Police search for armed suspect after Minnesota lawmaker shot to death

Update: Saturday, June 14
4:00 p.m. ET
The Texas State Capitol was evacuated Saturday afternoon after the Department of Public Safety reported credible threats made against legislators. Officers said the threats were for Democratic lawmakers who planned on attending anti-Trump protests in Austin Saturday. The police did not share details about the threats or specify which legislators were at risk. Democratic U.S. Reps. Greg Casar and Lloyd Doggett had planned to attend the demonstrations, along with Democratic state Reps. Lulu Flores and John Bucy III and state Sen. Sarah Eckhardt. Texas Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said in a social media post that the threat is still active and asked the public to take precautions. The Austin protest was scheduled to start at 5 p.m. CT.

Update: Saturday, June 14
3:07 p.m. ET
Authorities told the Associated Press that they are looking for 57-year-old Vance L. Boelter. A website for the Brooklyn Park–based organization Minnesota Africans United, shows someone with the same name and age as Boelter is the CEO of a private security firm based in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. That firm is also listed on a LinkedIn account belonging to a Vance Boelter.

A 2019 document shows Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz appointed Boelter to a four-year term on the Governor’s Workforce Development Board, which is also listed on the LinkedIn profile. The term ended in 2023. His photo also appears on the Praetorian Guard Security Services website, listing him as the director of security patrols. The business website confirms that employees use the same types of vehicles as most police departments and only offer armed security.

Update: Saturday, June 14
1:50 p.m. ET
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has asked the Capitol Police to increase security for Sens. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Tina Smith, D-Minn. In a statement, he also asked Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., for a full briefing on the targeted attacks.

Update: Saturday, June 14
1:30 p.m. ET
Police say that the suspect’s list included more than 70 different names. The list included several other politicians, abortionists, and lawmakers in other states, according to a report by CNN citing an unidentified police source.

State Rep. Melissa Hortman, D-Brooklyn Park, smiles during the nomination process before she was elected speaker of the Minnesota House. Associated Press / Photo by Jim Mone

Original story:

Authorities were searching for a gunman Saturday afternoon after what officials are characterizing as targeted political attacks. The suspect fatally shot both Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, at their home in eastern Minnesota overnight Saturday, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said in a news conference Saturday morning. The gunman also shot Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, at their home roughly 8 miles away, Walz said. Both Hoffman and his wife were injured, but Walz said he is “cautiously optimistic” they will survive.

What have the police found so far? Brooklyn Park Police Department Chief Mark Bruley said a suspected gunman is still at large and likely posing as a law enforcement officer. Officers said they believed the same gunman was responsible for both shootings. Police spotted the suspect and briefly exchanged gunfire with the individual before the suspect fled on foot. Police also located the suspect's vehicle, which closely resembled a police cruiser and was equipped with lights and sirens. Inside the vehicle police discovered a manifesto containing the names of the two targeted lawmakers along with other officials, Bruley told reporters. While police have not released the suspect’s manifesto, Walz said the shootings appear to be a politically-motivated assassination attempt. Investigators also found a stack of papers with the phrase “No Kings” written on them, according to a photo posted by the Minnesota State Patrol. A manhunt was underway as of Saturday afternoon. Brooklyn Park Police Department issued a shelter-in-place alert for an area near the Edinburgh Golf Course, a suburb of Minneapolis. The FBI was assisting with the investigation. The state police described the suspect as a white man with brown hair wearing black body armor over a blue shirt and blue pants. He was on foot and presumed to be armed. Because he was likely impersonating a police officer, residents under lockdown have been instructed not to open the door to police unless there are two officers and they can call 911 to verify their identities, Bruley said. 

Who are the lawmakers? Both were members of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party and represented districts in the northern suburbs of Minneapolis. Hortman was formerly the speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives before the GOP claimed a majority in the 2024 election. She was first elected in 2004 and was the top Democratic leader in the state legislature. She recently made headlines last week when she was the only Democratic vote in favor of a controversial bill to revoke state-funded health insurance from undocumented adults. Hoffman was first elected in 2012 and runs a consulting firm. While police have not released the suspect’s manifesto, Walz said the shootings appear to be a politically-motivated assassination attempt.

Walz posted on X that out of an abundance of caution, the Department of Public Safety is recommending that people stay away from political rallies in Minnesota today. There are dozens scheduled across the state for the anti-Trump “No Kings” protests.