Minnesota state lawmaker killed in ‘politically-motivated assassination,' massive manhunt for suspect underway, officials say

Yahoo

19 hours ago

Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, were shot and killed early Saturday morning in 'what appears to be a politically-motivated assassination,' Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said at a news conference Saturday.
Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman and his wife were also targeted by the same individual and each shot multiple times, Walz said. They have undergone surgery and are alive.
'The Hoffmans are out of surgery at this time and receiving care, and we are cautiously optimally optimistic, they will survive this assassination attempt,' the governor said.
Both lawmakers are members of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party.
The suspect is at large and a massive manhunt is underway, officials said at the news conference. 'This is a very large scale search,' Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said. 'We have detained several people and questioned them, but we do not have anybody in custody at this time.'
Law enforcement was first called around 2:00 a.m. local time on Saturday with reports that someone had shot Hoffman and his wife. Police responded to their home and provided life-saving measures before the couple was transported to the hospital, according to Drew Evans, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension superintendent.
Around 3:35 a.m., another call came in when officers were proactively checking on Hortman's home. When Brooklyn Park police officers arrived they noticed that there was a police vehicle in the driveway with emergency lights on and what appeared to be a police officer at the door, coming out of the house, officials said. That individual immediately fired a weapon at them, Evans said, and exchanged gunfire took place during which the suspect was able to escape.
The Brooklyn Park Police Department, along with other law enforcement agencies from the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety State Patrol and FBI, and BCA are now actively engaged in a manhunt for the suspect they believe is responsible for both shootings, Evans said.
Authorities are searching for a male wearing a vest with Taser, a badge and other equipment similar to that of a police officer, according to Bruley. The suspect is on foot.
'If somebody comes to the door and they knock on the door claiming to be a police officer, please do a couple things: One, call 911 and confirm that the officer belongs there. If they are a police officer, dispatch will be able to confirm that that person is police officer,' Bruley said, addressing the community. 'Also, we informed all our officers in Brooklyn Park that they are not to approach anybody by themselves. They're approaching pairs, meaning two officers.'
Walz has activated the State Emergency Operations Center and a cross-jurisdictional Joint Information Center has been established as the manhunt continues, according to the governor's spokesperson Teddy Tschann.
'Local law enforcement in Champlin and Brooklyn Park have the full resources of the State of Minnesota behind them. We are monitoring the situation closely and will share more information soon,' Walz said in a post on X.
The Brooklyn Park Police Department issued a shelter-in-place order in a 3-mile radius of Edinburgh Golf Course Saturday morning, according to the City of Brooklyn Park.
The governor said the Minnesota Department of Public Safety and local law enforcement are on the scene.
'This is a stunning act of violence. I'm thankful for all the law enforcement who are responding in real time,' U.S. Senator Klobuchar said in a post on X. 'My prayers are with the Hortman and Hoffman families. Both legislators are close friends and devoted to their families and public service.'
Former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, now the head of national gun violence prevention organization GIFFORDS, said in a statement on Saturday that she is 'horrified and heartbroken by last night's attack on two patriotic public servants.'
'My family and I know the horror of a targeted shooting all too well. An attack against lawmakers is an attack on American democracy itself. Leaders must speak out and condemn the fomenting violent extremism that threatens everything this country stands for,' Giffords, who was one of 13 people wounded in an Arizona supermarket parking lot in 2011, added.
This is a developing story and will be updated.