Wife of Minnesota senator shielded their daughter from gunfire, nephew says
A relative of one of the lawmakers who was shot in Minnesota over the weekend says Democratic Sen. John Hoffman's wife saved the life of her daughter by shielding her from the barrage of bullets.
Hoffman and his wife Yvette Hoffman are recovering in hospital after the alleged gunman, Vance Boelter, 57, shot them nine and eight times, respectively.
During the shooting, Yvette used her body to cover her adult daughter, Hope Hoffman, shielding her from the gunfire, said a nephew.
'Early this morning, an absolute vile piece of [expletive] 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,' Matt Ollig, a nephew of the Hoffmans said on Facebook, which was first reported by the BBC
'My aunt threw herself on her daughter, using her body as a shield to save her life.'
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Boelter surrendered to police Sunday after they found him in the woods near his home following a massive manhunt that stretched over two days. He is accused of fatally shooting former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, in their home, shortly after he opened fire on the Hoffmans in their home a few miles away.
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This booking photo provided by the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office shows Vance Boelter in Green Isle, Minn., on June 16, 2025. Hennepin County Sheriff's Office via AP
A Minnesota lawmaker also said that Hortman's dog had to be euthanized after being shot in the attack.
'Her children had to put down him after learning their parents had been murdered, ' Rep. Erin Koegel posted on the social media platform X. 'Gilbert wasn't going to survive. Melissa loved that dog. She trained him as a service dog. He flunked out of school and she was so happy he failed so he could stay!'
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Her children had to put down him after learning their parents had been murdered. Gilbert wasn't going to survive. Melissa loved that dog. She trained him as a service dog. He flunked out of school and she was so happy he failed so he could stay! She needed him in heaven with her.
— Erin Koegel (@ErinKoegel) June 16, 2025
Boelter is accused of posing as a police officer while carrying out the fatal attack and acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson told reporters Monday morning that Boelter meticulously panned the attacks, carrying out surveillance missions, taking notes on the homes and people he targeted and disguising himself as a police officer just before the shootings.
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Thompson said the suspect arrived at the Hoffmans' home in the early morning hours Saturday, and knocked on their door. He was wearing a silicon mask and shined a flashlight in their faces, saying there was a shooting reported at the house and asking if they had any weapons.
The Hoffmans shouted, 'You're not a cop!' Thompson said. Then, the suspect announced 'this is a robbery' and he forced his way into the home and shot them.
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At 2:05 a.m., Hope Hoffman called 911 to report her parents had been shot, officials said.
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Bullet holes mark the front door of the house of Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife who were shot earlier in the day, Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Champlin, Minn. Bruce Kluckhohn / The Associated Press
Boelter had many notebooks full of plans that appeared to be months in the making, Thompson said. Underscoring what law enforcement officials said was the premeditated nature of the attacks, Boelter wrote out in one notebook a list of internet-based people search engines, according to court records.
A list of about 70 names was found in writings recovered from the fake police vehicle that was left at the crime scene outside the Hortmans' home, officials said Sunday. The writings and list of names included prominent state and federal lawmakers and community leaders, along with abortion rights advocates and information about healthcare facilities, according to the officials.
But authorities have not found any writings that would 'clearly identify what motivated him,' Thompson said. Though the targets were Democrats and elected officials, Thompson said it was too soon to speculate on any sort of political ideology.
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Democratic Gov. Tim Walz described the shootings as 'a politically motivated assassination.'
We must stand united against violence. pic.twitter.com/KFP2IZgbAs
— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) June 14, 2025
Friends and former colleagues of Boelter told The Associated Press that he was a devout Christian who attended an evangelical church and attended campaign rallies for U.S. President Donald Trump.
They added he didn't often talk about politics and gave no impression that he might have held extreme beliefs.
'He was right-leaning politically but never fanatical, from what I saw, just strong beliefs,' Paul Schroeder, who has known Boelter for years, told AP.
'It seemed to be just that he was a conservative Republican who naturally followed Trump.'
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3:43
Minnesota shooting suspect faces 1st degree murder charges
In a statement, shared by the Hoffman family, the senator and his wife shared that they are recovering and 'both incredibly lucky to be alive.'
'We continue our healing journey and are humbled by the outpouring of love and support our family has received from across the state and our nation,' the family said in a statement viewed by ABC News.
Boelter is a former political appointee who served on the same state workforce development board as Hoffman, records show, though it was not clear if or how well they knew each other.
Around 6 a.m. Saturday, Boelter texted friends to apologize for his actions, though he didn't say what he had done.
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'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'm sorry for all the trouble this has caused,' he wrote in messages viewed by the AP.
Boelter has been charged with federal murder and stalking offences. He also faces state charges, including murder and attempted murder.
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