that is intended to change people’s beliefs or undermine society, and that’s what these people want us to do,” said Chadwick, who retired from the FBI after more than 20 years. 

Chadwick was previously a supervisory special agent and former director of tactical training in Quantico. 

Minnesota has been especially impacted by recent attacks that involved political views, and draws comparisons to Charlie Kirk’s murder. 

“In the case of UnitedHealthcare CEO’s assassination, that was prosecuted as a terrorist act,” said Chadwick. “And that’s exactly what this was.” 

Last December, UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, of Minnesota, was gunned down by a shooter investigators say was motivated by hatred for the health care industry. In June, Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman, her husband and dog were killed in what federal prosecutors called a “political assassination.” That attack also injured fellow DFL Sen. John Hoffman and his wife. Both led to a multi-day manhunt. 

WCCO asked Chadwick if anything changes with the investigation as the days go on. 

“More resources … a little wider scope, of course. In the older days, you’d have, ‘How far can a man get on food, horse or car?’ Now, it’s international travel,” he said. 

Chadwick adds that local police across the country have likely been told who and what to look out for in the search for Kirk’s killer.