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NBC News
7 days ago
- Politics
- NBC News
Minnesota lawmaker shot 9 times at his home in 'targeted' attack is in a critical condition
The Minnesota lawmaker who survived an attack by a gunman on his doorstep is still in a critical condition and has revealed details of the terrifying moment he and his wife were shot multiple times. Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, released a statement Thursday, obtained by NBC affiliate KARE of Minneapolis, outlining the events in the early hours of June 14. The Hoffmans continue their recovery in the hospital — Sen. Hoffman is in a critical but stable condition, while his wife is in a stable condition, the statement said. The suspected gunman, Vance Boelter, is accused of shooting them and killing the state's top legislator, Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz described the shootings as "targeted political violence." In the statement, the Hoffmans described the night of the shooting, which occurred after they returned to their Champlin home from a dinner. Their adult daughter Hope was also present. "At approximately 2:00 a.m., we were all awakened by the sounds of pounding on the front door and shouts of someone seeking entry, identifying himself as a police officer," the couple's statement said. "When the door was opened, all three of us were in the entryway. John initially lunged at the gunman as the weapon was pointed directly at him, getting struck nine times. As John fell, Yvette reached out to push the man and shut the door, succeeding before she was also hit eight times by gunfire," the statement continued. The couple's daughter then shut the door and locked it before phoning 911. "Her brave actions and quick thinking triggered the notice to public safety officials that a politically-motivated act was potentially underway," the statement said. The Hoffmans thanked the medical professionals who cared for them and the law enforcement officers who attended the scene and eventually caught Boelter after what became the biggest manhunt in Minnesota history. The couple also said they were "heartbroken to know that our friends Melissa and Mark Hortman were assassinated," adding that their daughters went to school together In the statement, the couple also thanked the local community and Fernbrook School, where Yvette Hoffman works, for organizing a GoFundMe page that has raised almost $200,000 to pay for medical expenses and increased security measures. Prosecutors said that notebooks found in Boelter's SUV and at his home showed the names of more than 45 state and federal elected officials. The Hoffmans reflected on the threat faced by public officials and said they understood that public sector figures sacrifice some level of privacy. "But now we are grappling with the reality that we live in a world where public service carries such risks as being targeted because someone disagrees with you or doesn't like what you stand for," they said.
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Feds: Boelter stopped at two other lawmakers' homes between shootings of Hoffmans, Hortmans
CHAMPLIN, MINNESOTA - JUNE 15: Bullet holes are seen in the door outside the home of DFL State Sen. John Hoffman on June 15, 2025 in Champlin, Minnesota. Hoffman and his wife were shot and hospitalized yesterday morning. DFL State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, were also shot and killed in a separate incident. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said during a press conference that the shooting "appears to be a politically motivated assassination." (Photo by) The man accused of killing DFL House leader Melissa Hortman and her husband, and shooting DFL state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, went to the homes of two additional state lawmakers in the early hours of Saturday morning, federal officials said Monday. Vance Boelter, 57, is facing several state and federal charges for the murders of Melissa and Mark Hortman and the shootings of John and Yvette Hoffman, and related other crimes. The Hoffmans survived but remained hospitalized. Boelter's path took him, in total, to the homes of four state lawmakers in the northwest metro of the Twin Cities before he got in a shootout with police officers outside the Hortmans' home in Brooklyn Park and fled the scene. Boelter was captured Sunday evening by state and federal agents in a field about a mile from his home in Green Isle, about an hour west of the Twin Cities, following a 43-hour manhunt. Boelter maintained notebooks with a list of Democratic elected officials, including Hortman and Hoffman, along with addresses and the names of abortion providers. He has been described by those who knew him as a Christian who voted for President Donald Trump, who was facing financial hardship after quitting his job to embark on business ventures in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Federal authorities say that after Boelter shot the Hoffmans, he drove to a home in Maple Grove belonging to a state representative. Boelter, dressed