The alleged suspect involved in the Minnesota lawmaker shootings identified as Vance Luther Boelter — a former appointee of Democratic Minnesota Governor Tim Walz — who is now wanted in connection with a series of coordinated shootings that left one state lawmaker and her husband dead, and another critically wounded.
According to law enforcement sources, Boelter—posing as a police officer—ambushed Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette at their Champlin home early Saturday morning. The couple was shot multiple times and rushed into emergency surgery. They remain in stable condition.
Boelter then drove to the home of former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman, where he is believed to have executed Hortman and her husband, Mark, after gaining entry dressed as law enforcement.
Officers responding to the scene exchanged gunfire with the suspect, who managed to escape despite briefly being cornered.
Inside Boelter’s vehicle, police discovered a manifesto naming other political targets, alongside a pile of flyers reading “No Kings”—a slogan linked to recent anti-Trump protests sweeping the country.
The suspect isn’t just a random attacker—Boelter, 57, was appointed twice by Democrat governors, first to the Minnesota Workforce Development Council in 2016 under Gov. Mark Dayton, and later in 2019 by Gov. Tim Walz to the state Workforce Development Board. Yet, Boelter’s last voter registration in 2004 was reportedly as a Republican, suggesting a deeper and more personal motive may be at play.
Despite officials declining to speculate on motive, Governor Walz himself acknowledged the obvious: this was a politically motivated assassination.
Oh hey, here's Gov. Tim Walz two weeks ago telling Democrats they needed to get meaner.
— Tony Kinnett (@TheTonus) June 14, 2025
Then a guy he appointed (with "No Kings" flyers in his car) shot two Minnesota lawmakers. pic.twitter.com/lZsVJiVP5t
Targeted Killings After Key Immigration Vote
The attack came just five days after Rep. Hortman broke ranks with her party to support a Republican-led bill to cut off state health benefits for illegal immigrants—a controversial measure that passed by a razor-thin margin because of her vote.
Hortman wept after the vote, stating, “They’re right to be mad at me,” while acknowledging the backlash from her own caucus.
Now, in the wake of her murder, some are asking: Did her political reversal cost her life?
President Trump responded via Truth Social: “I have been briefed on the terrible shooting that took place in Minnesota, which appears to be a targeted attack against State Lawmakers. Our Attorney General, Pam Bondi, and the FBI, are investigating… Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America.”
Horrifying Details of the Attack
- Boelter allegedly wore a police uniform, vest, badge, and even carried a Taser to trick his victims into letting him inside.
- At Hortman’s home, officers found a fake squad car with emergency lights flashing in the driveway.
- After being confronted, the suspect opened fire on responding officers before fleeing.
- The couple’s golden retriever, Gilbert, was also shot—his condition is currently unknown.
Police have described the assailant as a white male, brown hair, wearing black body armor over a blue shirt and pants, and warned he may be posing as law enforcement.
A shelter-in-place order was issued for a three-mile radius near the Edinburgh Golf Course in Brooklyn Park, where Hortman lived.
A Divided Nation, Now at Gunpoint
Melissa Hortman, 55, had been a rising figure in Minnesota politics—serving as House Speaker from 2019 until earlier this year. She was a vocal progressive and champion of trans rights and abortion access. Yet her decision to back a Republican bill cutting benefits for illegals enraged many on the Left and shocked her base.
Sen. John Hoffman, 60, who voted against the bill, was also targeted—suggesting that Boelter’s motives may extend beyond party lines and into the growing polarization around immigration, power, and political betrayal.
Boelter’s reference to “No Kings”—a term used by anti-Trump protesters to denounce “authoritarianism”—is now central to the investigation.
Authorities are asking anyone with information to come forward, warning the public to avoid attending today’s planned demonstrations across Minnesota.
Political Violence Escalates
As the nation braces for further unrest, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar expressed her grief on X, calling Hortman “a true public servant… heartbroken and horrified by her death.”