Minnesota state lawmaker Melissa Hortman, her husband killed in suspected ‘political assassination’; fellow legislator and his wife shot
Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were shot and killed early Saturday morning in what Governor Tim Walz described as “a politically-motivated assassination,” media reports said.
In the same attack, State Senator John Hoffman and his wife were also shot multiple times but survived after undergoing surgery, Walz confirmed during a press briefing, CNN reported.
Both legislators belong to the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party.
“The Hoffmans are out of surgery at this time and receiving care, and we are cautiously, optimistically optimistic they will survive this assassination attempt,” the governor said, according to CNN.
Authorities have launched an intense manhunt for the suspect, who remains at large.
“This is a very large-scale search,” Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said during the media briefing. “We have detained several people and questioned them, but we do not have anybody in custody at this time,” CNN quoted him as saying.
The attack unfolded in two phases, beginning around 2 a.m. local time when police were alerted to a shooting at the Hoffmans’ residence.
Officers arrived promptly, administered emergency care, and transported the couple to a hospital, said Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), as reported by CNN.
Roughly 90 minutes later, officers conducting a welfare check at Hortman’s home encountered a man who appeared to be a police officer—standing at the door of the house, next to a vehicle with flashing emergency lights.
However, the individual opened fire on police and managed to flee after a brief exchange of gunfire, Evans told CNN.
The suspect, described as a man dressed in a vest, badge, and other gear resembling police equipment, is believed to be on foot. Law enforcement has urged residents to remain vigilant.
“If somebody comes to the door and they knock on the door claiming to be a police officer, please do a couple things: One, call 911 and confirm that the officer belongs there,” Bruley said.
He added that all Brooklyn Park officers have been instructed to work in pairs.
According to CNN, the governor has activated the State Emergency Operations Center and established a cross-jurisdictional Joint Information Center to coordinate the response.
“Local law enforcement in Champlin and Brooklyn Park have the full resources of the State of Minnesota behind them,” Governor Walz stated on X.
A shelter-in-place order has been issued in a three-mile radius surrounding Edinburgh Golf Course in Brooklyn Park, CNN reported.
Calling the events “a stunning act of violence,” U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar posted on X that both lawmakers were close friends of hers and “devoted to their families and public service.”
Former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, a survivor of a 2011 mass shooting and now a leading advocate for gun safety, issued a statement saying she was “horrified and heartbroken” by the attack.
“My family and I know the horror of a targeted shooting all too well,” she said. “An attack against lawmakers is an attack on American democracy itself,” CNN reported.
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