in a fake law enforcement uniform and wearing a mask, knocked on the door and said 'This is the police. Open the door,' according to surveillance footage from the home referenced in federal charging documents. The representative and her family were not at home. No one answered the door. Authorities declined to name the representative who lived at the house. Maple Grove is split into two House districts — one represented by Republican Rep. Kristin Robbins, and the other by DFL Rep. Kristin Bahner. As word spread about the shooting of the Hoffmans, a New Hope police officer drove to the local state senator's house to check on the lawmaker. The New Hope police officer spotted what looked like a police SUV parked down the block from the senator's home. Assuming it was another officer dispatched to provide protection, the New Hope officer pulled up next to the SUV. Boelter was inside the vehicle, likely still wearing the silicone mask that he wore as he shot the Hoffmans, said Joe Thompson, acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota. As the New Hope officer attempted to speak with Boelter, Boelter stared straight ahead and didn't respond. The officer then drove down the block to the senator's house, and Boelter left. New Hope is represented by DFL state Sen. Ann Rest, and in a statement Monday, she thanked law enforcement for saving her life. 'I have been made aware that the shooting suspect was parked near my home early Saturday morning. I am so grateful for the heroic work of the New Hope Police Department and its officers. Their quick action saved my life,' Rest said. Boelter then drove to the Hortmans' in Brooklyn Park, the federal charging documents allege. A notebook recovered from his home included notes about the Hortman family and home. Brooklyn Park police, responding to the same call for protection following the Hoffmans' shooting, arrived on the scene moments before Boelter fired his gun as he entered the home through the front door. Boelter escaped through the back of the house, and police officers found Melissa and Mark Hortman — and their dog — inside the home with fatal gunshot wounds. Here's a timeline of events, according to federal and state charging documents, and local reporting: June 9, 2025 Boelter purchased a flashlight, tactical rifle case, ammunition and materials used to create a fake 'POLICE' license plate for his SUV, according to a Fleet Farm receipt found by police in Boelter's north Minneapolis home. Saturday, June 14 2:06 a.m.: The Hoffmans' daughter called 911 to report that her parents had been shot. 2:24 a.m.: Boelter arrives at the home of a state representative in Maple Grove and rings the doorbell multiple times. 'This is the police. Open the door,' he repeated. No one answered; the family was not home. 2:36 a.m.: A New Hope police officer arrives at the home of Sen. Ann Rest in New Hope to conduct a safety check. There, she encountered Boelter in his SUV, parked down the block from the home. The officer, believing the car was a legitimate law enforcement vehicle, attempted to speak with Boelter, but he did not engage with her. The officer then parked at Rest's house and waited for other officers to arrive; by the time they arrived, Boelter was gone. 3:30 a.m.: Brooklyn Park police arrive at the Hortmans' home to conduct a safety check. There, they saw a black SUV resembling a cop car with its lights flashing. Officers saw Boelter standing in front of the house, then firing shots as he entered the home. Officers then moved to the front doorway, where they attempted to provide medical assistance to Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. Boelter fled the scene, abandoning the vehicle. 6:03 a.m.: Boelter texted his childhood friend and roommate saying that he would be 'gone for a while' and 'may be dead shortly,' the Star Tribune reported. 6:18 a.m.: Boelter texted his wife and other family members in a group chat, writing that he 'went to war last night' and that 'there's gonna be some people coming to the house armed and trigger-happy and I don't want you guys around.' Around 7:00 a.m.: After stopping by his north Minneapolis home, Boelter encountered a stranger at a bus stop in the neighborhood and asked to purchase an electric bike from him. The two took a bus to the man's house, where Boelter also asked to buy the man's Buick sedan. The man agreed, and they took the Buick to a U.S. Bank in Robbinsdale, where Boelter withdrew $2200, and gave $900 to the man for the bike and car. Sunday, June 15 2:30 a.m.: Law enforcement received information about a possible sighting of a man riding an e-bike about two miles away from Boelter's Green Isle home. Midday: Law enforcement officials send out an emergency alert in the area of Faxon Township, Sibley County, after locating Boelter's abandoned Buick within miles of his home. Teams of officers from dozens of agencies fan out across the area, searching homes and rural areas for Boelter. 9:10 p.m. State leaders apprehend Boelter in a field in Green Isle. He was armed, but surrendered without any use of force.
