Live updates: Manhunt continues after shootings claims life of Minnesota lawmaker
What we know:
A manhunt enters a second day for a 57-year-old Minnesota man accused of fatally shooting Democratic lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband and injuring a second Democratic lawmaker and his wife in separate 'politically motivated' shootings, authorities said.
Local authorities identified the shooting suspect as Vance Boelter, describing him as 6-foot-1 with brown hair, wearing a light-colored cowboy hat and a dark, long-sleeve collared shirt or coat.
State Sen. John Hoffman of Champlin and his wife, Yvette, were severely injured, Gov. Tim Walz said. They remain hospitalized, and their conditions were not immediately available.
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Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
Neighbours of murdered US politician stunned by 'politically motivated' attack
Why you can trust Sky News The calm of an affluent cul-de-sac, north of Minneapolis, has been shattered. Yellow tape, establishing a police cordon, now marks it as the scene of a double murder. Former state speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were gunned down in their own home in the early hours of Saturday. The gardens in this street are immaculately manicured but John Sampson is tending his again, a distraction tactic perhaps. He knew the murdered couple well. His daughter was their babysitter. "Very kind, very neighbourly, very intelligent," he recalls. Of Ms Hortman, he said: "She would know other people that were on the other side of the aisle, but it didn't matter to her. "Politics was never brought into the neighbourhood." Other neighbours remained behind closed doors, where they had initially been ordered to shelter following two gun attacks. Long-standing state senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette had been shot and wounded in their home. Police officers sent to check on his Democratic colleague, Melissa Hortman, were too late. They encountered a man disguised as a police officer leaving her home and exchanged fire with him, but he escaped, sparking a manhunt. Minnesota governor Tim Walz, who ran for vice president last year, described the murders as "politically motivated". That's something the residents of this suburban network of streets find hard to comprehend. "Nationally and stuff, things are very volatile in the political scene and I just pray that it's not here," John Sampson told me. "I hoped it would never come anywhere near here, that anyone has to go through this type of tragedy." "I feel very sad for the children and for the family left behind," he added. Ms Hortman was a Democrat but voted with Republicans last Thursday to get a budget bill through. The compromise was painful for her - withholding free healthcare from undocumented migrants. Speaking afterwards, she tearfully explained: "I know that people will be hurt by that vote, and we worked very hard to get a budget deal that wouldn't include that provision." Whatever the motivation for the murders of the politician and her husband, two children have lost both their parents.
Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
'It feels like a bad dream': Minnesota mourns victims of 'politically motivated assassination'
"Holy, holy, holy" they sang at the Church of St Timothy in Blaine, Minnesota. But the congregation is struggling to comprehend an act of evil - the brutal murder of one of their own. Melissa Hortman grew up here. The former state speaker and her husband Mark were shot dead in their home on Saturday morning. Her friend and party colleague, Erin Koegal, was among those attending mass. "It still feels like a bad dream. I woke up this morning and was like, okay, so that was real," she said. "It's hit me in waves, the grief, and the anger, and the sadness. She was a leader, a true definition of a leader. "I've never known our party without Melissa as the leader and so I can't, I don't even know how we're going to go forward as a caucus without her." State senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette had already been shot and wounded. Police sent to check on his colleague, Melissa Hortman, didn't get there in time. They named the suspect as Vance Boelter, a 57-year-old former Christian missionary. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz called it a "politically motivated murder". 2:58 Friends of Ms Hortman have told Sky News that her two children feared for their mother's life after reading divisive rhetoric directed at her online. Matt Norris, another political colleague of Ms Hortman, was also at church, reflecting on the rise of political violence in America. "We've going to have to do some serious introspection as a state, as a country, and figure out how do we get beyond this," he said. "How have we been laying the seeds that have led to horrific acts of violence against public servants like this? "And it's going to be incumbent upon us as leaders to set a different tone, to set a different direction for our state and our country so that horrific tragedies like this never occur again." But there's no sign of division at the State Capitol Building, where flags fly at half-mast and flowers are being left in tribute. This is a community united in grief and in its hope for an end to gun violence in America.
