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Fox News
5 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Law enforcement's response to fatal shooting of state lawmakers raises questions
Law enforcement's response to the June 14 shooting of two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses is raising new questions. The Minnesota Star Tribune (MST) examined the timeline of events and found several instances in which law enforcement made unsettling decisions. On June 14, state Sen. John Hoffman, 34, DFL, and Rep. Melissa Hortman, DFL, along with their spouses, were shot in their respective homes. Hoffman and his wife were wounded, but survived, while Hortman and her husband were killed. Despite knowing that a suspect — later identified as Vance Boelter — was impersonating an officer and had targeted a politician, law enforcement took 10 hours to alert lawmakers to the potential danger, according to MST. Following the shooting that wounded Hoffman and his wife, a New Hope police officer who was self-dispatched to the home of state Sen. Ann Rest, DFL, allegedly came in contact with Boelter. According to MST, Boelter did not respond to requests from the officer, who then drove away to check on Rest. However, the officer's interaction with the suspect was not immediately reported, according to MST. Additionally, the outlet alleges that Brooklyn Park police encountered the gunman at the Hortmans' home and saw him shoot Mark Hortman in the doorway before firing at the suspect. The gunman then went inside the home and additional gunfire was seen inside the house, according to MST. MST also claims that some police officers and legislators were not fully aware of the threat for several hours. Boelter was indicted on six federal charges in connection with the shootings, including the attempted shooting of Hope Hoffman. The maximum penalties for the charges include life in prison or death, according to the DOJ. "Vance Boelter planned and carried out a night of terror that shook Minnesota to its core," Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson said in a statement. "He carried out targeted political assassinations the likes of which have never been seen in Minnesota. We grieve with the Hortman family and continue to pray for the recovery of the Hoffmans. Today, a grand jury indicted Boelter with the most serious of federal charges for these heinous political assassinations. Let me be clear: Boelter will see justice." Fox News Digital reached out to Brooklyn Park Police and New Hope Police outside of office hours and did not receive a response from either department in time for publication.
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NM lawmakers' addresses removed from website as precaution amid security concerns
Jul. 23—SANTA FE — The New Mexico Legislature has removed lawmakers' home addresses from the legislative website, following the shooting of two Minnesota lawmakers at their homes last month. The decision to do so was made "in an abundance of caution" by the Legislature's administrative arm, the Legislative Council Service, in consultation with top-ranking Democratic lawmakers, said LCS Director Shawna Casebier. She said legislators are encouraged to use a post office box or nonresidential mailing address for posting to the legislative website, while describing the question of whether home addresses will be returned to the public website as an "ongoing discussion." Other states have taken similar steps since the June shootings in Minnesota, in which state Rep. Melissa Hartman and her husband were killed. Another Democratic legislator, state Sen. John Hoffman, was also shot in his home but survived. New Mexico lawmakers have grappled with security concerns even before the Minnesota assassination, including after a string of drive-by shootings targeting Democratic elected officials' homes took place following the 2022 general election. No one was injured in those shootings, but Solomon Peña, a former Republican state House candidate, was convicted in March of all counts he was charged with in connection to the shootings. He faces a mandatory 60 years in prison when sentenced next month. After those shootings, legislators' addresses were removed from the legislative website but some were later reposted at the request of individual lawmakers, Casebier said. Senate President Pro Tem Mimi Stewart, D-Albuquerque, said she and House Speaker Javier Martínez, D-Albuquerque, were in quick agreement on the decision to remove lawmakers' addresses from the website after last month's shootings in Minnesota. She also said Senate Democrats recently held a caucus meeting on security issues, during which legislators were urged to look into home security technology and were provided with additional information. "It's just sort of basic security precautions that we're trying to think about," Stewart told the Journal. "We have to pay attention and we're doing it." But she also acknowledged that political violence targeting elected officials has already discouraged some potential candidates from running. She also said it could prompt some legislators to step down. "It's a scary time we live in," Stewart said Wednesday. "We're trying to allay those fears and keep people safe." The recent actions come after previous steps to address security concerns. In 2021, top-ranking New Mexico lawmakers voted to ban guns and other weapons from the Roundhouse, with certain limited exceptions. That vote led to metal detectors being installed at the public entrances to the building. Meanwhile, a 2023 elections bill included a provision that allows elected officials in New Mexico to keep their home addresses confidential in certain mandatory filings with the Secretary of State's Office. Stewart said the security-motivated policies would not make the Legislature less transparent, citing the webcasting of all interim committee hearings and other initiatives. Many legislators also have the names and phone numbers of their district legislative assistants posted on the Legislature's website. "We don't intend to lock the public out of anything," said Stewart. Solve the daily Crossword
