The targeted shootings of two Minnesota state lawmakers this weekend underscore a grim trend: An increasingly volatile political climate has left state and local officials more exposed than ever to threats and harassment.

A man impersonating a police officer shot and killed Minnesota state legislator Melissa Hortman and her husband at their home in what Gov. Tim Walz called “targeted political violence.”

Authorities identified the suspect as 57-year-old Vance Boelter, and the FBI issued a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to his arrest and conviction.

The letter says how these concerns stem from the rhetoric used by elected officials and online, and how those words can become physical actions.

Demonstrators gathered in parks and plazas across the U.S. to protest against President Donald Trump.

The threat came on the same day two state lawmakers in the Democratic-Farmer-Labor party were assassinated in Minnesota.