Minnesota state lawmaker assassinated at her home
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) on Saturday confirmed state Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman (D) was killed in a fatal shooting being investigated as 'politically motivated.'
'My good friend and colleague, Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were shot and killed early this morning in what appears to be a politically motivated assassination,' Walz said during a press conference.
'Our state lost a great leader, and I lost a dearest friend,' he added.
Her husband remains in critical condition.
Thousands of people remain sheltered in place in the city of Brooklyn Park, Minn., as local police and SWAT teams actively search for the suspect, who was reportedly impersonating a law enforcement officer. The gunman had fled out the back of Hortman's house after briefly being confronted by the police.
President Trump was also briefed on the incident. In a statement, shared by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, the president said the Justice Department and FBI were investigating the shooting.
'I have been briefed on the terrible shooting that took place in Minnesota, which appears to be a targeted attack against State Lawmakers,' he said. 'Our Attorney General, Pam Bondi, and the FBI, are investigating the situation, and they 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!' Trump added.
State Sen. John Hoffman (D) and his wife were also shot multiple times early Saturday morning at their home in Champlin, Minn., located just 8 miles away from Hortman.
'Both those individuals, Senator Hoffman and his wife, are both alive at this time, but they suffered gunshot wounds and are obviously in a difficult situation, but we're cautiously optimistic that they will continue to improve,' said Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Walz told reporters that local, state and federal authorities were working together.
'We're committed to keeping Minnesotans informed as the situation continues, I assure you that those held those responsible for this will be held accountable, and each and every one of us are committed to making sure that a tragedy like this never repeats itself in Minnesota or across this country,' he said.
Investigators urged local residents not to answer the door for a sole police officer, noting that at this time law enforcement agents would arrive in pairs if dispatched.
'The suspect exploited the trust of our uniforms that our uniforms are meant to represent that betrayal is deeply disturbing to those of us who wear the badge with honor and responsibility,' Bob Jacobson, Commissioner of Public Safety for the state of Minnesota, said at the presser.
'We want to reassure the public that there is increased security in place for elected officials and others who may be at risk if you see anything suspicious, especially involving individuals impersonating law enforcement, please report it immediately by calling 911,' Jacobson added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
Manhunt For Minnesota Shooting Suspect Vance Boelter Enters Second Day (Live Updates)
In what Gov. Tim Walz has characterized as a 'politically motivated assassination,' Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband were shot and killed in their home while state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were also shot and are receiving care—and the alleged suspect, Vance Boelter, remains at large as a manhunt continues for a second day. Minn. State Rep. Melissa Hortman on Jan. 3, 2023, in St. Paul, Minn. The FBI announced a $50,000 reward 'for info leading to the arrest and conviction of Vance L. Boelter,' and released a photo (below) that reportedly shows the suspect at the door of one of the shooting victims, apparently wearing a head-covering mask and police costume, early Saturday morning. A police alert warned that the 'suspect is armed and dangerous and may be impersonating law enforcement,' according to the Minnesota Star Tribune. 'My good friend and colleague, Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were shot and killed this morning in what appears to be a politically motivated assassination,' Walz said at a press conference Saturday. At 10:33 a.m. on Saturday, Walz said Hoffman and his wife were 'out of surgery' and receiving care, and that 'we are cautiously optimistic that they will survive this assassination attempt,' though Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, was not able to provide an update in an afternoon news conference on the senator's status. Boelter texted two of his roommates, one told the Minnesota Star Tribune, saying he wrote that he 'may be dead shortly.' According to the roommate, the text read: 'I love you guys. I made some choices, and you guys don't know anything about this, but I'm going to be gone for a while. May be dead shortly, so I just want to let you know I love you guys both and I wish it hadn't gone this way. I don't want to say anything more and implicate you in any way because you guys don't know anything about this. But I love you guys and I'm sorry for all the trouble this has caused.' President Donald Trump issued a statement Saturday on the shootings, saying he had 'been briefed on the terrible shooting that took place in Minnesota,' and 'such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America.' Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino posted on X the bureau 'is working in collaboration with our local and state partners.' The FBI released an image of who they believe is Vance Boelter, who appears to be wearing a mask and ... More police outfit while at the front door Saturday morning of one of the shooting victims. Authorities from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety released this photo and public alert ... More about the suspect in the killing of a state representative. Minnesota police released these images of suspected shooter Vance Boelter. At a press briefing at around 4 p.m. EDT, state police shared images of the suspect, 57-year-old Vance Boelter, characterizing him as a 6-foot-1 inch white male, about 220 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes, and said he was wearing a light-colored cowboy hat and dark shirt when last seen. Authorities asked the public to call 911 if they see Boelter, but not to approach him, as he's considered armed and dangerous. Local police told the Minnesota Star Tribune that, early Saturday morning, they noticed an SUV with emergency lights and someone who initially appeared to be a police officer at Hortman's door, but the person, allegedly Boelter, 'immediately fired at officers' after being confronted, and fled back into the house. Mark Bruley, the chief of police in Brooklyn Park, said police searched the vehicle and uncovered a list that identified 'many lawmakers and other officials,' including Hortman and Hoffman, according to MinnPost. CNN reports Boelter's apparent list included 70 names, including 'abortion providers,' and 'pro-abortion rights advocates.' Police also said they found sheets of paper with 'No Kings' written on them, a likely reference to the widespread protests planned for Saturday. CNN also reported Boelter, according to a law enforcement official, works for a Minnesota-based security company named Praetorian Guard Security. He is listed on the company website's leadership page as director of security patrols, and described as having 'on the ground experiences combined with training by both private security firms and by people in the U.S. Military.' This photo provided by Minnesota State Patrol shows writings in the fake police car law enforcement ... More officials believe Vance Boelter allegedly used in the shooting of two Democratic legislators in Minnesota on Saturday. Hortman, 55, was a top Democratic leader in the Minnesota Legislature. First elected in 2004, she served as House speaker from 2019 to 2025 and spearheaded key legislation, including universal free school lunches statewide and a red flag gun law—which allows police or family members to petition the courts to have a gun removed from those considered a threat to themselves or others—according to the Minnesota Star Tribune. Hoffman, 60 and also a top Democrat in the legislature, is a member of the state Senate first elected in 2012. He served as chair of the Human Services Committee, according to CBS News, and has also served on committees for energy, environment and health services.
