(Headline USA) 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 an apparent left-wing political assassination. Authorities say the same suspect also shot and wounded a second lawmaker.
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 nine miles away.
Hortman had reportedly just voted to cut public healthcare benefits for illegal immigrants. She was reportedly the only Democrat to vote with Republicans on that measure, which has led to speculation that her killing was retaliation.
REPORT: Shortly before Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman was shot and k*lled, she broke down in tears in front of cameras after siding with Republicans.
Hortman was the lone Democrat who voted to cut health care access for adult illegal immigrants.
"I did what leaders do… I… pic.twitter.com/tpqUe0LRaZ
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) June 14, 2025
The early morning attacks targeting lawmakers in the northern suburbs of Minneapolis prompted warnings to other elected officials around the state and the cancellation of planned “No Kings” demonstrations against President Donald Trump. Authorities say 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.
Two people familiar with the matter identified the suspect as 57-year-old Vance Boelter. The people could not publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Boelter is a former political appointee who served on the same state workforce development board as Hoffman, state records show, though it wasn’t clear if or how well they knew each other.
Law enforcement has recovered several AK-style firearms from the suspect’s vehicle, and he’s believed to still be armed with a pistol, one of the people familiar with the matter told the AP.
An overnight shooting
Police responded to reports of gunfire at the Hoffmans’ home shortly after 2 a.m., Champlin police said, and found the lawmaker and his wife, Yvette, with multiple gunshot wounds.
After seeing who the victims were, police sent officers to check on Hortman’s home, where they encountered what appeared to be a police vehicle and a man dressed as an officer at the door, leaving the house.
BREAKING – New photos show Minnesota suspect Vance Boelter, who appears to be wearing a mask and impersonating a police officer, attempting to enter the home of Senator John Hoffman, after fatally shooting Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband; Boelter remains at large. pic.twitter.com/Qx4SFtfBf1
— Right Angle News Network (@Rightanglenews) June 14, 2025
“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.
President Donald Trump said in a White House statement that the FBI would join in the investigation.
The suspect
Boelter was appointed to the workforce development board by then-Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton in 2016 and then reappointed in 2019 by failed vice presidential candidate Gov. Tim Walz 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 the president and CEO while he is listed as the director of security patrols.
Breaking: the alleged MN lawmaker shootings suspect works for a MN-based security firm and has “security situations” exp in lands as far flung as Congo, the Gaza Strip, West Bank, S. Lebanon, E. Europe, etc. He’s also seemingly a “Black Rifle Crusader” type lol 👀 https://t.co/CYaFDDVFkG pic.twitter.com/hOjgGVNr0Y
— ParaPower Mapping (@KlonnyPin_Gosch) June 14, 2025
The company’s 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 he is a security contractor who has worked oversees in the Middle East and Africa, in addition to past managerial roles at companies in Minnesota.
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 and her husband had two adult children.
Hoffman, 60, was first elected in 2012 and played a key role as 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 any of the “No Kings” protests that were scheduled for across the state on Saturday. Bogojevic said authorities didn’t have any direct evidence that the protests would be targeted, but said the suspect had some “No Kings” flyers in their car. Organizers announced that all of the protests across the state were canceled.
Massive search effort underway
Hours after the shootings, 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 asked residents to continue sheltering in place as police were still looking for a suspect “who is armed and dangerous.”
“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 alert said.
Some roadblocks had been set up in which authorities stopped and checked 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, adding he wasn’t worried and believed authorities would catch the suspect.
Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, a Republican from Cold Spring, called the attack “evil” and said she was “heartbroken beyond words” by the killings of Hortman and her husband, Mark.
“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.
Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press
