US Senator Shot, Representative Killed Inside Their Homes In Minnesota. Here's What We Know
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US Senator John Hoffman and House Representative Melissa Hortman - both Democrats - were reportedly shot inside their homes by a suspect disguised as a police officer.
Two US lawmakers – Senator John Hoffman and Representative Melissa Hortman – as well as their spouses, were shot in overnight shootings in Champlin and Brooklyn, according to several reports. Hortman and her husband were confirmed dead in the shooting.
Sources told Fox News that the suspect was someone impersonating a police officer. Hortman, a Democrat from Brooklyn Park, represents District 34B. Hoffman, a Democrat from Champlin, represents Senate District 34. The extent of the injuries was not immediately known, and authorities have yet to confirm that the lawmakers were the victims of the attack.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said Hortman and her husband were shot and killed in a 'politically motivated assassination", while Hoffman and his wife were shot multiple times but are expected to survive. 'She (Hortman) woke up every day determined to make this state a better place," Walz said.
Hoffman and Hortman are both members of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labour Party. Hortman served as Speaker of the House from 2019 to 2025 and held the role of DFL Leader before her death, according to the Minnesota Legislature Reference Library.
Authorities On High Alert
Authorities are on high alert as an emergency response has been activated in Minnesota following the shootings. Walz took to X, saying, 'I've been briefed this morning on an ongoing situation involving targeted shootings in Champlin and Brooklyn Park."
— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) June 14, 2025
In a later post, Walz said, 'I've activated the State Emergency Operations Center. 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."
A shelter-in-place alert was sent at 5:30 am by the Brooklyn Park Police Department for a 3-mile radius around the Edinburgh Golf Course. Police say they are looking for an armed suspect – a white man with brown hair wearing black armour over a blue shirt and blue pants – and he may be impersonating law enforcement.
Mounds View Mayor Zach Lindstrom said, 'I'm just learning of the events that took place last night due to getting a safety alert for elected officials. I never thought we'd be here. My prayers are with the Hortman, and Hoffman families. I hope everyone comes out of this okay. I cannot emphasise enough that this is not okay. Any type of violence against elected officials is not okay."
First Published:
June 14, 2025, 19:07 IST
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Hans India
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Minnesota lawmaker killed in targeted political attack, manhunt continues
A gunman killed a Minnesota state lawmaker and wounded another in coordinated attacks, marking the first successful politically motivated killing of state legislators in the US midwestern state's modern history. Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman, 55, and her husband were shot dead at their home in Brooklyn Park at 3:35 a.m. local time early Saturday morning, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said. State Senator John Hoffman, 60, and his wife were critically wounded in a separate attack at their Champlin residence at approximately 2:00 a.m. local time (0700 GMT), about 13 km away, reports Xinhua news agency. "This was an act of targeted political violence," Walz said at a Saturday press conference, calling Hortman's death "a politically motivated assassination." The suspect, identified as 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter, remains at large despite a massive manhunt involving hundreds of officers from federal, state and local agencies. