(NPR) A Minnesota state representative and her husband were killed in their home in a Minneapolis suburb early Saturday in what state officials are calling a political assassination. Another lawmaker, a state senator, and his wife were also wounded in a shooting at their home.
Democratic state Rep. Melissa Hortman, a former state House speaker, and her husband, Mark, were shot and killed at their home in the city of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said at a news conference, calling it “an unspeakable tragedy.”
“This was an act of targeted political violence. Peaceful discourse is the foundation of our democracy. We don’t settle our differences with violence or at gunpoint,” Walz said.
In a post on Truth Social, President Trump said: “Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America.”
Earlier, in a separate incident just miles away in Champlin, Minn., Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were shot and wounded at their home.
A suspect impersonating a police officer remains at large, according to authorities. State officials told residents nearby to shelter in place, and to not answer their doors for anyone dressed as police. Officials told residents to call 911 and confirm with dispatchers that the officer belongs there. Local police were also instructed to not approach any residents alone, and to do so instead in pairs.
Protests known as “No Kings” were planned across the country on Saturday in response to the Trump administration’s plans to hold a large-scale military parade. “Given the targeted shootings of state lawmakers overnight, we are asking the public to not attend today’s planned demonstrations across Minnesota out of an abundance of caution,” the Minnesota State Patrol said on X.
At a press conference, Col. Christina Bogojevic of the Minnesota State Patrol said that flyers that said “no kings” were found in the suspect’s car, though she added that there were no direct links beyond that that authorities knew of.
According to officials, the lawmakers’ homes did not appear to be broken into. After responding to the shooting at Hoffman’s home, police went to Hortman’s home to check on her. There, they encountered what appeared to be a squad car and a man at the door dressed in blue with black body armor, who officials say opened fire on police. The man was not apprehended at the time.
By mid-morning, there was a heavy law enforcement presence in Brooklyn Park, including the FBI and state and local police.
The suspect’s motivation is still unknown, but state police said they did enter the car of the suspect, who officials say is now thought to be on foot. Inside the car, they found a list of individuals, including other lawmakers. Hortman and Hoffman were on that list, officials say.
Speaking to Minnesota Public Radio, Minnesota Democratic U.S. Sen. Tina Smith said she was told her name is on the list. Smith said she did not know of others who were named.
Smith said she was with Hortman and Hoffman at a Democratic dinner hours before the shooting.
In a statement, the U.S. Capitol Police said it was “aware of the violence targeting state lawmakers in Minnesota. We have been working with our federal, state and local partners. For safety reasons, we cannot provide specific details about our security posture.”
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said she was closely monitoring the situation in Minnesota and that the FBI was investigating on the ground with state and local law enforcement. She said the incident “appears to be a targeted attack against state lawmakers.”
“This horrific violence will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” she said on X
Separately, Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino said in a statement on X, “The FBI is fully engaged on the ground in Minnesota and is working in collaboration with our local and state partners.”
The legislative session this year in Minnesota was marked by a bitter dispute between Republicans and Democrats.
For the last two years, Democrats had complete control of the state government, but in January, Republicans gained a temporary lead. House Democrats responded by boycotting the Capitol, and denying Republicans a quorum. Eventually, after the courts stepped in, party leaders, including Hortman, struck a deal, bringing Democrats back to the state house.
This is a breaking news story. Some things reported by the media may later turn out to be wrong. We will focus on reports from officials and other authorities, credible news outlets and reporters who are at the scene. We will update as the situation develops.