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Assassinated Minnesota Dem had just crossed party lines to cast decisive vote against illegal migrant handouts: ‘I did what leaders do'
The Dem Minnesota state lawmaker who was assassinated by a crazed gunman in a rubber mask crossed party lines just days earlier for a critical vote revoting health care coverage illegal migrants. Melissa Hortman, the state House Democratic leader, was the only member of her party to side with Republicans and vote to repeal taxpayer-funded healthcare coverage for adult illegal immigrants as part of this year's budget bill. She and her husband were gunned down on Saturday in Brooklyn Park just outside of Minneapolis, shortly after the same assassin is believed to have gravely wounded Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. Cops are on the hunt for the suspect, Vance Luther Boetler, 57, a political appointee of Gov. Tim Walz, who allegedly left behind a sick 'manifesto' listing the names of 70 politicians, including Walz, according to authorities. Advertisement 8 Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman was killed in her home on Saturday. WKTT Just days earlier, on June 10, Hortman cast the decisive vote on a state budget bill that stripped access to MinnesotaCare benefits for illegal migrants over the age of 18. 'I did what leaders do, I stepped up and I got the job done for the people of Minnesota,' she told KTTC-TV, adding that she understood the anger of her fellow DFL members. Advertisement 'They're right to be mad at me. I think some of them are pretty, pretty angry. I think that their job was to make folks who voted for that bill feel like crap, and I think that they succeeded,' she said. 8 Rep. Hortman and her husband were killed in their Brooklyn Park home by a masked gunman. AP 8 An eerie picture of the suspect wearing a latex mask and body armor was shared by the FBI. She appeared visibly upset as she said she had voted for the healthcare provision solely to uphold the budget deal, which was later passed by the state Senate. Walz is expected to sign the budget into law. Advertisement 'I know that people will be hurt by that vote, and we worked very hard to get a budget deal that didn't include that provision,' she told the House on Tuesday following a four-hour debate, The state legislature in Saint Paul is extremely narrowly divided. The state House is controlled by Republicans, who have a majority of just one seat (67-66) and the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (as Minnesota Dems are called) holds the state Senate by the same margin (34-33). 8 She had voted to cut healthcare provision for illegal adult migrants in a crucial vote just days before she was killed. WKTT 8 Cops are still searching for the suspect who also killed Rep. Hortman's husband and tried to assassinate a Senator and his wife. AP Advertisement State Sen. Hoffman voted against the healthcare proposal, Alpha News reported. Although Saturday's killings are believed to be political, the specific motive for the shootings is not yet known. A photograph of a series of signs reading 'No Kings' found in the suspect's vehicle was shared by the Minnesota State Patrol in a post on X on Saturday. The slogan has become a calling card for the nationwide anti-Trump protests planned over the weekend, including several across the North Star State. 8 The suspect has been named as Vance L. Boelter, an appointee of Governor Tim Walz. AP A chilling picture believed to show Boetler wearing a creepy latex mask in doorbell cam footage was shared by the FBI on Saturday. He also sent a haunting last text message to a friend, David Carlson, at around 6 a.m. on Saturday, shortly after the shootings. 'David and Ron, I love you guys. I made some choices, and you guys don't know anything about this, but I'm going to be gone for a while. May be dead shortly, so I just want to let you know I love you guys both, and I wish it hadn't gone this way,' Carlson read from his phone while sitting on the front stoop, video shared by the Minnesota Star Tribune shows. Advertisement Further shocking details have emerged about this weekend's shootings. One of the victims Yvette Hoffman, used her body as a human shield to save her daughter's life, her nephew said. 8 Tributes have been left outside the Minnesota State Capitol in Saint Paul. REUTERS 'Early this morning, an absolute vile piece of s–t dressed as a cop broke into my aunt and uncle's house and shot him 6 times and my aunt 5 times in a political act of terrorism. My aunt threw herself on her daughter, using her body as a shield to save her life,' Mat Ollig wrote on Facebook. Advertisement Tributes have been paid to Hortman, a longtime speaker of the state House until Republicans won control, and her husband from across the political aisle. 'A formidable public servant and a fixture of the state Capitol, Melissa Hortman woke up every day determined to make our state a better place,' Walz wrote on X. 8 Rep. Hortman (R) and Sen. Hoffman, pictured in 2018. MelissaHortman/Facebook 'She served the people of Minnesota with grace, compassion, and tirelessness. Minnesota's thoughts are with her loved ones, and my prayers are with Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette, who were shot and wounded and are being treated,' Walz's former running mate of Kamala Harris wrote. Advertisement President Trump said he had been briefed on the 'terrible shooting' in Minnesota in a post on Truth Social on Saturday. 'Our Attorney General, Pam Bondi, and the FBI, are investigating the situation, and they 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 wrote.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Retired FBI Agent Analyzes Manhunt of Minnesota Lawmaker Killer
Retired FBI agent Rob D'Amico joins Sunday TODAY to break down the search for the gunman in the shooting of two Minnesota lawmakers and their wives and explain what investigators will do to protect the people named in the 'hit list' found in the suspect's vehicle.
