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Getty\/Minnesota state Senate<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nOn Saturday, two state lawmakers from Minnesota were gunned down in their homes in what Governor Tim Walz called a “politically motivated assassination” attempt. The attacks left one politician dead and the other seriously injured.<\/p>\n
Police are hunting for a suspect, Vance Luther Boelter, who remained at large on Sunday evening.<\/p>\n
The attacks drew condemnation from across the political spectrum. President Donald Trump said in a statement that “such horrific violence will not be tolerated”.<\/p>\n
US Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat, called it “an attack on everything we stand for as a democracy”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Who were the victims?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\nState representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were shot and killed in their home, the governor said. <\/p>\n
She had served in the Minnesota House of Representatives for 20 years, and was speaker of the chamber from 2019-25.<\/p>\n
State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were shot multiple times and injured, but survived. They had surgery.<\/p>\n
Both lawmakers are Democrats.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
What happened?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\nSo far, local law enforcement has confirmed that the attacks occurred in the early hours of Saturday in the cities of Brooklyn Park and Champlin, Minnesota.<\/p>\n
Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said police received a call at 02:00 local time about an incident at Hoffman’s house in Champlin. <\/p>\n
Another call to police came in at 03:35, when officers were checking on Hortman’s home, nearby in Brooklyn Park.<\/p>\n
Police discovered what looked like an emergency vehicle parked at the home with emergency lights flashing.<\/p>\n
Coming out of the home was someone resembling a police officer, who immediately opened fire on officers, darted back into the house, then escaped on foot.<\/p>\n
Mark Bruley, chief of Brooklyn Park police, said the suspect was “wearing a vest with a Taser, other equipment, a badge” posing as law enforcement in order “to manipulate their way into the home”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Who is Vance Luther Boelter?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\nPolice said they are looking for a single suspect, 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter. They did not give details on a possible motive.<\/p>\n
A former political appointee, Boelter was once a member of the same state workforce development board as Hoffman.<\/p>\n
“We don’t know the nature of the relationship or if they actually knew each other,” said Mr Evans.<\/p>\n
Investigators said officers found a “manifesto” and a list of 70 “targets”, including the names of state Democratic politicians, in a vehicle the suspect drove for the assassination.<\/p>\n
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, congresswoman Ilhan Omar, Minnesota’s two US senators, Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, and state Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison were reportedly on the hit list. <\/p>\n
Locations for Planned Parenthood, which provides abortions and contraception, were also on the list, a person familiar with the investigation told the Minnesota Star Tribune.<\/p>\n
Boelter is a security contractor who has worked in Africa and the Middle East, according to an online CV. He had also apparently had managerial roles at firms in Minnesota.<\/p>\n
Boelter once preached as a pastor at a church in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to Facebook photos. He had travelled often to the nation, indicate posts from his LinkedIn account.<\/p>\n
According to local TV affiliate KTTC, Boelter’s only criminal history in Minnesota was for traffic tickets, including speeding and parking violations.<\/p>\n
He texted a troubling message to friends at a Minneapolis residence, where he had rented a room and would stay one or two nights a week, the Minnesota Star Tribune reports<\/a>.<\/p>\nBoelter said: “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.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
What’s the latest in the manhunt?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\nThe FBI has added Boelter to its most wanted list, and offered a $50,000 reward.<\/p>\n
The manhunt – which has widened over state lines into South Dakota and involves hundreds of law-enforcement personnel – is now in its second day.<\/p>\n
On Sunday, officers said they had found an unoccupied car linked to the suspect in Sibley County, about 50 miles (80km) from the murder scene.<\/p>\n
A cowboy hat, similar to what Boelter was believed to have been wearing, was found lying on a road nearby.<\/p>\n
His wife was detained in a traffic stop along with three relatives in a car in the city of Onamia, more than 100 miles from the family home, on Saturday morning, but released after questioning.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
State representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were shot and killed in their home, the governor said. <\/p>\n
