US lawmaker shot dead, another injured, suspect dressed as cop escapes
Two Minnesota lawmakers were shot early Saturday in what officials are calling a "targeted attack." The shootings occurred at their homes in the suburban communities of Champlin and Brooklyn Park, prompting an urgent manhunt by the authorities and a call for residents to shelter indoors.According to Reuters, John Hoffman was wounded in the attack, while Melissa Hortman and her husband were killed. Authorities suspect the attacker may have been impersonating a law enforcement officer. Investigators are still working to determine a motive and are in the early stages of the investigation.advertisementAuthorities believe the suspect posed as a police officer to gain access to the homes. A manifesto discovered in the suspect's vehicle named several lawmakers and public officials as potential targets, heightening fears of a broader threat. However, the motive remains unclear and the investigation is still in its early stages.
'The suspect exploited the trust that our uniforms represent,' said Public Safety Commissioner Bob Johnson. 'That betrayal is deeply disturbing to those of us who wear the badge with honor and responsibility.'Meanwhile, US Attorney General Pam Bondi said she is closely monitoring the situation and confirmed that the FBI is on the ground assisting with the investigation.Following the attacks, police ordered residents of Champlin and Brooklyn Park to remain indoors while they searched for the suspect. The assailant remains at large.advertisementDrew Evans, superintendent of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, confirmed that autopsies would determine the full extent of injuries, but that Hortman and her husband died from gunshot wounds.Governor Tim Walz addressed the incident in a press conference and said 'We must all, in Minnesota and across the country, stand against all forms of political violence. Those responsible for this will be held accountable.'Senator John Hoffman, who survived the attack, has served in the Minnesota Senate since 2012. He also runs Hoffman Strategic Advisors, a consulting firm, and previously served as vice chair of the Anoka-Hennepin School Board, which oversees the state's largest school district. He is married and has one daughter.Melissa Hortman, who began her legislative career in 2004, was one of the state's most influential Democratic lawmakers. Her leadership in the Minnesota House left a lasting mark on state politics.Trending Reel
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
an hour ago
- Hans India
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.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
2 hours ago
- First Post
Texas: Police arrest suspect after lawmakers receive threats prompting state Capitol's evacuation
A state trooper made the arrest of the man in connection with the threats during a traffic stop in La Grange, Texas and police said there was no additional threat read more People protest at the capitol in Austin, Texas. AFP Police arrested a man hours after the Texas State Capitol and grounds in Austin were evacuated on Saturday ahead of a planned protest after a credible threat to lawmakers, the Texas Department of Public Safety said. A state trooper made the arrest of the man in connection with the threats during a traffic stop in La Grange, Texas and police said there was no additional threat. A protest against President Donald Trump dubbed the 'No Kings' event was beginning at the Texas Capitol around 5 p.m. CDT Saturday. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Police around the U.S. are on high alert after a gunman posing as a police officer killed a Democratic state lawmaker and her husband in Minnesota in an apparent politically motivated assassination, and wounded a second lawmaker and his spouse, state officials said.
