“I’m able to speak about this because I’m an elected official, and I really wanted to talk about it first and foremost because the rumor mill is going,” Cappel said in a statement. “The first thing we think about now is that it could be a politically motivated thing. So, to know that it’s not is a total relief. And actually what’s more of a relief for our family is that they caught the person.”<\/p>\n

“My family and I are safe, and I’m thankful that no one was hurt,” she added.<\/p>\n

Police arrested Dana Thompson of Indiana<\/a> on Wednesday in connection with the shooting after her license plate was flagged by a plate recognition camera. She has been charged with aggravated discharge of a firearm, unlawful use of a weapon, and aggravated possession of a firearm in a vehicle.<\/p>\n

Thompson confessed to the shootings during police questioning. She said she had intended to target an estranged relative who lives nearby and told law enforcement that it “was not a politically motivated event<\/a> in any way.”<\/p>\n

Cappel’s home was damaged by just one gunshot.<\/p>\n

POLITICAL VIOLENCE ON THE RISE IN THE US: A TIMELINE OF KEY INCIDENTS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

The incident occurred at a time of increased politically motivated violence<\/a> in the United States following the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk<\/a> last week and the assassination of Democratic Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, as well as the attempted assassination of Democratic Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, in June.<\/p>\n

“The truth is that the number of threats and the number of people who seem to want to engage in political violence has increased substantially, and I would like very much for people to just take a breath, take a step back,” Gov. JB Pritzker<\/a> (D-IL) said last week. “Democracy is really the method by which we avoid political violence, and I think over the course of the history of the United States, that’s been what makes this country great.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n