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has offered a 50,000 US-dollar reward for information leading to his arrest. Minnesota Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobson described Boelter as 1.85 meters tall with brown hair, last seen wearing a light-coloured cowboy hat and a dark long-sleeve shirt. "You should consider him armed and dangerous, and you should call 911 immediately," Jacobson said. Police received reports of gunfire at the Hoffman residence in Champlin, and an "intuitive sergeant" then directed officers to proactively check on Hortman's home for her safety, said Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley. When officers arrived at the Hortman residence, they encountered what appeared to be a police vehicle with emergency lights and a man dressed as a police officer emerging from the house. "The individual immediately fired upon the officers who exchanged gunfire, and the suspect retreated into the home," Bruley told reporters. The suspect then fled on foot through the back door. Authorities discovered crucial evidence in the abandoned fake police vehicle, including a manifesto containing approximately 70 names of potential targets. "There was a list of individuals, and the individuals that were targeted in the situation were on that list," Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said. Officials also disclosed that fliers connected to planned "No Kings" protests were found inside Boelter's vehicle. Law enforcement sources told multiple news outlets that the target list focused on prominent pro-choice advocates in Minnesota, including Democratic lawmakers, abortion providers and activists. The list reportedly included Governor Walz, US Representative Ilhan Omar, Senator Tina Smith, and State Attorney General Keith Ellison, ABC News reported, citing sources. Boelter's background reveals concerning professional credentials. He served as director of security patrols at a private security company and had security experience in conflict zones including the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Southern Lebanon. Most troubling, he was appointed more than once to the Governor's Workforce Development Board, providing him with insider knowledge of state operations. The suspect employed sophisticated tactics throughout the attacks. Sources told ABC News that Boelter wore realistic latex masks during the shootings and used a fake police SUV equipped with emergency lights, sirens and law enforcement equipment to gain access to the victims' homes. Brooklyn Park Police on Saturday morning issued a shelter-in-place order for residents within a 4.8-km radius of Edinburgh Golf Course, warning them not to open doors for lone police officers and to call 911 to verify any officer's identity. The order was lifted at 3:30 p.m. local time after authorities determined the suspect was no longer in the area. US President Donald Trump called the shootings "horrific violence" and said US Attorney General Pam Bondi and the FBI would prosecute "anyone involved to the fullest extent of the law," said a White House statement. Hortman served as Minnesota House Speaker from 2019 to 2025 and was the chamber's top Democratic leader. The killing leaves the Minnesota House evenly split 67-67 between Democrats and Republicans. Hoffman, first elected in 2012, chaired the State Senate Human Services Committee. All Minnesota state lawmakers have been placed under protective custody while the investigation continues. The suspect remains armed with a pistol and should not be approached, authorities warned. Officials urged people not to attend dozens of planned "No Kings" protests across the state out of an abundance of caution. But, thousands still reportedly took to the streets in St. Paul, the state capital of Minnesota, on Saturday.
New Indian Express
an hour ago
- New Indian Express
Minnesota's slain Democratic leader lived the political divisions in US every day
MINNEAPOLIS: Americans talk constantly about how their country is split down the middle politically. Melissa Hortman lived that every day as a Minnesota House member. Her unique perspective on politics came from her job as the House's top Democrat and its unusual challenge. She had to defend liberal priorities in a chamber divided 67-67 between Democrats and Republicans while working to see that the even split didn't keep the Legislature from funding state government. She and her husband were shot to death early Saturday in their Minneapolis home in what authorities are calling an act of political violence. Another prominent area lawmaker, state Sen. John Hoffman, was shot and wounded, along with his wife, in their home about 15 minutes away. Hortman had served as House speaker for six years when the 2024 elections cost Democrats their slim majority. She led fellow Democrats in boycotting House sessions for almost a month, starting in mid-January, to prevent the GOP from using a temporary vacancy in a Democratic seat to cement control over the chamber, forcing Republicans into sharing power. She wanted to protect state health coverage for adult immigrants living in the US illegally, a liberal policy enacted on her watch as speaker in 2023. But when the only budget deal that she could broker