The assassination of Minnesota Representative Melissa Hortman, and shooting of State Sen. John Hoffman, could prompt security changes for state lawmakers and the Minnesota State Capitol building itself.
"The Minnesota State Capitol is one of very few state capitals in the country that don't have metal detectors in the screening process," WCCO Radio political analyst Blois Olson says of Minnesota's most famously public building. "That needs to change as soon as possible, period. It is great that it has been open to the public. It is great that it is accessible. Metal detectors are not going to make it less accessible."
Olson says the trauma may prompt some lawmakers to seriously consider whether they want to stay in politics - which might make the next election cycle a busy one.
"I believe that there will be a great number of retirements after next session, because of this incident," Olson notes. "I believe a lot of people's families and legislators will look at themselves and say, 'it's not worth it. It's not worth it.'"
In the aftermath of the shootings, officials did remove the names of towns and cities where Minnesota state lawmakers live from the Minnesota Legislature's website.
"This has spooked people to the core, rightfully so," Olson adds. "And I think that security measures have to be improved and amplified very quickly."
It's not clear what - if any - changes will be made. In a recent report, the Advisory Committee on Capitol Area Security reports there have been $19 million worth of security upgrades over just the past five years.
The Minnesota State Patrol's Colonel Christina Bogojevic says her agency, which handles security for the entire Capitol complex, will help decide on potential protocol changes.
"Absolutely, the events over this past weekend will make us look at how to change things for the better, make it safer, make people feel more secure for next session," she says.
The Capitol Safety Advisory Council will make key decisions on security changes at the Capitol, like the possibility of installing metal detectors.
"We're looking at 20 different buildings throughout the Capitol grounds and so it's discussing where those would go, whether they're just in the chambers, whether they're in the entrances of the buildings," Bogojevic says.
Safety thoughts were also echoed by Minnesota's former Republican Governor, Tim Pawlenty, who told WCCO's Chad Hartman he's also talked to lawmakers who are very concerned.
"I've talked to a number of office holders, current office holders, who've admitted privately to me they have started to change the way they talk about things," Pawlenty said Monday. "And where they talk about them. And who they talk to them about because they're concerned."
It goes beyond Minnesota as well, with deep enough concern about safety in Washington that members of Congress will attend emergency briefings this week after the shootings in Minnesota brought renewed fears and stoked existing partisan tensions over the security of federal lawmakers when in Washington and at home.