BROOKLYN PARK, MINNESOTA —A statewide manhunt is underway after Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband were shot and killed in their Brooklyn Park home early Saturday. Authorities say the attack was politically motivated and targeted. A second state lawmaker, Senator John Hoffman, was also shot in a separate but connected incident. He remains hospitalized.
Police identified the suspect as 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter. He is considered armed and dangerous. Authorities confirmed he impersonated a police officer to gain access to the victims’ homes. He wore a fake badge and uniform and drove a car outfitted with emergency lights.
Hoffman, 60, and his wife were attacked at their home around 2:00 a.m. They were both shot multiple times. He underwent surgery and is in stable condition. His wife remains hospitalized.
Roughly 90 minutes later, police responded to a second call and found Melissa Hortman, 55, and her husband Mark dead in their home. Officers confronted Boelter at the scene and exchanged gunfire. He fled on foot. Authorities say his vehicle has been recovered.
“We believe the suspect is no longer in a vehicle and may still be in the area,” said Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley. “We have deployed an extensive manhunt involving local police, federal agents, SWAT teams, and state patrol.”
Governor Tim Walz condemned the shootings, calling them “an act of targeted political violence.” He confirmed the activation of the State Emergency Operations Center to support the ongoing search.
“Melissa was a giant in Minnesota politics,” Walz said. “She dedicated her life to public service. Today, Minnesota lost a great leader. I lost a dear friend.”
Officials confirmed Boelter once served on the state’s workforce development board alongside Hoffman. Investigators are still working to determine whether there was a personal link to either lawmaker.
Residents in Brooklyn Park and nearby areas have been told not to open their doors to anyone identifying as a law enforcement officer unless two officers are present. Police say Boelter may still be posing as an officer.
A $50,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to his arrest.
Bob Jacobson, Minnesota’s commissioner of public safety, said the killings mark a dark moment for the state. “Public servants were targeted in a violent and cowardly way,” he said. “But fear will not define how we move forward.”
Authorities canceled all “No Kings” protests planned for Saturday after investigators found printed flyers promoting the demonstrations inside Boelter’s vehicle. No link between the protests and the shootings has been confirmed.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi released a statement calling the killings “heartbreaking.” She added, “This climate of politically-motivated violence must end.”
Former Vice President Al Gore also paid tribute. Hortman worked briefly in his Senate office early in her career. “Though her time there was short, her impact was lasting,” Gore said.
Hortman, an attorney, was first elected to the Minnesota House in 2004. She served as House Speaker from 2019 until this year. She played a key role in advancing women’s rights, clean energy policy, and free school lunch programs. In 2020, she helped pass a state ban on police chokeholds following the killing of George Floyd.
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar described her as “a fierce advocate who got things done.”
Hortman is survived by two children. Her husband, Mark, was also killed in the attack.
The suspect remains at large. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
