Minnesota Gov. Walz: Shooting of Minnesota lawmakers is 'politically motivated'
1 of 3 | Authorities said someone impersonating a police officer shot and killed State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark around 3:30 a.m. CDT in the city of Brooklyn Park, located around 11 miles northwest of Minneapolis Saturday. Photo courtesy of Minnesota House of Representatives
June 14 (UPI) -- A police manhunt is underway in Minnesota after two state lawmakers and their spouses were shot overnight in a "politically motivated assassination," Gov. Tim Walz told reporters Saturday.
Authorities said someone impersonating a police officer shot and killed State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark around 3:30 a.m. CDT in the city of Brooklyn Park, located around 11 miles northwest of Minneapolis.
Around 2 a.m. CDT, a gunman opened fire, hitting State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette "multiple times" in Champlin, Minn., in another targeted shooting.
Walz said during a Saturday news conference he is "cautiously optimistic" Hoffman and his wife will survive the shooting and were out of surgery.
Local police were at Hortman's residence proactively checking after the earlier shooting.
"At which time, Brooklyn Park police officers encountered an individual who immediately fired at them, and they exchanged gunfire and the individual was able to escape during that exchange of gunfire," Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans told reporters at the news conference Saturday.
Brooklyn Park and Champlin are both located in Hennepin County, Minn.
A shelter-in-place order remains in place in parts of Brooklyn Park, officials said Saturday, adding "hundreds and hundreds" off personnel are involved in the search for a suspect.
Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said officers will work in teams and that no single law enforcement official would approach homes to avoid being confused with the suspect.
Residents are also being told to call 911 before opening their doors to anyone claiming to be police to confirm their identity.
Bruley said the suspect was at Hortman's home wearing police clothing and driving an SUV made to resemble a police vehicle, complete with emergency lights. The suspect then used the "trust of that uniform and badge" to get inside the home.
Police believe the suspect escaped out the back of the home after the exchange of gunfire with police. Officials did seized the SUV used in the crime.
The FBI is also now fully involved in the manhunt, joining local and state-level officials.
"An unspeakable tragedy has unfolded in Minnesota," Walz said Saturday, addressing Hortman's death.
"Our state lost a great leader and I lost the dearest of friends."
Hortman was a former Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives. Both Hortman and Hoffman were members of the Democratic Party.
"She was a fixture and a giant in Minnesota. She is irreplaceable and will be missed by so many," Walz, a fellow Democrat, told reporters, calling the shooting an "act of targeted political violence."
Walz pledged the state's full cooperation to assist with the developing manhunt.
"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," he confirmed on X.
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Newsweek
14 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Minnesota Assassin Alert Issued in South Dakota as Manhunt Expands
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat, said on during an interview on Sunday that authorities believe Vance Boelter, the suspect in the assassination of Minnesota state Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, is still in the Midwest. The senator said that authorities have put out an alert in South Dakota before adding that authorities believe Boelter may still be "in the vicinity," which means "in the Midwest." Newsweek reached out to the offices of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden, and Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers for comment outside of normal business hours on Sunday for comment. Why It Matters An assassin shot and killed Hortman and her husband, Mark, early Saturday morning after posing as law enforcement to gain access to their home. The shooter had earlier that morning shot state Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, in their home, but the couple underwent surgery and are in stable condition at the hospital. Walz called the shooting "a politically motivated assassination," and has enacted a significant manhunt across the state to try and catch Boelter whom authorities identified as a person of interest in the case. Boelter was last seen on security camera footage in a store in Minneapolis, wearing different clothing including a cowboy hat. Police found a list of possible targets in the suspect's vehicle, which named more than 50 individuals, including other politicians, some of whom are outside of Minnesota, abortion rights advocates, and abortion facilities. Police and law enforcement investigate the home of state Senator John Hoffman and his wife, who were shot multiple times earlier in Champlin, Minnesota, on June 14. Police and law enforcement investigate the home of state Senator John Hoffman and his wife, who were shot multiple times earlier in Champlin, Minnesota, on June 14. AP Photo/Giovanna Dell'Orto What To Know During an appearance on NBC News' Meet the Press, Klobuchardiscussed what updates have occurred on Sunday as the manhunt for Boelter continues, including the current scope of the investigation and Boelter's potential whereabouts. When asked if authorities believe Boelter may still be in Minnesota, Klobuchar said: "He may be. They've also put an alert out in South Dakota. You know, when I mean vicinity, I mean in the Midwest." "For a while they believed that he was in one certain area, and he may have been there for a while," the senator added. "So, they had thousands of homes in a shelter in place situation. Now they are continuing to look. And so, the FBI is asking for the public's help with a $50,000 award." Klobuchar noted the various changes in attire Boelter went through over just the first day of his flight, including his initial police-esque attire, which included what looked like some kind of rubber mask, and a later photo taken in Minneapolis, during which he wore a cowboy hat and plainclothes. This image provided by the FBI on Saturday, June 14, 2025, shows part of a poster with photos of Vance L. Boelter. This image provided by the FBI on Saturday, June 14, 2025, shows part of a poster with photos of Vance L. Boelter. FBI