ONLY ON FOX5: Nevada leaders react to tragedy in Minnesota

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – It took almost no time for the shockwaves surrounding the Minnesota attacks to travel all the way to Nevada.

Now state lawmakers tell FOX5, they most definitely felt it and its impact on their own well-being.

“One of the first things I did was reach out to my colleague and fellow Attorney General Keith Ellison to check in on him, because his name was on that list as well,” Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford told FOX5.

Bad news travelled fast on Saturday – in no time, lawmakers more than 16 hundred miles away were hearing about the tragedy surrounding their colleagues in Minnesota.

“Right after the incident, the governor, the governor’s team reached out to myself, my team, and all of us, to try to help make sure that proper procedures were being followed,” shared Assembly Minority Leader Gregory Hafen, a Republican from Pahrump.

The news sparking many, many phone calls – and many, many conversations about lawmaker security.

“We’ve been reaching out to other Senators and other lawmakers and making sure that we’re answering any questions that we can, and making sure that we have contact with our legislative police to ensure the safety of all state lawmakers,” said Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro, a Democrat from Las Vegas.

“I think when you see something like that, you know, an attack on lawmakers in their very own homes, I think it’s really scary,” she adds.

Lawmakers tells FOX5 they feel very secure while the legislature is in session.

“When we’re in Carson City, and in our Las Vegas office, there are metal detectors, x-ray machines before anyone can enter, and so extensive law enforcement presence at those facilities,” said Hafen.

But Nevada doesn’t provide off-site security for members of the legislature. In fact — no states do. The governor does get his own detail, but other elected officials have to ask for it.

“In fact, this past legislative session, my office specifically asked for detail protection for me, because we’ve been getting increasing amounts of threats directed toward me,” said Ford.

Ford got his detail – but Assemblymembers and state Senators remain on their own when it comes to their personal security.

“I’ve been involved in local politics in Nye County for probably going on 20 years now, so to me it’s just been second-nature, you have to be vigilant,” said Hafen. “Sadly we live in a society where things do go wrong. We don’t live in a perfect world, so you always have to be vigilant and cautious when you’re out and about.”

Cannizzaro agrees.

“The idea that because you choose public service, for a part of your life – giving back to the community you live in, that could potentially lead to a very violent situation, can definitely make you think about your surroundings a little bit more.”

Nevada has never witnessed an act of political violence that cost a lawmaker his or her life.

All the lawmakers FOX5 spoke with say they have complete confidence in local law enforcement to protect them when they’re in their home districts, but they all agree vigilance is essential in times like these.

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