She had served in the Minnesota House of Representatives for 20 years, and was speaker of the chamber from 2019-25.<\/p>\n
State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were shot multiple times and injured, but survived. They had surgery.<\/p>\n
Both lawmakers are Democrats.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
What happened?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\nSo far, local law enforcement has confirmed that the attacks occurred in the early hours of Saturday in the cities of Brooklyn Park and Champlin, Minnesota.<\/p>\n
Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said police received a call at 02:00 local time about an incident at Hoffman’s house in Champlin. <\/p>\n
Another call to police came in at 03:35, when officers were checking on Hortman’s home, nearby in Brooklyn Park.<\/p>\n
Police discovered what looked like an emergency vehicle parked at the home with emergency lights flashing.<\/p>\n
Coming out of the home was someone resembling a police officer, who immediately opened fire on officers, darted back into the house, then escaped on foot.<\/p>\n
Mark Bruley, chief of Brooklyn Park police, said the suspect was “wearing a vest with a Taser, other equipment, a badge” posing as law enforcement in order “to manipulate their way into the home”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Who is Vance Luther Boelter?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\nPolice said they are looking for a single suspect, 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter. They did not give details on a possible motive.<\/p>\n
A former political appointee, Boelter was once a member of the same state workforce development board as Hoffman.<\/p>\n
“We don’t know the nature of the relationship or if they actually knew each other,” said Mr Evans.<\/p>\n
Investigators said officers found a “manifesto” and a list of 70 “targets”, including the names of state Democratic politicians, in a vehicle the suspect drove for the assassination.<\/p>\n
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, congresswoman Ilhan Omar, Minnesota’s two US senators, Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, and state Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison were reportedly on the hit list. <\/p>\n
Locations for Planned Parenthood, which provides abortions and contraception, were also on the list, a person familiar with the investigation told the Minnesota Star Tribune.<\/p>\n
Boelter is a security contractor who has worked in Africa and the Middle East, according to an online CV. He had also apparently had managerial roles at firms in Minnesota.<\/p>\n
Boelter once preached as a pastor at a church in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to Facebook photos. He had travelled often to the nation, indicate posts from his LinkedIn account.<\/p>\n
According to local TV affiliate KTTC, Boelter’s only criminal history in Minnesota was for traffic tickets, including speeding and parking violations.<\/p>\n
He texted a troubling message to friends at a Minneapolis residence, where he had rented a room and would stay one or two nights a week, the Minnesota Star Tribune reports<\/a>.<\/p>\nBoelter said: “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.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
What’s the latest in the manhunt?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\nThe FBI has added Boelter to its most wanted list, and offered a $50,000 reward.<\/p>\n
The manhunt – which has widened over state lines into South Dakota and involves hundreds of law-enforcement personnel – is now in its second day.<\/p>\n
On Sunday, officers said they had found an unoccupied car linked to the suspect in Sibley County, about 50 miles (80km) from the murder scene.<\/p>\n
A cowboy hat, similar to what Boelter was believed to have been wearing, was found lying on a road nearby.<\/p>\n
His wife was detained in a traffic stop along with three relatives in a car in the city of Onamia, more than 100 miles from the family home, on Saturday morning, but released after questioning.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
So far, local law enforcement has confirmed that the attacks occurred in the early hours of Saturday in the cities of Brooklyn Park and Champlin, Minnesota.<\/p>\n
Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said police received a call at 02:00 local time about an incident at Hoffman’s house in Champlin. <\/p>\n
Another call to police came in at 03:35, when officers were checking on Hortman’s home, nearby in Brooklyn Park.<\/p>\n
Police discovered what looked like an emergency vehicle parked at the home with emergency lights flashing.<\/p>\n
Coming out of the home was someone resembling a police officer, who immediately opened fire on officers, darted back into the house, then escaped on foot.<\/p>\n
Mark Bruley, chief of Brooklyn Park police, said the suspect was “wearing a vest with a Taser, other equipment, a badge” posing as law enforcement in order “to manipulate their way into the home”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Who is Vance Luther Boelter?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\nPolice said they are looking for a single suspect, 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter. They did not give details on a possible motive.<\/p>\n
