Minnesota Lawmaker Melissa Hortman Killed Alongside Husband, State Sen. John Hoffman and Wife Shot: Read the Full Recap

A suspect who posed as a law enforcement officer shot two Minnesota lawmakers, killing one and wounding the other, Gov. Tim Walz said. Both lawmakers’ spouses were also shot, and one of them died.

State Rep. Melissa Hortman, 55, the former Democratic Speaker of the House, and her husband, Mark, were killed in the attack early on the morning of Saturday, June 14, Walz said at a press conference. Sen. John Hoffman, 60, also a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, both survived the shooting and are receiving care, according to the governor.

“We’re here today because an unspeakable tragedy has unfolded today in Minnesota,” Walz said. “My good friend and colleague, Speaker Melissa Hortman, and her husband Mark, were shot and killed earlier this morning in what appears to be a politically motivated assassination.” 

Police are still searching for the suspect, with whom they exchanged gunfire after encountering him at Hortman’s house following the shooting of Hoffman, said Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

Authorities believe the suspect to be 57-year-old Vance Boelter.