CHAMPLIN, Minn. (AP) — Hundreds of law officers fanned out across a Minneapolis suburb Saturday in pursuit of a man who authorities say posed as a police officer and fatally shot a Democratic state lawmaker in her home in what Gov. Tim Walz called “a politically motivated assassination.” Authorities said the suspect also shot and wounded a second lawmaker and was believed to be trying to flee the area.
Democratic former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were killed in their Brooklyn Park home. Sen. John Hoffman, also a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, were injured at their Champlin address, about 9 miles (about 15 kilometers) away.
Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said at an afternoon news conference that authorities were looking for 57-year-old Vance Boelter and he had not yet been caught.
Authorities displayed a photo of Boelter wearing a tan cowboy hat that was taken Saturday and asked the public to report sightings. Evans said investigators obtained video as well.
He did not give details on a possible motive.
Boelter is a former political appointee who served on the same state workforce development board as Hoffman, state records show, though it was not clear if or how well they knew each other.
The early morning attacks prompted warnings to other elected officials around the state and the cancellation of planned “No Kings” demonstrations against President Donald Trump. Authorities said the suspect had “No Kings” flyers in his car and writings mentioning the names of the victims as well as other lawmakers and officials, though they could not say if he had any other specific targets.
A Minnesota official told The Associated Press that the suspect’s writings also contained information targeting prominent lawmakers who have been outspoken in favor of abortion rights. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing.
The shootings happened at a time when political leaders nationwide have been attacked, harassed and intimidated amid deep political divisions.
“We must all, in Minnesota and across the country, stand against all forms of political violence,” Walz, a Democrat, said at a news conference. “Those responsible for this will be held accountable.”
Law enforcement agents recovered several AK-style firearms from the suspect’s vehicle, and he was believed to still be armed with a pistol, a person familiar with the matter told AP. The person could not publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.
An overnight shooting
Police responded to reports of gunfire at the Hoffmans’ home shortly after 2 a.m., Champlin police said, and found the couple with multiple gunshot wounds.
After seeing who the victims were, police sent officers to check on Hortman’s home. There they encountered what appeared to be a police vehicle and a man dressed as an officer at the door, leaving the house.
“When officers confronted him, the individual immediately fired upon the officers who exchanged gunfire, and the suspect retreated back into the home” and escaped, Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said.
Multiple bullet holes could be seen in the front door of Hoffman’s home.
Trump said in a White House statement that the FBI would join in the investigation.
“Our Attorney General, Pam Bondi, and the FBI, are investigating the situation, and they will be prosecuting anyone involved to the fullest extent of the law. Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America. God Bless the great people of Minnesota, a truly great place!”
Two Democratic lawmakers targeted
Hortman, 55, had been the top Democratic leader in the state House since 2017. She led House Democrats in a three-week walkout at the beginning of this year’s session in a power struggle with Republicans. Under a power sharing agreement, she turned the gavel over to the top Republican, Rep. Lisa Demuth, and assumed the title speaker emerita.
Hortman used her position as speaker in 2023 to help champion expanded protections for abortion rights, including legislation to solidify Minnesota’s status as a refuge for patients from restrictive states who travel to the state to seek abortions — and to protect providers who serve them.
Walz called her a “formidable public servant, a fixture and a giant in Minnesota every day, determined to make this state a better place.”
“She is irreplaceable,” he said.
Hortman and her husband had two adult children.
Hoffman, 60, was first elected in 2012 and was chair of the Senate Human Services Committee, which oversees one of the biggest parts of the state budget. He and his wife have one daughter.
State Patrol Col. Christina Bogojevic asked people “out of an abundance of caution” not to attend “No Kings” protests Saturday. Bogojevic said authorities did not have any direct evidence that the protests would be targeted, but noted the “No Kings” flyers in the car. Organizers announced that all protests in the state were canceled.
The suspect
Boelter was appointed to the workforce development board by then-Gov. Mark Dayton in 2016 and then reappointed in 2019 by the current governor to a four-year term that expired in 2023, state records show.
State corporate records show Boelter’s wife filed to create a company called Praetorian Guard Security Services LLC with the same Green Isle mailing address listed for the couple. On a website for the business, Boelter’s wife is listed as president and CEO, while he is listed as director of security patrols.
The homepage says it provides armed security for property and events and features a photo of an SUV painted in a two-tone black and silver pattern similar to a police vehicle, with a light bar across the roof and “Praetorian” painted across the doors. Another photo shows a man in black tactical gear with a military-style helmet and a ballistic vest with the company’s name across the front.
An online resume says Boelter is a security contractor who has worked in the Middle East and Africa, in addition to past managerial roles at companies in Minnesota.
Massive search effort
Hundreds of police and sheriff deputies from departments in the region, some in tactical gear with assault-style weapons, were scattered through the town.
An alert sent to people’s cellphones in the morning asked people to shelter in place as police searched for a suspect “who is armed and dangerous.” Brooklyn Park police lifted the shelter order in the afternoon, saying they had reason to believe the suspect was no longer in the area.
“Suspect is white male, brown hair, wearing black body armor over blue shirt and blue pants and may misrepresent himself as law enforcement. Do not approach. Call 911,” the initial alert said.
Some roadblocks were set up to stop and check vehicles.
“This is crazy, someone going after representatives. This is wrong. I’m hoping they’ll catch them,” said Brooklyn Park resident Douglas Thompson, 62.
Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, a Republican from Cold Spring, called the attack “evil” and said she was “heartbroken beyond words” by the killings.
“With the law enforcement response ongoing and details still emerging, I will simply ask all Minnesotans to please lift up in prayer the victims of this horrific attack, as well as the law enforcement personnel still working to apprehend the perpetrator,” Demuth said in a statement.
Political violence
The shootings are the latest in a series of violent attacks against lawmakers across parties in recent years.
In April a suspect set fire to the home of Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, forcing him and his family to flee during the Jewish holiday of Passover. The suspect told law enforcement that he planned to beat Shapiro with a small sledgehammer if he found him, according to court documents.
In July 2024, Trump was grazed on the ear by one of a hail of bullets that killed a Trump supporter. Two months later a man with a rifle was discovered in some shrubbery near the president’s golf course in Florida and arrested by Secret Service agents.
Other high-profile inicidents in recent years have included a 2022 hammer attack on the husband of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in their San Francisco home and a 2020 plot by anti-government extremists to kidnap Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer at her vacation home and start a civil war.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said he asked Capitol Police to “immediately increase security” for Minnesota Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, both Democrats.
Schumer also asked Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, to hold a briefing for senators on member security.
“Condemning violence is important but it is not enough,” Schumer said in a post on the social platform X. “We must also 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.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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