CBS News
23-07-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Minnesota Legislature to pay for enhanced home security for members in wake of lawmaker shooting attacks
Both chambers of the Minnesota Legislature will now cover the costs for enhanced home security for members in wake of the politically motivated shooting attacks on lawmakers and their spouses last month. The secretary of the Senate confirmed to WCCO that the funds will come from the Minnesota Senate's existing state budget appropriation and any member who requests that support will get the assistance. The state House will have a similar policy, a source said, to pick up the tab for roughly $4,500 towards the cost of installing additional security measures. Authorities say a masked gunman assassinated DFL Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark and attempted to kill DFL Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette in a politically-motivated attack in the middle of the night. He also had an alleged hit list targeting other Democratic state and federal elected officials. The change in both chambers would be in addition to the up to $3,000 elected officials can draw from their state campaign account to pay for security, including for arming homes and services like identity theft protection and credit monitoring. In 2021, lawmakers authorized that expense. Sen. Aric Putnam, DFL-St. Cloud, used some of those funds to cover installing a security system at his house a few years ago after receiving threatening messages online and by phone. He said the Legislature tapping into its budget for additional resources to help lawmakers is a good idea. "We always had these concerns, but now our attention is drawn to them a little more and I think it's an opportunity for us to kind of use that attention to make people more safe," he told WCCO in an interview. Sen. Julia Coleman, R-Waconia, said she installed a security system right after the June 14 attacks and the $3,000 she could use from her campaign account was just shy of the total cost of boosting safety at her home. "I'm grateful that we have that opportunity and that resource available because it's a steep price to get the equipment installed, but it's not quite the amount for what I consider a pretty basic system and basic monitoring," she explained. The new policy in the Legislature will expand the amount of funds available to lawmakers who choose to take similar steps. Coleman said "it's about damn time" for the change. The move in Minnesota comes as the U.S. House leadership in Washington this week announced a pilot program significantly increasing the amount of money members of Congress can use towards personal and home security for the next few months. Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said he would evaluate "all the data points, see how effective it was, how it was utilized, and then make decisions going forward" once the beefed-up security funding ends at the end of this fiscal year on Sept. 30. "We live in an enhanced threat environment," Johnson told CBS News. There have been discussions for years about security in the Minnesota Capitol Building, which right now does not require visitors to pass through a metal detector before entering. The tragedy adds a new level of urgency. Some current and former lawmakers believe that should change; while others, like Putnam, think keeping the state's seat of government accessible to Minnesotans is important. Also in the immediate wake of the shootings, the names of cities and towns where lawmakers live were removed from the state legislative website. Next month, the special advisory panel tasked with oversight of Capitol security will meet for the first time since the attacks.
CBS News
22-07-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Sen. John Hoffman calls daughter his "hero" in first interview since lawmaker shootings
A survivor of the Minnesota lawmaker attacks is speaking out in his first interview since the shootings that shocked the country. Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman talked about the rehab process for him and his wife on "The Al Travis Show" Monday. The Champlin lawmaker was released from the ICU two weeks ago. His wife, Yvette, is also still recovering. The couple was shot 17 times by a man impersonating an officer at their front door, with their daughter Hope right beside them. The senator said her call to police likely saved lives. "When she dialed 911, she was a hero, man," John Hoffman said. "There's people alive because of how she said, you know, something on 911 that was just, but she was, you know, very much in charge. Grateful, grateful for her big time." Vance Boelter is charged with shooting the Hoffmans and killing former Democratic Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman inside her Brooklyn Park home. Her husband Mark was also killed, and their dog, Gilbert, was later euthanized for his gunshot injuries. A special election is in the works to fill her seat, and Tuesday is the last day for candidates to file. Brooklyn Park Councilman Christian Eriksen announced his intention to run earlier this month. He was elected to the City Council in 2022. Other DFL candidates include XP Lee and Erickson Saye. So far, there's at least one Republican candidate running, Ruth Bittner. The special election will be held on Sept. 16.
