A shooter impersonating a police officer fatally shot a senior Democratic state assemblywoman and her husband in what appears to be a “politically motivated assassination,” according to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and law enforcement officials.
A large-scale search supported by the FBI has been initiated for the suspect, who escaped on foot after firing at police and abandoning a vehicle that contained a “manifesto” and a list of additional legislators and officials, according to law enforcement sources.
The suspect has been identified as 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter, as stated by Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans during a news briefing.
The list discovered in the abandoned vehicle contained approximately 70 names, reported CNN law enforcement analyst John Miller, who is a former head of FBI public affairs and a former chief of intelligence and counterterrorism for the New York Police Department, citing law enforcement insiders.
This list included abortion providers, pro-abortion rights activists, and politicians from Minnesota and other states, he noted.
ABC News, also referencing law enforcement officials, reported that the list comprised dozens of Minnesota Democrats, including Governor Walz, U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar, Senator Tina Smith, and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.
The murders of Melissa Hortman, a former assembly speaker, and her husband, Mark, have triggered shock and horror from political figures across the spectrum and calls to reduce increasingly divisive political rhetoric.
The shootings followed a heated congressional hearing on Thursday, where Governor Walz and two other Democratic governors defended their states’ policies concerning sanctuary for undocumented immigrants, facing backlash from Republicans who support President Trump’s strict immigration enforcement.
Minnesota State Patrol Chief Col Christina Bogojevic informed reporters that officers found flyers in the suspect’s vehicle stating “No Kings,” but clarified that there were no direct connections to the nationwide “No Kings” protests against President Donald Trump’s policies occurring today.
The organizing No Kings Coalition announced the cancellation of all protests in Minnesota, citing a shelter-in-place order and the fact that the suspect remained at large and was impersonating a police officer.
President Trump mentioned he had been briefed on the “tragic shooting that occurred in Minnesota, which seems to be a targeted attack against a state politician.”
“Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America. God bless the wonderful people of Minnesota, a truly great place!” President Trump stated in a release.
Ms. Hortman and her husband were shot and killed in their home located in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Park, according to Mr. Walz.
The suburb is situated in the northern part of Hennepin County, a region known for its Democratic support.
Ms. Hortman’s official website indicates that she and her husband have two children.
Governor Walz stated that the shooter approached the Hortmans’ residence after attacking Senator John Hoffman and his wife multiple times in their home in the nearby town of Champlin.
They underwent surgery, and Mr. Walz expressed cautious optimism about their survival from “this assassination attempt.”
“This was an act of targeted political violence,” he said.
“Peaceful dialogue is essential to our democracy. We do not resolve our differences with violence or at gunpoint,” he added.
Law enforcement officials reported that the gunman assaulted the Hoffmans around 2 AM (8 AM Irish time) and then traveled approximately five miles to the Hortmans’ home.
Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley commented that a “very intuitive” police sergeant responding to the Hoffman attack asked colleagues to “proactively” check on the Hortmans’ residence.
State Senator John Hoffman and his wife were also targeted in the attacks.
The two officers arriving at the Hortmans’ home observed what looked like a police vehicle parked in the driveway with its emergency lights activated and saw an individual outfitted as a police officer exiting the house, he stated.
The suspect “immediately opened fire on the officers, who returned fire, and the suspect retreated back inside the home,” Mr. Bruley noted.
The suspect, dressed in a vest equipped with a taser, other police gear, and a badge, is believed to have escaped from the back of the home, he added.
Both the Hortmans and the Hoffmans were included on the list of names found in the suspect’s vehicle, officials reported.
The pre-dawn killings in Minnesota come amid a rising trend of political violence in the U.S., highlighting the concerning aspect of the nation’s deepening political divides.
Past incidents include the attempted kidnapping of Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, in 2020, and an individual who broke into Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s residence in April, setting it ablaze.
Last July, former candidate Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt by a gunman during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
Earlier today, the Texas Department of Public Safety disclosed in a statement that it had identified a “credible threat toward state politicians set to attend a protest later today” in Austin, resulting in the evacuation of the state capitol and its grounds.
The connection to events in Minnesota remains unclear.
President Trump has faced criticism from some opponents regarding his dealings with instances of political violence.
In one of his initial actions in office this year, Mr. Trump pardoned nearly everyone charged with participating in the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack, a decision deemed by critics as signaling support for the rioters.
The bipartisan Minnesota delegation released a unified statement saying: “Today we present a united front to express our outrage, sorrow, and condemnation of this horrific attack on public servants.
“There is no place in our democracy for politically-motivated violence.”
