A Democratic Minnesota state lawmaker was fatally shot and a second wounded early Saturday morning by a gunman impersonating a police officer at their homes.
An ongoing manhunt was underway Saturday for the suspect, who had flyers for the “No Kings” political protests in his vehicle, authorities said.
State Rep. Melissa Hortman (D) and her husband, Mark, were fatally shot in “what appears to be a politically motivated assassination,” Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) said at a press conference. Minnesota State Sen. John Hoffman (D) and his wife, Yvette, were also shot multiple times at their home and have undergone surgery, he said.
“This was an act of targeted political violence,” Walz said, sharing that “we are cautiously optimistic” Hoffman and his wife “will survive this assassination attempt.”
A suspect wanted in the attack was identified Saturday afternoon as 57-year-old Vance Boelter. Authorities, speaking at a press conference, said it’s not yet clear whether Boelter, who reportedly had some local government work experience, personally knew the victims.
Walz’s office appointed Boelter in 2019 to serve four years on the Governor’s Workforce Development Board. In 2016, he served on the Governor’s Workforce Development Council under then-Gov. Mark Dayton, The New York Post reported, citing documents.
These positions, which recommend workforce development policies to the governor and legislature, are unpaid and part of an external board that the state legislature creates.
A motive behind the attack was also not yet known based on evidence authorities have recovered from the suspect’s vehicle, said Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans.
Flyers found inside the suspect’s vehicle referenced the “No Kings” political rallies taking place across the country on Saturday against President Donald Trump, Minnesota State Patrol said, sharing a photo of the flyers on social media.
“It would be premature for me at this point to say exactly what the motivation may from these writings but we will continue to work on that and provide that information when we’re able,” said Evans.
Amid the ongoing search efforts, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety recommended that people out of an “abundance of caution” not attend political rallies across the state on Saturday until an arrest is made in the shootings, the governor said in a statement.
The shootings occurred in a timespan of less than two hours at the lawmakers’ respective homes in Brooklyn Park and Champlin, north of Minneapolis, authorities said.
Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said his officers found Hortman and her husband shot around 3:30 a.m. The police were “proactively” checking on the couple after being contacted by Champlin Police following the earlier shooting at Hoffman’s home.
When they arrived at Hortman’s house, officers noticed “a police vehicle in the driveway with the emergency lights on” and “what appeared to be a police officer” exiting the home.
“When our officers confronted them, the individual immediately fired upon the officers,” Bruley said, adding that the suspect “retreated back into the home.”
The suspect, who is believed to have taken off on foot through the back of the home, was not a real police officer and was “clearly impersonating” one, wearing a vest, Taser and badge, Bruley said.
“No question, if they were in this room you would assume that they were a police officer,” he said.
Inside a vehicle left by the suspect, police recovered a manifesto that identified “many lawmakers and other officials.” All have since been contacted by local law enforcement, he said.
Hortman and her husband had two adult children.
Hoffman’s nephew told KARE 11 that his aunt, Yvette Hoffman, threw herself in front of the couple’s adult daughter to shield her during the attack.
No bullets pierced any of Yvette Hoffman’s organs. One bullet nearly missed the heart of the senator, who was in worse condition than his wife, the nephew told the outlet.
President Donald Trump said U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and the FBI are investigating the shooting and “will be prosecuting anyone involved to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America. God Bless the great people of Minnesota, a truly great place!” he said in a statement.
A shelter in place has been issued for Brooklyn Park as law enforcement comb the area. The surrounding public is urged not to answer the door to anyone identifying themselves as a police officer if the officer is alone. Instead, they should call 911 so that dispatch can confirm that the individual is an officer.
“If it’s a Brooklyn Park police officer, or any of our partners who are assisting, they will come in pairs of two or more,” said Bruley.
Walz said earlier that he has activated the State Emergency Operations Center in response to the shooting.
“Local law enforcement in Champlin and Brooklyn Park have the full resources of the State of Minnesota behind them,” he said in a statement.
At Saturday morning’s press conference, Walz called Hortman, who served as Speaker Emerita of the House, a “great leader,” adding that he had lost one of his “dearest” friends.
“Speaker Hortman was someone who served the people of Minnesota with grace, compassion, humor and a sense of service,” he said.
Minnesota Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D) and Tina Smith (D) also expressed their heartbreak in statements reacting to the violence.
Klobuchar called Hortman “a good friend” who entered politics at the same time she did. The two women “were always there for one another,” she said.
Smith remembered Hortman as “smart and funny and so dedicated to making Minnesota work better for all of us.”
“We cannot tolerate allowing our political differences to explode into political violence that threatens our safety and our democratic form of government,” she added.
Gun violence prevention activist Shannon Watts recognized Hortman’s gun safety activism and shared photos of her involvement in protests and public events. Hortman, Watts said, “worked to tirelessly protect her constituents from gun violence.”