Melissa Hortman, a Minnesota lawmaker, was killed in a targeted attack, and the suspect is being sought

A brutal attack that killed a Minnesota senator and her husband and seriously injured another has sparked a manhunt.

In Minnesota, a manhunt is underway after what investigators say was a politically motivated double shooting that killed House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband and seriously wounded another state lawmaker.

The attack started early Saturday morning when police received a report of a shooting at the residence of State Senator John Hoffman, 60, and his spouse. Governor Tim Walz condemned the incident as “targeted political violence.” Both survived multiple gunshot wounds. Following surgery, Hoffman’s condition is presently stable.

About 90 minutes later, police were called to a second emergency at the home of 55-year-old former House Speaker Melissa Hortman in Brooklyn Park. Both she and her spouse, Mark, were discovered dead. The suspect fled and is still at large after officers and he exchanged gunfire at the scene.

Vance Luther Boelter, 57, a former member of the state’s workforce development board who previously worked with Senator Hoffman, has been identified by authorities as the suspect. Whether Boelter knew one of the victims personally is unknown.

According to the police, Boelter entered both homes by pretending to be a law enforcement official, driving a vehicle equipped with emergency lights, wearing a uniform, and flashing a fake badge. He is now reportedly walking, according to officials, after his car was found. There is a reward of about $50,000 for information that leads to his capture.

Officials in Minnesota are reminding citizens that actual police officers will be traveling in pairs and are advising them not to welcome anyone posing as a lone cop. The manhunt is getting more intense, as hundreds of officers are scanning the region along with SWAT and FBI teams.

Following the discovery of protest flyers in Boelter’s car, officials had to call off the statewide “No Kings” protests against President Donald Trump due to the violence. In response, the State Emergency Operations Center has been activated by Governor Walz.

Walz lamented the passing of a “great leader and good friend” in a statement, referring to Hortman as “a tremendous public servant, a fixture and a giant in Minnesota.” Her passing, he added, was a “dark day” for the state, but he swore not to let fear to dictate its destiny.

From all political parties, tributes flowed in. Al Gore, the former vice president who collaborated with Hortman while he was serving in the US Senate, claimed that she left a “lasting impact.” Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whose husband was also killed in 2024 as a result of political violence, described the murders as “heartbreaking” and called for a halt to attacks that are motivated by politics.

The Minnesota House of Representatives has been led by attorney and progressive Democrat Melissa Hortman since 2004. In 2019, she was elected House Speaker. She was a strong supporter of environmental reform, women’s rights, and free school lunches for kids. Following George Floyd’s passing in 2020, she was instrumental in enacting policing reforms.

Her two children are her only survivors. Mark, her husband, was also killed in the assault.