Topline
In what Gov. Tim Walz has characterized as a “politically motivated assassination,” Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband were shot and killed in their home while State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were also shot and are receiving care—and the alleged suspect, Vance Boelter, remains at large as a manhunt continues.
Minn. State Rep. Melissa Hortman on Jan. 3, 2023, in St. Paul, Minn.
Suspect Vance Boelter texted two of his roommates, one told the Minnesota Star-Tribune, saying he wrote that he “may be dead shortly.”
According to the roommate, the text read: “I love you guys. I made some choices, and you guys don’t know anything about this, but I’m going to be gone for a while. May be dead shortly, so I just want to let you know I love you guys both and I wish it hadn’t gone this way. I don’t want to say anything more and implicate you in any way because you guys don’t know anything about this. But I love you guys and I’m sorry for all the trouble this has caused.”
The FBI announced a $50,000 reward “for info leading to the arrest and conviction of Vance L. Boelter,” the suspect in the Minnesota murders, and released a new photo (below) that reportedly shows the suspect at the door of one of the shooting victims, apparently wearing a head-covering mask and police costume, early Saturday morning.
A police alert warned that the “suspect is armed and dangerous and may be impersonating law enforcement,” according to the Minnesota Star-Tribune.
Brooklyn Park, where Hortman and her husband lived, said its shelter-in-place order was lifted as of 4:20 p.m. EDT, noting “there is reason to believe he is no longer in the area.”
“My good friend and colleague, Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were shot and killed this morning in what appears to be a politically motivated assassination,” Walz said at a press conference.
At 10:33 a.m., Walz said Hoffman and his wife “are out of surgery” and receiving care, and that “we are cautiously optimistic that they will survive this assassination attempt,” though Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, was not able to provide an update on the senator’s status in an afternoon news conference.
President Donald Trump issued a statement on the shootings, saying he had “been briefed on the terrible shooting that took place in Minnesota,” and “such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America.”
Deputy FBI director Dan Bongino posted on X the bureau “is working in collaboration with our local and state partners.”
The FBI released an image of who they believe is Vance Boelter, who appears to be wearing a mask and ... More
Authorities from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety released this photo and public alert ... More
Minnesota police released these images of suspected shooter Vance Boelter.
At a press briefing at around 4 p.m. EDT, state police shared images of the suspect, 57-year-old Vance Boelter, characterizing him as a 6-foot-1 inch white male, about 220 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes, and said he was wearing a light-colored cowboy hat and dark shirt when last seen. Authorities asked the public to call 911 if they see Boelter, but not to approach him, as he’s considered armed and dangerous. Local police told the Minnesota Star Tribune that, early Saturday morning, they noticed an SUV with emergency lights and someone who initially appeared to be a police officer at Hortman’s door, but the person, allegedly Boelter, “immediately fired at officers” after being confronted and fled back into the house. Mark Bruley, the chief of police in Brooklyn Park said the police searched the vehicle and uncovered a list that identified “many lawmakers and other officials,” including Hortman and Hoffman, according to MinnPost. CNN reports that Boelter’s apparent list included 70 names, including “abortion providers,” and “pro-abortion rights advocates.” It also included a number of sheets of paper with “No Kings” written on it, a likely reference to the widespread protests planned for Saturday. CNN also reported that Boelter, according to a law enforcement official, works for a Minnesota-based security company named Praetorian Guard Security, and he is listed on the company website’s leadership page as director of security patrols, and described as having “on the ground experiences combined with training by both private security firms and by people in the U.S. Military.”
This photo provided by Minnesota State Patrol shows writings in the fake police car law enforcement ... More
Hortman, 55, was a top Democratic leader in the Minnesota Legislature. First elected in 2004, she served as House speaker from 2019 to 2025 and spearheaded key legislation, including universal free school lunches statewide and a red flag gun law—which allows police or family members to petition the courts to have a gun removed from those considered a threat to themselves or others—according to the Minnesota Star Tribune. Hoffman, 60 and also a top Democrat in the Minnesota House, is a member of the state senate first elected in 2012. He served as chair of the Human Services Committee, according to CBS News, and has also served on committees for energy, environment and health services.