included a GOP bill to cut that coverage, she provided the single Democratic vote in the House, securing its passage so that state government would remain funded for the next two years. "She battled fiercely, but never let it impact the personal bond that we developed serving as caucus leaders," GOP House Speaker Lisa Demuth said in a statement. "I am beyond heartbroken by her loss." Legislature divided in politics, but united in mourning The shootings shocked a state that prides its politics as being "Minnesota nice," even despite higher partisan tensions in recent years. To outsiders, Minnesota looks blue. The state hasn't voted for a Republican presidential candidate since 1972, and all of its statewide elected officials are Democrats. Yet the Legislature is now almost evenly split, with Democrats clinging to a 34-33 majority in the Senate. Republicans are still frustrated with how Democrats used their slim majorities in both chambers in 2023 and 2024 to roll over them and enact a sweeping liberal agenda. In 2023, Democrats had an ambitious wish list and passed practically everything on it, with Hortman a key player. The measures included expanded abortion and trans rights, paid family and medical leave, universal free school lunches, child care credits and other aid for families. But on Saturday, the mourning for Hortman, Hoffman and their families was bipartisan. Wounded senator chairs key committee Hoffman, 60, is chair of the Senate Human Services Committee, which oversees one of the biggest parts of the state budget. He lives in Champlin, in the northwest part of the Minneapolis area, and owns a consulting firm, and he and his wife, Yvette, had one daughter. He previously was marketing and public relations director for a nonprofit provider of employment services for people with mental illnesses and intellectual and developmental disabilities and supervised a juvenile detention center in Iowa. He was first elected to the Senate in 2012. In 2023, Hoffman supported budget legislation that extended the state MinnesotaCare health program to immigrants living in the US illegally, starting this year. On Monday, he voted against a bill to end that coverage for adults on Jan. 1 — a GOP goal that was a key part of the budget agreement that Hortman helped broker. Last year, Hoffman sponsored a bill designed to prevent courts from blocking people with disabilities from adopting children, and in 2023, he proposed an amendment to the state constitution to create a fund to pay for long-term care by taxing the Social Security benefits of the state's wealthiest residents. Hortman had served nine years Democratic leader Hortman had served as the House Democrats' leader since 2017, and six years as speaker, starting in 2019. Under a power-sharing deal, her title became speaker emerita. She and her husband, Mark, lived in Brooklyn Park, another suburb in the northwest part of the Minneapolis area. They had two adult children. A lawyer, she twice lost races for the House before first winning her seat in 2004. US Senator and Minnesota Democrat Amy Klobuchar recalled campaigning door to door that year with Hortman, when Klobuchar was the elected chief prosecutor for Hennepin County, which includes Minneapolis. Klobuchar praised Hortman's support for free school lunches, women's rights and clean energy, calling her "a true public servant to the core." Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, who attended the University of Minnesota's law school with Hortman, said: "She was smart, savvy, strategic, kind, funny, brave, and determined." Hortman's skills as legislator are being praised Hortman became part of the Democrats' legislative leadership team in 2007, then House minority leader in 2017, before Democrats recaptured a House majority in 2019. Her proposals included state emission standards like ones imposed in California and a ban on the sale of products containing mercury. She also proposed studying the feasibility of ending state investments in fossil fuel companies. Demuth, the current Republican House speaker, said Hortman was a nationally recognized expert on energy policy. "She wasn't only a leader — she was a damn good legislator, and Minnesotans everywhere will suffer because of this loss," said Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin, a former Minnesota state party chair and a friend of Hortman's.
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First Post
3 hours ago
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Minnesota politician killed, another shot at: Who are Melissa Hortman and John Hoffman?
