Who was the Democratic lawmaker shot to death in Minnesota? All we know so far

US President Donald Trump said he had been briefed on the shooting and called it a “targeted attack against state lawmakers.” He added, “Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America.”

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz described the killings as a “politically motivated assassination” and urged people to stay away from planned protests out of caution.

Manhunt underway for suspect

According to AP, hundreds of officers fanned out across the Minneapolis suburbs in pursuit of 57-year-old Vance Boelter, the man suspected of carrying out the shootings. The FBI has offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to his arrest and conviction. Authorities displayed a photo of Boelter wearing a tan cowboy hat and asked the public to report any sightings.

River Valley Tactical Team prepares to search the home of Vance Boelter, suspect in lawmaker shootings, near Green Isle, Minnesota. (Photo: Star Tribune via AP)

Boelter was reportedly a former political appointee who served on the Governor’s Workforce Development Board, on which Hoffman also served, though it is unclear how well they knew each other.

Boelter is said to have posed as a police officer, impersonating uniformed personnel and driving a car made to look like an official vehicle.

Law enforcement agencies recovered several AK-style firearms from Boelter’s vehicle, along with a manifesto and documents listing prominent lawmakers. A Minnesota official told AP the writings also referenced abortion rights advocates, suggesting they may have been potential targets.

Timeline of the shootings

The first shooting occurred around 2 am local time in Champlin, where Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette were shot multiple times. Police responded and rushed them to surgery. Governor Walz said he was “cautiously optimistic they will survive this assassination attempt.”

Roughly 90 minutes later, officers checked on Representative Melissa Hortman’s home in Brooklyn Park. There, they encountered a man in uniform leaving the house next to a car with emergency lights. The suspect opened fire on officers before fleeing. Hortman was pronounced dead at the scene; her husband Mark died later at the hospital.

Bullet holes were seen on the Hoffmans’ front door, and the vehicle used by the suspect contained “No Kings” flyers, according to AP.

Who was Melissa Hortman?

Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman addresses the house floor after being re-elected for her third term during the first day of the 2023 legislative session. (AP Photo)

Melissa Hortman, 55, was a long-serving Democratic state lawmaker who represented District 34B in the northern Twin Cities area. First elected in 2004, she served as Speaker of the Minnesota House from 2019 to 2023 and was the DFL (Democratic–Farmer–Labour) leader at the time of her death.

Hortman was trained in law, with degrees from Boston University, the University of Minnesota Law School, and Harvard Kennedy School. She was known for championing clean energy, education, and transport, and for her advocacy of abortion rights. In 2023, she helped pass legislation that protected providers and patients traveling from restrictive states.

She and her husband Mark had two children. Governor Walz called her “a great leader” and said, “She woke up every day determined to make this state a better place.”

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner reported that both died from multiple gunshot wounds.

Who is Senator John Hoffman?

John Hoffman is recovering after undergoing surgery. (Wikimedia Commons Photo)

John Hoffman has been a Democratic state senator since 2012. He represents a district north of Minneapolis and previously served as vice chair of the Anoka-Hennepin School Board.

He and his wife Yvette, who was also shot, have one daughter. Both are recovering after undergoing surgery.

More on the suspect, Vance Boelter:

Authorities believe the shootings were politically motivated.

According to Reuters, Boelter had connections to evangelical ministries, claimed to be a security expert with experience in Gaza and Africa, and ran a company called Praetorian Guard Security Services with his wife. He also founded a Christian ministry named Revoformation.

A former housemate told Reuters that Boelter texted him on Saturday morning, saying: “I might be dead soon.” The housemate alerted the police.

Boelter had previously voted for Donald Trump, and was known to oppose abortion, although friends say he was not overtly angry about politics in recent years.

Armed FBI agents strategize while searching for the shooter near Rep. Melissa Hortman’s home in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. (AP Photo)

Boelter had reportedly written on LinkedIn just a month ago that he was seeking work in the food industry. Archived websites list him as an ordained minister since 1993, who had gone to St. Cloud State University, Cardinal Stritch University, and the Christ for the Nations Institute.

Investigators are still analyzing the writings left behind in Boelter’s vehicle. Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said the motive remains under investigation, adding, “It would be premature for me at this point to say exactly what the motivation might be.”

Official response

The FBI and US Attorney General Pam Bondi are leading the federal investigation. Several people have been questioned.

House Speaker Lisa Demuth, a Republican, called the killings “evil” and asked Minnesotans to pray for the victims and police.

Gabrielle Giffords, a former US Congresswoman who survived a targeted shooting in 2011, issued a statement saying, “An attack against lawmakers is an attack on American democracy itself.”

State Patrol Col. Christina Bogojevic asked citizens to avoid “No Kings” protests “out of an abundance of caution,” even though there was no direct threat to the events.

(With inputs from agencies)