Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman killed, state Sen. John Hoffman injured in targeted shootings. Here's what we know.
Authorities are investigating after targeted shootings left one Minnesota lawmaker dead and another injured. Gov. Tim Walz called the shootings "politically motivated" in a on Saturday.
State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, John, were fatally shot at their home in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, Walz said. State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were wounded at their home in Champlin, a suburb of Minneapolis. Investigators said the shooter was dressed as a police officer.
A suspect sought by investigators in connection with the Minnesota shootings was identified as 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter, authorities said. Boelter served on a state board with Hoffman for more than six years, records show, and authorities investigating the shootings have now said they're looking into whether the suspect knew Hoffman or Hortman personally. Authorities found his car on Sunday, CBS Minnesota reported.
Here's what officials have said about the targeted attacks.
What happened at the homes of Minnesota lawmakers?
Police first responded to a call of a shooting at Hoffman's home in Champlin at around 2 a.m. local time Saturday, Drew Evans, the superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said in the briefing. Life-saving measures were provided to Hoffman and his wife and they were taken to an area hospital, where they underwent surgery to treat gunshot wounds, Evans said.
Brooklyn Park police went proactively to Hortman's home after learning about the shooting at the Hoffman property, Brooklyn Park police chief Mark Bruley said. Hortman's home is about five miles from Hoffman's.
Two Brooklyn Park police officers went to Hortman's home, and saw what appeared to be a police vehicle parked in front of the house with its emergency lights on, and a police officer leaving the house, Bruley said. The vehicle "looked exactly like an SUV squad car," equipped with emergency lights, Bruley said. The individual was wearing a vest with a Taser, badge and other equipment, Bruley said. Bruley said the individual appeared to have knocked on the door of the home.
The Brooklyn Park officers confronted the individual, who Burley said "immediately" fired and exchanged gunshots with officers, Bruley said. The individual then retreated into the home, Bruley said. The police officers then entered the home and saw that Hortman's husband had been shot. They attempted to render first aid, but he was pronounced dead. A drone was then used to search the rest of the home and found Hortman dead inside.
Bruley said the individual was "clearly" impersonating a police officer and had used "the trust of this badge and this uniform to manipulate their way into the home." A search of the individual's vehicle found a document that named other lawmakers and officials, Bruley said. Evans said both Hoffman and Hortman were included on the list but he did not elaborate on any other names.
A stack of "No Kings" flyers was also found inside the vehicle, the Minnesota State Patrol . The flyers reference the anti-Trump protests that are planned in cities nationwide on Saturday. After the shooting, statewide "No Kings" events planned for Minnesota were canceled. Earlier in the day, the Minnesota State Patrol asked that people planning to attend the events avoid them out of an abundance of caution.
Extensive manhunt for suspect Vance L. Boelter
Investigators have identified 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter as the suspect in the shootings. He was last seen Saturday morning wearing a cowboy hat at a business in Minneapolis and he changed his clothes, authorities said at a news conference. Investigators said that they believe Boelter is attempting to flee the Twin Cities area.
According to an emergency alert sent on Sunday to residents of Sibley County, where Boelter's rural home is located, authorities found a vehicle belonging to the suspect in Faxon Township, which is roughly 20 miles away, CBS Minnesota reported. Although Boelter's known address is that home in the Sibley County town of Green Isle, a law enforcement source told CBS Minnesota that the suspect had most recently been living at a home in north Minneapolis.
The emergency alert urged county residents to lock their doors, secure their vehicles and prepare for law enforcement to ask to search properties in the area.
Authorities described Boelter as a White man with brown hair. He was wearing a blue shirt, blue pants and a black tactical vest at at time of the shootings, CBS Minnesota reported. Doorbell camera footage from the home of one of the victims showed the suspect appearing to be wearing a mask.
At the news conference Saturday, investigators confirmed that Boelter is employed at a security firm. He is as director of security patrols on the website of Praetorian Guard Security Services, where his wife is named president and CEO. In a on the website of Minnesota Africans United, which is no longer active, he is also described as the company's CEO.
In a post last month, Boelter said he was "looking to get back into the U.S. Food Industry" after spending three years on projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo with a company where he has been listed as chief executive since 2021. In an undated video posted online, he that while working to develop projects in Congo, he started working at Minnesota funeral homes "to help pay the bills."
Minnesota officials urged the public to reach out with any tips and said Boelter should be considered armed and dangerous. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to call the tipline at 877-996-6222 or email bca.tips@state.mn.us.
Sources said there was an extensive list of possible targets among writings found in a vehicle believed to be Boelter's that was discovered outside Hortman's home — more than 50 individuals, some of them officials beyond Minnesota, including abortion rights advocates and abortion facilities.
Minnesota police agencies and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension are leading the investigation, with assistance from federal agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. U.S. Marshals have also joined the manhunt, CBS News learned.
Several people have been detained and questioned, Bruley said, and police have identified "people of interest," but a suspect is not in custody.
A shelter-in-place order issued for Brooklyn Park in a three-mile radius around the suburb's Edinburgh Golf Course was later lifted Saturday afternoon because there's "reason to believe suspect is no longer in the area," an emergency alert read.
