Local authorities reported that a gunman, posing as a police officer, fatally shot a Minnesota Democratic state representative and her husband, and also wounded another Democratic state senator and his wife.
Minnesota’s Governor Tim Walz has called the incident a “act of targeted political violence.” The suspect is still at large, and a large-scale search is underway. The local authorities reported that a gunman killed Minnesota Democratic state representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, while injuring another Democratic lawmaker, Senator John Hoffman, and his wife, Yvette, in a separate incident.
Hortman and her husband were shot at their Brooklyn Park home, while Hoffman and his wife were shot at their Champlin residence, approximately five miles (8km) away. Media reports indicate that investigators believe the suspect was disguised to resemble a police officer.
Police responded to a call at Senator John Hoffman’s home in Champlin, north of Minneapolis, around 2 a.m. Saturday. They found him and his wife with multiple gunshot wounds, but alive. The couple was immediately taken to a hospital.
Brooklyn Park officers, assisting in the investigation, decided to check on local lawmakers. At approximately 3:35 a.m., they arrived at Representative Hortman’s home and noticed a dark SUV in the driveway. The vehicle had red and blue flashing lights on the dashboard and rear window, similar to an unmarked police car.
A white man wearing a black bulletproof vest and dark clothing emerged from the house and opened fire on the officers, according to reports. After a brief exchange of gunfire, the suspect retreated inside and fled on foot through the back door.
Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley stated that a search of the suspect’s car revealed a “manifesto that identified many lawmakers and other officials.” He added that all individuals listed in the manifesto were immediately notified and provided with protection, if needed.
Local authorities issued a shelter-in-place order for all of Hennepin County as police continued their search for the suspect.
Later on Saturday, the Associated Press, citing anonymous sources, reported that the suspect had been identified as 57-year-old Vance Boelter, an employee of a private security firm with military training.
Governor Walz, commenting on the deaths of Hortman and her husband, described the former speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives as a “formidable public servant,” and pledged to “spare no resource in bringing those responsible to justice.”
In a post on his Truth Social platform, US President Donald Trump stated that the perpetrator would be prosecuted “to the fullest extent of the law.”
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