A former political appointee, Boelter was once a member of the same state workforce development board as Hoffman.<\/p>\n
“We don’t know the nature of the relationship or if they actually knew each other,” said Mr Evans.<\/p>\n
Investigators said officers found a “manifesto” and a list of 70 “targets”, including the names of state Democratic politicians, in a vehicle the suspect drove for the assassination.<\/p>\n
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, congresswoman Ilhan Omar, Minnesota’s two US senators, Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, and state Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison were reportedly on the hit list. <\/p>\n
Locations for Planned Parenthood, which provides abortions and contraception, were also on the list, a person familiar with the investigation told the Minnesota Star Tribune.<\/p>\n
Boelter is a security contractor who has worked in Africa and the Middle East, according to an online CV. He had also apparently had managerial roles at firms in Minnesota.<\/p>\n
Boelter once preached as a pastor at a church in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to Facebook photos. He had travelled often to the nation, indicate posts from his LinkedIn account.<\/p>\n
According to local TV affiliate KTTC, Boelter’s only criminal history in Minnesota was for traffic tickets, including speeding and parking violations.<\/p>\n
He texted a troubling message to friends at a Minneapolis residence, where he had rented a room and would stay one or two nights a week, the Minnesota Star Tribune reports<\/a>.<\/p>\nBoelter said: “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.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
What’s the latest in the manhunt?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\nThe FBI has added Boelter to its most wanted list, and offered a $50,000 reward.<\/p>\n
The manhunt – which has widened over state lines into South Dakota and involves hundreds of law-enforcement personnel – is now in its second day.<\/p>\n
On Sunday, officers said they had found an unoccupied car linked to the suspect in Sibley County, about 50 miles (80km) from the murder scene.<\/p>\n
A cowboy hat, similar to what Boelter was believed to have been wearing, was found lying on a road nearby.<\/p>\n
His wife was detained in a traffic stop along with three relatives in a car in the city of Onamia, more than 100 miles from the family home, on Saturday morning, but released after questioning.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Police said they are looking for a single suspect, 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter. They did not give details on a possible motive.<\/p>\n
A former political appointee, Boelter was once a member of the same state workforce development board as Hoffman.<\/p>\n
“We don’t know the nature of the relationship or if they actually knew each other,” said Mr Evans.<\/p>\n
Investigators said officers found a “manifesto” and a list of 70 “targets”, including the names of state Democratic politicians, in a vehicle the suspect drove for the assassination.<\/p>\n
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, congresswoman Ilhan Omar, Minnesota’s two US senators, Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, and state Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison were reportedly on the hit list. <\/p>\n
Locations for Planned Parenthood, which provides abortions and contraception, were also on the list, a person familiar with the investigation told the Minnesota Star Tribune.<\/p>\n
Boelter is a security contractor who has worked in Africa and the Middle East, according to an online CV. He had also apparently had managerial roles at firms in Minnesota.<\/p>\n
Boelter once preached as a pastor at a church in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to Facebook photos. He had travelled often to the nation, indicate posts from his LinkedIn account.<\/p>\n
According to local TV affiliate KTTC, Boelter’s only criminal history in Minnesota was for traffic tickets, including speeding and parking violations.<\/p>\n
He texted a troubling message to friends at a Minneapolis residence, where he had rented a room and would stay one or two nights a week, the Minnesota Star Tribune reports<\/a>.<\/p>\n Boelter said: “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.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The FBI has added Boelter to its most wanted list, and offered a $50,000 reward.<\/p>\n The manhunt – which has widened over state lines into South Dakota and involves hundreds of law-enforcement personnel – is now in its second day.<\/p>\n On Sunday, officers said they had found an unoccupied car linked to the suspect in Sibley County, about 50 miles (80km) from the murder scene.<\/p>\n A cowboy hat, similar to what Boelter was believed to have been wearing, was found lying on a road nearby.<\/p>\n His wife was detained in a traffic stop along with three relatives in a car in the city of Onamia, more than 100 miles from the family home, on Saturday morning, but released after questioning.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nWhat’s the latest in the manhunt?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n