Increased security has been ordered for elected officials and others who may be at risk, he said.
Suspect served on a Minnesota state board with Hoffman
Boelter served on a Minnesota state board with Hoffman, records obtained by CBS News show.
Boelter was to the in 2016 by then-Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton as a private-sector representative, with a term lasting through 2019, according to state records. Walz him that year as a business member, a position he held until January 2023.
that Hoffman served on the 60-member board during both of Boelter's terms. Of the board's members, are appointed by the governor, while legislative leaders name two state senators and two representatives.
The board advises the governor and legislature on policies aimed at strengthening Minnesota's workforce and improving its competitiveness, according to its .
In a news conference Saturday, authorities said they were investigating whether Boelter knew Hoffman or Hortman.
Evans said there is "certainly some overlap with some public meetings" between Hoffman and Boelter, but that they had not determined "the nature of the relationship or if they actually knew each other."
In a post on LinkedIn on the day of the 2018 midterm elections, Boelter about the importance of voting in elections.
"I am very big on just telling people to be a part of the process and vote your values and be part of this adventure we are all a part of living in the United States of America," he wrote.
Who was Rep. Melissa Hortman?
Hortman, 55, represented Minnesota House District 34B. She was the top House Democratic leader in the state Legislature and a former House speaker. A lawyer, Hortman was first elected to office in 2004. She and her husband, John, have two children, according to the Associated Press.
Walz called the deaths of Hortman and her husband "a political assassination." In a later statement, Walz said that Minnesota had lost a "great leader" and that he had "lost a friend."
"A formidable public servant and a fixture of the state Capitol, Melissa Hortman woke up every day determined to make our state a better place. She served the people of Minnesota with grace, compassion, and tirelessness," Walz said.
DNC Chair Ken Martin, who was the chair of the state Democratic Party in Minnesota for 14 years, said Hortman was a "close friend" whom he had known since the start of his political career.
"As I said many times when I introduced her at events, she is the very best Speaker of the House that Minnesota has ever had," Martin said.
Until Hortman was killed, the Minnesota state House was evenly divided 67-67. In the state Senate, Democrats hold a one-seat majority.
Who is State Sen. John Hoffman?
Hoffman, 60, represents Minnesota Senate District 34, which covers a swath of northwest Twin Cities suburbs. He was first elected in 2012 and has been reelected three times.
He served as chair of the Human Services Committee, and also served on committees for energy, environment and health and human services, CBS Minnesota reported.
He and his wife Yvette were each shot multiple times, Walz said. They are out of surgery and are receiving care, Walz said. He added that his "prayers are with" the couple.
The Hoffmans have one daughter, according to the Associated Press.
Officials denounce political violence
Gov. Walz said Americans "don't settle our differences with violence or at gunpoint," and emphasized that the shootings followed a special session where both sides compromised for the good of Minnesota.
"In the state of Minnesota, and as recently as last week, in the most closely divided state legislature in the country, we sat down, shook hands and compromised, and we served the state of Minnesota together," Walz said. "It's possible in politically charged times to find compromise, democracy and civil discourse. I, Minnesota and across the country, stand against all forms of political violence."
Walz also thanked the responding officers, who he said showed "bravery and swift action."
"We will spare no resource in bringing those responsible to justice. We will not let fear win," Walz said.
President Trump said in a statement that he had been briefed on the "terrible shooting" and said Attorney General Pam Bondi and the FBI are investigating the situation and would prosecute anyone involved "to the fullest extent of the law."
"Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America," Mr. Trump wrote. "God Bless the great people of Minnesota, a truly great place!"
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat, and Rep. Tom Emmer, a Minnesota Republican, responded to the shootings in a joint statement issued alongside all members of the Minnesota Congressional Delegation.
"Today we speak with one voice to express our outrage, grief, and condemnation of this horrible attack on public servants," the statement said. "There is no place in our democracy for politically-motivated violence. We are praying for John and Yvette's recovery and we grieve the loss of Melissa and Mark with their family, colleagues, and Minnesotans across the state. We are grateful for law enforcement's swift response to the situation and continued efforts."
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said he has asked Capitol Police to increase security for both Minnesota senators, Klobuchar and Tina Smith. Schumer also said he has asked Senate Sergeant at Arms Jennifer Hemingway and Senate Majority Leader John Thune to convene a full briefing as soon as senators return to Washington.
"As we continue to follow this terrifying situation, I urge everyone to stay safe, stay vigilant, and reject political violence in all its forms," Schumer said. "But condemning violence while ignoring what fuels it is not enough. We must confront the toxic forces radicalizing individuals and we must do more to protect one another, our democracy, and the values that bind us as Americans."
Former Rep. Gabby Giffords of Arizona, who was shot in the head in 2011 at a supermarket in Tucson, Arizona, in an assassination attempt by a lone gunman that killed six people and wounded 12 others, said in a statement Saturday that she was "horrified and heartbroken" by the shootings.
"My family and I know the horror of a targeted shooting all too well," said Giffords, who is married to Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona. "An attack against lawmakers is an attack on American democracy itself. Leaders must speak out and condemn the fomenting violent extremism that threatens everything this country stands for."
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said, "Such horrific political violence has no place in our society, and every leader must unequivocally condemn it."