NBC News
2 hours ago
- NBC News
Search continues for Minnesota suspect and Trump vetoes an Israeli plot: Weekend Rundown
Authorities in Minnesota have mobilized state and local police, SWAT teams and K-9 units across multiple counties as a massive search continues for a 57-year-old man suspected of shooting two state Democratic lawmakers in a targeted attack. Vance Boelter, 57, is accused of committing the 'politically motivated' shootings. State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were killed Saturday morning at their home. State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were severely injured in a second shooting. Officials say Boelter impersonated law enforcement in order to gain access to the lawmakers' homes. Photos, believed to be of Boelter, show a man at one of the victim's doors wearing a long-sleeve shirt and what looks like a bulletproof vest similar to those worn by law enforcement. Another photo shows a man wearing a cowboy hat walking alone. Authorities on Sunday found what they believe is his vehicle and cowboy hat in Sibley County, where an emergency alert was issued for residents in the area to keep their doors locked and cars secured, NBC affiliate KARE 11 reported. Earlier Sunday, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said on NBC News' 'Meet the Press' that Boelter is believed to still be in the Midwest. 'We believe he's somewhere in the vicinity and that they are going to find him,' she said. 'But right now, everyone is on edge here because we know that this man will kill at a second.' An official who saw a list of names drawn up by Boelter previously told NBC News that it targeted prominent people in Minnesota who advocated for reproductive rights. Trump vetoed Israeli proposal to assassinate Iran's supreme leader President Donald Trump rejected a proposal from Israel in recent days to assassinate Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a U.S. official told NBC News. During an interview on Fox News, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu neither directly confirmed nor denied the initial Reuters report about the proposed assassination attempt, but he dismissed what he called 'false reports' regarding discussions between the U.S. and Israel. The news comes as deadly strikes between Israel and Iran intensified, with Iran launching drones as Israel expanded its attacks to include oil depots, missile sites and nuclear infrastructure, killing at least 150 people and leaving hundreds injured, Iran state media said. Iran's retaliatory strikes have killed at least 13 people in Israel to date, including 3 children, Netanyahu's office said. Israeli strikes have deeply wounded Iran's government, leaving it facing a number of questions, including whether it needs to give up on negotiations and rush its nuclear program. A military parade amid turmoil at home and abroad President Donald Trump presided over a parade Saturday celebrating the nation's military power and history, though the event was shadowed by political violence at home and escalating tensions abroad. 'Every other country celebrates their victories,' Trump said as he took the lectern after the parade ended. 'It's about time America did, too. That's what we're doing tonight.' Prone to delivering long, boastful speeches, Trump kept his remarks brief and made the military the focus. Beforehand, critics had warned he would politicize the event for his own purposes. Trump avoided any overt partisan messages, though he seemed to allude at one point to his 'Fight! Fight! Fight!' exhortation after an assassination attempt against him last year. 'Time and again, America's enemies have learned that if you threaten the American people, our soldiers are coming for you,' Trump said. 'Your defeat will be certain. Your demise will be final, and your downfall will be total and complete — because our soldiers never give up, never surrender and never ever quit. They fight, fight, fight and they win, win, win.' Meet the Press Sen. Rand Paul, a leading Republican critic of the sweeping Trump agenda bill, said during an interview on NBC News' 'Meet the Press' that he told President Donald Trump that he is 'not an absolute no' on the package. 'I talked to the president last evening after the parade, and we're trying to get to a better place in our conversations,' Paul said. 'And I've let him know that I'm not an absolute no.' The Kentucky Republican said that in order to vote for the package, he wants lawmakers to separate out a vote on the debt ceiling. The Trump-backed 'big, beautiful bill' is projected to increase the national deficit by about $2.4 trillion over 10 years, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. Meanwhile, Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., condemned Trump's call to send the National Guard and Marines into Los Angeles amid protests, and criticized the forceful removal of fellow California Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla at Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's news conference last week. 'This is just Donald Trump doing what he wanted to do in the first administration, which was essentially use the military for domestic law enforcement, to make himself look tough,' Schiff said. Politics in brief Welcome to the zoo. That'll be $47 today — ask again tomorrow. How much will it cost to visit a museum, zoo or aquarium this summer? The answer, increasingly, is: It depends. Zoo New England is one of many attractions embracing dynamic pricing systems that were earlier pioneered by airlines, ride-hailing apps and theme parks. While these practices allow operators to lower prices when demand is soft, they also enable the reverse, threatening to squeeze consumers who are increasingly trimming their summer travel budgets. Before the pandemic, less than 1% of attractions surveyed by Arival, a tourism market research and events firm, used variable or dynamic pricing. Today, 17% use variable pricing, in which entry fees are adjusted based on predictable factors such as the day of the week or the season, Arival said. And 6% use dynamic pricing, in which historical and real-time data on weather, staffing, demand patterns and more influence rates. Data-driven pricing can reduce overcrowding by steering budget-minded guests toward dates that are both cheaper and less busy. But steeper prices during peak periods and for short-notice visits could rankle guests — who may see anything less than a top-notch experience as a rip-off. Notable quote We were just so happy that they caught him. This was an evil guy. Grant Hardin's escape from an Arkansas prison last month involved detailed planning, perfect timing and a makeshift outfit designed to mimic a law enforcement uniform. After nearly two weeks on the run, the 'Devil in the Ozarks' was found about 1.5 miles west of the prison. In case you missed it
