Ax-wielding vandal smashes windows of North Dakota senator's Fargo office

Tim Fitzsimons
·1 min read

Police in Fargo, North Dakota, say they have positively identified the ax-wielding suspect in the vandalism of the offices of U.S. Senator John Hoeven (R-N.D.).

Image: Suspect identified vandalism Sen. John Hoeven's office (Fargo Police Dept.)
Image: Suspect identified vandalism Sen. John Hoeven's office (Fargo Police Dept.)

Surveillance video from Friday evening showed a masked man walking up a staircase toward the office's closed door, using an ax to smash the window, and wrenching the safety glass from the frame before calmly walking away.

Hoeven's office is located near downtown Fargo's Skywalk, a glass-enclosed pedestrian walkway that connects two buildings on North Broadway Drive.

“Our staff discovered the vandalism Monday morning," a spokesperson for Hoeven wrote in an email. "We reported it and appreciate the dedicated work of our law enforcement.”

The Fargo Police Department wrote on Facebook that a report on the suspect will be forwarded to the state's attorney when completed.

Reached by telephone Wednesday, the Cass County States Attorney confirmed to NBC News that they had not yet received the case report from the Fargo Police Department.