Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman (D) and his wife, Yvette, who were both shot in their home by the suspect who is believed to have later killed state Rep. Melissa Hortman (D) and her husband, Mark, in a “politically motivated assassination” on Saturday, shared an update on their condition, noting they were “both incredibly lucky to be alive.”
In a statement released Sunday following the arrest of Vance Boelter, the Hoffmans said they were grateful “for the work of our law enforcement agencies and the public for their help in bringing the suspect to justice, while diligently keeping our communities safe during this extremely difficult and senseless event.”
“John and I are both incredibly lucky to be alive. We continue our healing journey and are humbled by the outpouring of love and support our family has received from across the state and our nation,” adds the statement, which is signed from “The Hoffman Family.” “There is never a place for senseless political violence and loss of life.”
In a separate message sent to Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) on Sunday, Yvette Hoffman said her husband had undergone multiple surgeries and is “closer every hour to being out of the woods” after taking nine bullet hits in the attack, while she was shot eight times.
“We are gutted and devastated by the loss of Melissa and Mark” Hortman, she added. “We have no words. There is never a place for this kind of political hate.”
The Hoffmans’ nephew told local station KARE 11 that Yvette Hoffman jumped on top of her daughter during the shooting to shield her, while adding that the suspect nearly shot the senator’s heart.
Authorities on Sunday captured Boelter after a two-day manhunt, officials said.
“You can rest assured that we will put every ounce of effort that the State of Minnesota has to make sure that justice is served,” said Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), who had earlier described the killings of the Hortmans as a likely “politically motivated assassination.”
Authorities were called to the Hoffmans’ home early Saturday after their child called 911 to report the shooting, according to the criminal complaint. They found the couple wounded.
Officers then proactively sought to visit the property of the Hortmans who lived nearby. Upon their arrival, they saw the suspect, allegedly dressed like a police officer, shoot Mark Hortman and exchanged fire with him before he got away. They later recovered the dead bodies of the couple.
Boelter was caught near his home in Green Isle, Minnesota, nearly two days later. He faces two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder, according to the court documents. His first court appearance is expected Monday.