Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were seriously injured in a targeted shooting at their Champlin home early Saturday morning. According to family reports, the masked shooter, Vance Luther Boelter, dressed as a police officer and opened fire inside the home. Yvette heroically shielded their adult daughter, Hope, with her body, taking five bullets herself. Senator Hoffman was shot six times, with one bullet nearly hitting his heart. Both survived and underwent surgery; Hope was physically unharmed.
Boelter then drove to Brooklyn Park, where he fatally shot Minnesota House Speaker Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, at their doorstep. Posing as law enforcement, Boelter used the same deceptive tactic to approach their home. Rep. Hortman died at the scene, while her husband succumbed to his injuries at a nearby hospital. Police responded quickly and engaged Boelter in a shootout before he retreated inside the house, prompting a widespread manhunt and a temporary lockdown.
Authorities later found disturbing materials in Boelter’s possession, including a manifesto titled “No Kings” and a list of 70 political figures—many of them pro-choice lawmakers—as well as Planned Parenthood clinics and abortion providers. The documents suggest the attack may have been politically motivated, and investigators are probing potential ties to anti-abortion extremism. Boelter had previously served on state workforce development councils, raising further concern about his radicalization.
Boelter’s wife, Jenny, was later detained for questioning alongside family members. Officials have not confirmed her involvement. As the state reels from the violent acts, tributes have poured in for Rep. Hortman and concerns have grown about the safety of public officials. Lawmakers and citizens alike are demanding answers, while police continue to investigate what appears to be a politically driven domestic terror attack.