Minnesota lawmakers Melissa Hortman and John Hoffman were shot along with their partners on Saturday (June 14). Authorities suspect that they were targeted by the same person. While Hortman died, Hoffman underwent surgery. Both Democrats are loved for their work within the state read more This combination of photographs provided by the Minnesota State House shows Representative Melissa Hortman and Senator John A. Hoffman. AP In the wee hours of Saturday (June 14), shocking news emerged from Minnesota, United States. There was an attack on two lawmakers in their homes. A gunman shot dead Melissa Hortman, a Democratic state legislator and her husband, Mark. Another state legislator, John Hoffman and his wife were also attacked inside his house in the Minneapolis area but escaped with injuries. The suspect, Vance Boelter , has been identified, and a massive manhunt is underway to arrest him. He reportedly posed as a policeman. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Here's what we know about the two politicians. Who was Melissa Hortman? Melissa Hortman grew up in Spring Lake Park and Andover in Minnesota, and went to a public high school in Blaine. She graduated from a college at Boston University and later returned to Minnesota to begin law school. She has been described as 'a bright shining light of a human being' by those who knew her while being a lawyer, a Girl Scout leader and a dedicated volunteer at the Sunday school. The 55-year-old was elected to the state House of Representatives in 2004 to represent District 34B in the northern suburbs of Minneapolis. Hortman rose through the ranks of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), ultimately serving as both DFL Leader and Speaker of the House from 2019 to 2025, as per her legislative profile. House Speaker Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, attends a press conference in St. Paul, Minnesota. File image/AP Having served six years as state House Speaker, Hortman faced a significant challenge when the 2024 elections cost Democrats their slim majority. In response, she led fellow Democrats in a nearly month-long boycott of House sessions that started in mid-January. This strategic move successfully thwarted the GOP's attempt to exploit a temporary Democratic vacancy, ultimately forcing Republicans into a power-sharing arrangement within the chamber. Hortman wanted to protect state health coverage for adult immigrants living in the US illegally, a liberal policy enacted on her watch as speaker in 2023. But when the only budget deal that she could broker included a GOP bill to cut that coverage, she provided the single Democratic vote in the House, securing its passage so that state government would remain funded for the next two years. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'She battled fiercely, but never let it impact the personal bond that we developed serving as caucus leaders,' GOP House Speaker Lisa Demuth said in a statement. 'I am beyond heartbroken by her loss.' What plans did Hortman propose? Joining the Democrats' legislative leadership team in 2007, Hortman steadily climbed the ranks, becoming House minority leader in 2017. Her efforts were instrumental in the Democrats recapturing a House majority in 2019. As a legislator, she championed significant environmental measures, proposing state emission standards akin to California's and advocating for a ban on the sale of mercury-containing products. She also proposed studying the feasibility of ending state investments in fossil fuel companies. Demuth, the current Republican House speaker, said Hortman was a nationally recognised expert on energy policy. Who is John Hoffman? John Hoffman is a Minnesota State Senator representing District 36. He had served in the Minnesota Senate since 2013 and is currently a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party. The 60-year-old is a Wyoming native who earned a bachelor's degree from Saint Mary's University and spent several decades working for various Minnesota businesses and nonprofits, as per his campaign page. In addition to his political career, he is known for his service on the Anoka-Hennepin School Board, beginning in 2005, and his contribution as co-founder of Consumer Credit of Minnesota, a non-profit organisation dedicated to consumer assistance. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Vice Chair John Hoffman, left, attends an Anoka-Hennepin School Board meeting in Coon Rapids, Minnesota. File image/AP A committed advocate, Hoffman demonstrated his legislative priorities in 2023 by supporting budget legislation that expanded MinnesotaCare health programme coverage to undocumented immigrants, a provision that took effect this year. More recently, on Monday (June 9), he voted against a Republican-backed bill that sought to terminate this coverage for adults starting January 1 – a key component of the broader budget agreement negotiated by Hortman. Beyond healthcare, Hoffman has actively championed the rights of individuals with disabilities. Last year, he sponsored a bill aimed at preventing courts from barring people with disabilities from adopting children. In 2023, he further proposed a state constitutional amendment to establish a dedicated fund for long-term care, to be financed by taxing the Social Security benefits of Minnesota's wealthiest residents, reported news website FOX9. How have Donald Trump, other politicians reacted? The killings of the Democratic leaders have sent shockwaves across the US. US President Donald Trump has condemned the 'terrible shooting' of the lawmakers. Remembering Mellisa Hortman, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said, 'Hortman, a formidable public servant, will be remembered as a giant in Minnesota.' Walz further said, 'We are not a country that settles our differences at gunpoint. We have demonstrated again and again in our state that it is possible to peacefully disagree, that our state is strengthened by civil public debate. We must stand united against all forms of violence – and I call on everyone to join me in that commitment.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'She wasn't only a leader, she was a damn good legislator and Minnesotans everywhere will suffer because of this loss,' said Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin, a former Minnesota state party chair and a friend of Hortman's. According to CBS News, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said he and Hortman were friends for over 20 years, and that she was a wise and caring person. With inputs from agencies