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Vance Boelter, accused of assassination of DFL House leader Melissa Hortman, apprehended
Law enforcement stage in a neighborhood on June 15, 2025 in Green Isle, Minnesota. Shooting suspect Vance Boelter later surrendered. (Photo by) Law enforcement officers on Sunday night arrested Vance Boelter, who is accused of assassinating Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband at their home in Brooklyn Park as part of a larger plot to kill Democratic elected officials and other advocates of abortion rights. Boelter is also accused of shooting Democratic-Farmer-Labor state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, at their home in Champlin. Both Hoffmans survived the shooting, but received surgeries for their injuries and remain hospitalized. The arrest comes after a 43-hour manhunt — the largest in state history, according to Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley. Law enforcement officers had been searching all day after locating Boelter's abandoned vehicle near Green Isle, where Boelter has a home. At the time of his arrest, Boelter was armed, but ultimately surrendered. Officers did not use any force, said Lt. Col. Jeremy Geiger of the Minnesota State Patrol. In the state's new Emergency Operations Center in Blaine — which was paid for by legislation passed by Hortman's DFL-controlled House in 2020 — Gov. Tim Walz thanked law enforcement and decried political violence and hateful rhetoric. 'This cannot be the norm. It cannot be the way that we deal with our political differences,' Walz said. 'Now is the time for us to recommit to the core values of this country, and each and every one of us can do it. Talk to a neighbor rather than argue, debate an issue, shake hands, find common ground.' Boelter is a Christian who voted for President Donald Trump and opposes abortion and LGBTQ rights, according to interviews with his childhood friend and videos of his sermons posted online. A list of potential targets — including Hoffman and Hortman — included abortion providers and other Democratic elected officials from Minnesota and Wisconsin. The attack, which has shocked Minnesotans and the nation, comes amid rising political violence since the emergence of President Donald Trump, who has made repeated threats of violence against his political enemies and praised his supporters who, for instance, attacked officers while storming the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. He later pardoned all of them. He survived two assassination attempts in 2024. Authorities say Boelter attacked the Hoffmans at their home in Champlin at approximately 2 a.m. on Saturday morning. An unsealed criminal complaint indicates that the Hoffmans' daughter called the police to report the shooting of her parents, the Associated Press reports. At around 3:30 a.m., Brooklyn Park police headed to the Hortmans' home to proactively check on them following the attack on the Hoffmans, said Drew Evans, superintendent at the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension at a press conference Saturday morning. When they arrived, the officers saw the attacker in a fake law enforcement uniform shoot Mark Hortman through the open front door, according to the complaint. Out front, emergency vehicle lights flashed from a Ford Explorer outfitted to look like a cop car. When the officers confronted the shooter, a gunfight ensued, and the killer escaped, abandoning the vehicle. Inside, Hortman and her husband, Mark, were dead from gunshot wounds. In the SUV, police found a document with a list of lawmakers and other officials on it. Hortman and Hoffman were on the list. Evans said Sunday that the document is not a 'traditional manifesto that's a treatise on all kinds of ideology and writings.' Instead, it contains a list of names and 'other thoughts' throughout. On Saturday afternoon, police raided a home in north Minneapolis where Boelter lived part time. In an interview with the Star Tribune and other media outlets, Boelter's roommate and childhood friend David Carlson shared a text message Boelter sent him at 6:03 a.m. saying that he would be 'gone for a while' and 'may be dead shortly.' Federal and state warrants were out for Boelter's arrest, and the FBI was offering a $50,000 award for information that led to Boelter's capture. On Sunday morning, law enforcement officers detained and questioned Boelter's wife as she was driving through Mille Lacs County with other family members. Evans said Sunday none of Boelter's family members are in custody. Sunday afternoon, law enforcement officers located a car linked to Boelter in Sibley County within a few miles of his home address in Green Isle. From there, teams from dozens of law enforcement agencies fanned out in search of Boelter. Boelter was spotted in the area, and officers converged around him, Evans said. He declined to provide some details of the tactics used by law enforcement to capture Boelter. Law enforcement officials continue to investigate Boelter's motives, Evans said, and urged the public not to jump to conclusions. 'We often want easy answers for complex problems, and this is a complex situation…those answers will come as we complete the full picture of our investigation,' he said. Minnesota House Democratic leader dead after targeted shooting; Democratic senator also shot Fragments of Boelter's life available online, and interviews with those who know him, shed light on his religious and political beliefs. Boelter's LinkedIn page indicates that he spent many years working in food production before becoming the general manager of a 7-Eleven. More recently, he worked at funeral homes, the New York Times reported. Boelter was facing financial stress after quitting his job to embark on business ventures in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to Carlson, the Star Tribune reported. The website for a private security firm lists Boelter as the 'director of security patrols,' and his wife as the CEO. He purchased some cars and uniforms but 'it was never a real company,' Carlson told the Strib. Carlson said Boelter is a Christian who strongly opposes abortion, the New York Times reported. In recordings of sermons Boelter delivered in Matadi, a city in the Democratic Republic of Congo, he railed against abortion and LGBTQ people. The reporting on Boelter's religious life suggests that his beliefs were rooted in fundamentalism, though he doesn't appear to have been ordained in any particular denomination, said Rev. Angela Denker, a Minnesota-based Lutheran minister, journalist and author of books on Christianity, right-wing politics and masculinity. 'What this kind of theology says is that if you commit violence in the name of whatever movement you're a part of, then you're going to be rewarded,' Denker said. The gunman shot John Hoffman nine times, and Yvette Hoffman eight times, according to a statement from Yvette. The Hoffmans' nephew, Mat Ollig, wrote on Facebook that Yvette used her body to shield her daughter. John Hoffman is 'enduring many surgeries right now and is closer every hour to being out of the woods,' Yvette Hoffman said in a statement. On Sunday night as leaders spoke to the press, Boelter was being questioned by law enforcement, but officials declined to say where he was detained and which agency was questioning him. On the steps of the State Capitol Sunday, mourners created an extemporaneous memorial for Hortman, who will be known as one of the most consequential progressive leaders in recent state history. Minnesota Reformer is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Minnesota Reformer maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor J. Patrick Coolican for questions: info@