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Minnesota shooting victims John, Yvette Hoffman detail 'horrific night'
Sen. John Hoffman, shot alongside his wife at their Minnesota home nearly a week ago, in what officials deemed as "targeted," released a statement detailing the married couple's version of what happened during the violent break-in that left them hospitalized. Under the cover of night, on the early morning of June 14, a gunman gained access to the couple's Champlin home, shot the Democratic lawmaker, and then shot his wife. Police said Yvette Hoffman survived. Her husband, shot nine times, remained in critical condition on June 19, a spokesperson for the hospital system treating him told KARE 11. She was released from the hospital on Thursday, June 19, according to the Minneapolis-based TV station. USA TODAY is not identifying the hospital for safety and privacy reasons. A reporter contacted the hospital for more information, but has not received a response. Another lawmaker in Minnesota, state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, were also shot that same day at their home, Brooklyn Park Police officials said. Law enforcement discovered their bodies on Saturday, June 14. Following an intense manhunt, law enforcement on June 15 arrested Vance Luther Boelter, 57, in connection with both shootings. He faces state and federal murder charges, including multiple counts of murder and stalking. Gov. Tim Walz has publicly called the killings a political assassination. Now, days after the shootings, John and Yvette Hoffman are detailing that "horrific night." 'I'm going to be honest': North Dakota man charged with threatening official in email citing Minnesota shootings According to the statement from John and Yvette Hoffman, shared with USA TODAY, the couple had attended the Humphrey Mondale dinner on Friday, June 13, and returned home that night with their adult daughter, Hope. At around 2 a.m., the couple was awakened by the "sounds of pounding on the front door and shouts of someone seeking entry," the statement reads. The individual identified himself as a police officer, and when the couple opened the door, all three of them were in the entryway, the statement continues. John Hoffman "initially lunged at the gunman as the weapon was pointed directly at him," leading to him being "struck nine times," according to the statement. As he fell, his wife reached out to push the gunman and shut the door, succeeding before she was also "hit eight times by gunfire," the statement continues. Hope Hoffman then rushed to shut the door and secure the lock before calling 911 and sharing that her dad had been shot in his home, the statement reads. "Her brave actions and quick thinking triggered the notice to public safety officials that a politically-motivated act was potentially underway," the statement says about Hope. The couple, which continues to receive medical care, said in the statement that they're "deeply grateful for those providers, for the first responders and for all those in law enforcement who worked so quickly, professionally and selflessly to safeguard others and to apprehend the shooter." The statement also mentions the murders of Melissa and Mark Hortman, saying: "We are heartbroken to know that our friends Melissa and Mark Hortman were assassinated. Our daughter Hope and Sophie Hortman went to school together, and we know that they - along with Colin Hortman - will have each other's support as we all work through the devastating consequences of that horrific night." The couple also thanked those at the Fernbrook Elementary School in Maple Grove, Minnesota, for the GoFundMe page that will help them "pick up the broken pieces of (their) lives." "We are uplifted by the prayers and support from so many across the state of Minnesota and the country: thank you," the statement reads. The statement also speaks on the risk of being a public servant in today's society, saying: "Choosing to work in the public sector, even in as limited a way as John's career as a senator, has always meant sacrificing a 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." "As a society, as a nation, as a community, we must work together to return to a level of civility that allows us all to live peacefully. The future for our children depends on that," the statement continues. "We will be praying for that work and appreciate all those who will join with us." USA TODAY contacted Hoffman's office on June 20 but has not received a response. Boelter visited the homes of two other state officials the morning he launched a targeted "political assassination," Joseph Thompson, the acting U.S. attorney for Minnesota, said. Boelter drove to the houses of the other state officials after he shot and wounded John Hoffman and his wife. Police arrested Boelter on June 15 in rural Sibley County, some 50 miles from Minneapolis, after they accused him of fatally shooting Hortman and her husband in their home. The suspect also targeted several other lawmakers in the Midwest, prosecutors said. According to a 20-page court affidavit released June 17, detailing the violent and deadly crime spree, FBI Agent Terry Getsceh wrote the suspect meant to 'kill, injure, harass and intimidate'' more than 45 Minnesota state and federal officials whose names and addresses he had researched. Investigators say Boelter "extensively researched" and planned the June 14 attack. He compiled a list of mostly Democratic state lawmakers and their addresses; he fitted his SUV with lights and a fake license plate to resemble a police squad car; and he purchased a silicone mask and a cache of weapons, court documents filed in federal court show. Contributing: Rebecca Morin, Christopher Cann, Susan Miller and Jorge L. Ortiz Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@ and follow her on X @nataliealund. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Minnesota shooting victims offer statement detailing 'horrific night'
