Early on Saturday morning, Democratic state representative and former speaker of the Minnesota House Melissa Hortman was assassinated at her home in Brooklyn Park. Her husband was also killed.
In a separate incident , Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife survived an assassination attempt at their home in Champlin. Both were shot multiple times, but were reported in stable condition following surgery.
The two locations are about ten miles apart, and the suspect in both incidents is the same. He is described as a white man with brown hair dressed in blue clothing, possibly a police uniform. The shooter was reportedly wearing black body armor.
Police arriving at Hortman’s home found what appeared to be a “police vehicle in the driveway with emergency lights and what appeared to be a police officer at the door coming out of the house.” This is presumed to be the gunman. He was not apprehended at the scene and a manhunt is reportedly underway.
Hortman was a well-known figure in Minnesota politics and a close friend of Gov. Tim Walz. In January, she led a boycott of House sessions that forced Republicans into a power sharing agreement. That action reportedly generated extensive reporting on right-wing radio and social media.
Hortman’s assassination follows recent incidents in which Rep. LaMonica McIver was assaulted and arrested at an ICE facility in New Jersey and Sen. Alex Padilla was assaulted and handcuffed for asking a question at a press conference.
Gov. Walz and other state officials have just completed a press conference which can be viewed below.
Update: Authorities in Minnesota say they have recovered the suspect’s vehicle and found a list of names, which appear to be potential targets. Remaining state legislators are in protective custody.
Update: There are reports that the suspect vehicle contained flyers and information about today’s “No King” rally, suggesting that rally goers may also be a target of this shooter.
Out of an abundance of caution my Department of Public Safety is recommending that people do not attend any political rallies today in Minnesota until the suspect is apprehended.— Governor Tim Walz (@governorwalz.mn.gov) June 14, 2025 at 11:16 AM
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