Former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were fatally shot in their home early Saturday. Just hours earlier, Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were also targeted and seriously wounded in a separate attack nearby. Authorities believe the shooter, Vance Boelter, posed as a police officer and used a modified vehicle to carry out these coordinated attacks.
After an intense two-day manhunt—the largest in Minnesota’s history—Boelter was found hiding in the woods and surrendered without resistance. Investigators say he may have been planning further violence, as they discovered a list of 70 additional potential targets, including politicians and abortion rights advocates.
The motive remains unclear, but officials confirm this was a targeted political attack. The victims were well-known Democratic leaders, and their injuries—or deaths—have sent shockwaves through the state and beyond.
As public mourning grows, officials and citizens alike are calling for unity and condemning the escalation of political violence. As Gov. Walz said, “This cannot be the norm.”