via AP "They are looking for him everywhere," Klobuchar said. "He is smart. He was able to impostor a police officer, soup up a car so it seemed like a police car. I know law enforcement has been very clear about this, that people should not approach him, that they should immediately call the tip lines and report. Because we believe he's somewhere in the vicinity and that they are going to find him, but right now everyone is on edge here." She added: "We also know that he is clearly off-balance, from the manifesto on, some of his writings, some of the things that he has said recently, that he is someone that no one should mess with except for law enforcement." Klobuchar added to Walz's assertion that the killings are "politically motivated," and praised the unified response from the Minnesota delegation, which included Republicans and Democrats jointly condemning the attack. "It was politically motivated, and there clearly was some throughline with abortion because of the groups that were on the list, and other things that I've heard were in this manifesto. So that was one of his motivations," Klobuchar said. She continued: "But again, they're also checking out, did he have interaction somehow with these two legislators? Is there more to this? And I think for us right now, allowing law enforcement to do their jobs instead of speculating on every angle of where he might have gone. They obviously have information we don't have." What People Are Saying President Donald Trump on Truth Social: "I have been briefed on the terrible shooting that took place in Minnesota, which appears to be a targeted attack against State Lawmakers. 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!" Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison on X: "The Attorney General's Office will do whatever it can to assist law enforcement in their investigation. My heart goes out to Melissa's and Mark's two children and their families." He added: "I'm also praying for Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette and wish them a full and speedy recovery. And I hope Minnesotans can offer grace, care, and kindness to each other in the days ahead." Minnesota Governor Tim Walz in a statement on X wrote: "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. To the responding officers, thank you for your bravery and your swift action. A State Bureau of criminal apprehension investigation is underway, and we will spare no resource in bringing those responsible to justice. Will not let fear win." What Happens Next? Anyone who sees any suspicious activity, "especially involving individuals impersonating law enforcement, please report it immediately," Bob Jacobson, Minnesota's commissioner of public safety, said during Saturday's press conference. The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) announced on Saturday they are offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Boelter. "Anyone with information about these shootings or Boelter's location should call the Minnesota Department of Public Safety's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) tip line at 877-996-6222 or email The public is asked to call 911 immediately if they see Boelter. Do not approach him."
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20 minutes ago
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Search Broadens as Investigators Race to Track Down Minnesota Suspect
EDITORS NOTE: EDS: SUBS 2nd graf to update with possible found vehicle; TWEAKS graf 3 and graf starting "-- The suspect: ..." Investigators expanded their search across Minnesota on Sunday as they raced to track the footsteps of a man suspected of assassinating a Democratic state lawmaker and trying to kill a second. Police found what they believe is a vehicle belonging to the suspect, Vance Boelter, 57, in Sibley County, near a listed address for him and about an hour's drive southwest of where Saturday's shootings occurred. Officials have pleaded for help from the public, offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to Boelter's arrest. At the same time they urged caution, saying that he was believed to be armed, dangerous and willing to kill. "He is someone that no one should mess with, except for law enforcement," Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota said Sunday morning on NBC's "Meet the Press." Communities were on edge around the Minneapolis suburbs where authorities say the suspect went to the homes of two lawmakers early Saturday, pretending to be a police officer. Wearing a ballistic vest, gloves and an identity-disguising mask, investigators say he killed Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. The police almost caught the suspect at the home, but he escaped on foot after exchanging gunfire with officers. State Sen. John A. Hoffman, a fellow Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, were also shot in a separate attack but survived. Klobuchar said Sunday that the couple was "hanging in there." Hoffman, she said, "may face some additional surgeries, but he is also in stable condition right now, from what I know." Investigators have been examining surveillance footage, bank records, Boelter's associations and his movements from before the shootings. He had been politically engaged: A friend said he opposed abortion and had supported President Donald Trump, and he previously served on a state workforce development board alongside Hoffman. Here's what else we know: -- The victims: Hortman served as speaker of the Minnesota House for a six-year period that ended this year and helped pass several key policies on abortion rights, marijuana legalization and medical leave. Hoffman is a fourth-term state senator from Champlin, another Minneapolis suburb, and leads the Senate's Human Services Committee. -- The suspect: Boelter and his wife run a private security company that promotes the usage of SUVs similar to those used by police departments, according to its website. The couple also appears to have run a religious nonprofit. An archived version of the organization's website described Boelter as an ordained minister who had preached overseas. It said that he "sought out militant Islamists in order to share the gospel and tell them that violence wasn't the answer." -- Political violence: Slowly but surely, violence has moved from the fringes to become part of the political landscape. Threats and even assassinations, attempted or successful, have become a steady undercurrent of American life. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Copyright 2025
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