Minnesota Sen. John Hoffman Was ‘Struck’ by Gunfire ‘9 Times’ During Attack, Is Continuing to 'Receive Medical Care'

Minnesota Senator John Hoffman, who was attacked alongside his wife at their home on June 14 — the same day that Rep. Melissa Hortman was also shot and killed in her home — is sharing additional details from the night of the incident. 

In a statement obtained by KARE 11 and CBS News, Hoffman and his wife Yvette updated the public on their recovery after the attack and revealed how the incident unfolded at their home following a dinner, which Hortman and her husband Mark also attended before being killed.

The couple shared that they are continuing to “receive medical care” and thanked first responders and police for quickly working “professionally and selflessly to safeguard others and to apprehend the shooter.”

They revealed that they returned home after attending the Humphrey-Mondale dinner on Friday, June 13, and were with their daughter Hope when they were awakened at around 2 a.m. by “sounds of pounding on the front door and shouts of someone seeking entry, identifying himself as a police officer.”

When the trio went to the entryway and opened the door, they found a gunman. The Hoffmans said that John “initially lunged at the gunman” and was “struck nine times” as the “weapon was pointed directly at him.” After he fell, his wife then “reached out to push the man and shut the door” and succeeded but was “also hit eight times by gunfire.”

“Hope then rushed to shut the door and secured the lock; she got to the phone and shared with the 911 operator that Senator John Hoffman had been shot in his home,” their statement said. “Her brave actions and quick thinking triggered the notice to public safety officials that a politically-motivated act was potentially underway.”

In their statement, the couple also mourned the loss of Hortman and her husband Mark, and said their children would have their support “as we all work through the devastating consequences of that horrific night.” 

“Choosing to work in the public sector, even in as limited a way as John’s career as a senator, has always meant sacrificing a level of privacy. But now we are grappling with the reality that we live in a world where public service carries such risks as being targeted because someone disagrees with you or doesn’t like what you stand for,” their statement continued. 

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“As a society, as a nation, as a community, we must work together to return to a level of civility that allows us all to live peacefully. The future for our children depends on that. We will be praying for that work and appreciate all those who will join with us,” they added.

During a June 14 press conference, Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said police were first alerted to the attack that took place at the Hoffman residence around 2 a.m. 

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Authorities then “proactively” checked on Hortman, the former Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives. There, they encountered the suspect, who “immediately” fired at them, Evans said, adding, “The individual was able to escape during that exchange of gunfire.” 

Vance Boelter, 57, was eventually arrested by police following a manhunt on Sunday, June 15. According to ABC News, police found a list of 45 elected officials and notes about their homes in his car, along with firearms. 

Boelter has been federally charged with the Hortmans’ murder and stalking. His next hearing is set for June 27.