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A Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband were shot and killed overnight in what Gov. Tim Walz said was a “politically motivated assassination.”
Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark Hortman were fatally shot in Brooklyn Park by a suspect impersonating a police officer, police said.
In a related shooting, DFL Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette were shot in Champlin. They are expected to survive and are out of surgery. The incidents unfolded at around 2 a.m.
The suspect exchanged gunfire with responding police but fled the scene and is still at large with a massive manhunt now underway.
A shelter-in-place order has been issued within a 3-mile radius of Edinburgh Golf Course.
Melissa Hortman and Sen. John Hoffman were shot overnight. Their spouses were also shot. (Fox 9)
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The suspect wore black body armor, a badge, a Taser and appeared indistinguishable from real law enforcement, police said. He also drove a police-style SUV with flashing lights.
“Our state lost a great leader,” Walz said at a press briefing Saturday morning, describing the incident as an “unspeakable tragedy. “Speaker Hortman was someone who served the people of Minnesota with grace, compassion, humor and a sense of service. She was a formidable public servant, a fixture, and a giant in Minnesota. She woke up every day determined to make this state a better place. She is irreplaceable and will be missed by so many Minnesotans.”
Law enforcement on the scene of the shooting in Brooklyn Park, Minn. on Saturday, June 14, 2025. (Alex Kormann/Star Tribune via AP)
Meanwhile, Walz said that he was “cautiously optimistic” about Hoffman and his wife surviving. Both were shot multiple times.
“This was an act of targeted political violence,” Walz said. “Peaceful discourse is the foundation of our democracy. We don’t settle their differences with violence or at gunpoint in the state of Minnesota.”
Walz was scheduled to speak at the “No Kings” rally in Minnesota today but canceled. He said that the Department of Public Safety is recommending that people do not attend any political rallies in the state today until the suspect is apprehended. Several of those rallies in the state have been canceled.
Authorities have urged the public not to approach the suspect and to call 911 with any information.
Police said the suspect impersonated a police officer to gain access to the homes.
Law enforcement responded to a shooting at Hoffman’s home in Champlin at 2 a.m. where he and his wife had been shot multiple times.
WATCH: Two Minnesota lawmakers shot, one killed in ‘targeted’ attacks
Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman was fatally shot early Saturday. (Glen Stubb via Getty.)
Officers then conducted a welfare check at Speaker Hortman’s residence in Brooklyn Park at around 3:35 a.m. and saw what looked like a police officer and a squad car outside. When they confronted the suspect coming out of the home, the suspect opened fire on them and police returned fire before the suspect fled back into the house and then fled.
Police said there was a manifesto in the vehicle that identified many lawmakers and other officials. Police have since alerted them.
Authorities also found several “No Kings” fliers in the vehicle.
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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz described the incidnt as an “unspeakable tragedy.” (Allison Robbert/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Authorities also found several “No Kings” fliers in the vehicle. (Minnesota State Patrol)
A massive manhunt is underway, involving the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), State Patrol and local departments.
At the time of the press conference, no suspect was in custody, though several people had been detained and questioned.
“The suspect exploited the trust our uniforms represent… This betrayal is deeply disturbing,” Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobson said.
Residents are being told to not answer the door unless two uniformed officers are present.
President Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi said they have been monitoring developments in the case.
A map showing where the two shootings took place in Minnesota. (Fox News)
“I have been briefed on the terrible shooting that took place in Minnesota, which appears to be a targeted attack against state lawmakers,” Trump said in a statement.
“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!”
Bondi also said it appeared to be a targeted attack against state lawmakers.
“The FBI is on the ground investigating this case alongside state and local partners,” Bondi wrote on X. “This horrific violence will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Sen. Amy Kobacher, D-Minn., said she was “heartbroken” to hear the news.
“Melissa was a good friend and we started in politics at the same time and were always there for each other,” Kobacher wrote on X.
“She was a true public servant to the core, dedicating her life to serving Minnesotans with integrity and compassion. Melissa’s legacy will endure, but today we grieve deeply. John’s and my prayers are with their children, their loved ones, and all who are mourning this devastating loss.”
A Brooklyn Park police officer speaks with the driver of a vehicle entering a neighborhood on June 14, 2025 in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. ( Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
Police set up a perimeter with police tape near the scene of the shooting in Brooklyn Park. (Alex Kormann/Star Tribune via AP)
House Speaker Mike Johnson also commented on the killings.
“Such horrific political violence has no place in our society, and every leader must unequivocally condemn it,” Johnson wrote on X. “Our prayers are with the Hortman and Hoffman families as well as the people of Minnesota during this tragic time.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he has asked the House Sergeant at Arms and United States Capitol Police to ensure the safety of the chamber’s Minnesota delegation as well as members of Congress across the country.
The United States Capitol Police said it is aware of the violence targeting state lawmakers in Minnesota.
“We have been working with our federal, state and local partners. For safety reasons, we cannot provide specific details about our security posture.”
In an updated statement on Saturday, Walz expressed further condolences on the deaths of the Hortmans.
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“Today Minnesota lost a great leader, and I lost a friend, a formidable public servant and a fixture of the state Capitol,” Walz said.
“We are not a country that settles our differences at gunpoint. We have demonstrated again and again in our state that it is possible to peacefully disagree, that our state is strengthened by civil public debate.”
Law enforcement officers, including local police, sheriffs and the FBI, gather less than a mile from a shooting in Brooklyn Park, where Hortman and her husband Mark Hortman were fatally shot. (Alex Kormann/Star Tribune via AP)
“We must stand united against all forms of violence – and I call on everyone to join me in that commitment.To the responding officers, thank you for your bravery and your swift action. A state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigation is underway, and we will spare no resource in bringing those responsible to justice. We will not let fear win.”
