色多多

Democratic former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were killed in their Brooklyn Park home. Sen. John Hoffman, also a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, were injured at their Champlin address, about 9 miles away.

Authorities identified the suspect as 57-year-old Vance Boelter, and the FBI issued a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to his arrest and conviction.

Authorities displayed a photo taken Saturday of Boelter wearing a tan cowboy hat and asked the public to report sightings. Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said investigators obtained video as well.

He did not give details on a possible motive.

Boelter is a former political appointee who served on the same state workforce development board as Hoffman, records show, though it was not clear if or how well they knew each other.

The early morning attacks prompted warnings to other elected officials around the state and the cancellation of planned聽聽against President Donald Trump, though some went ahead anyway. Authorities said the suspect had 鈥淣o Kings鈥� flyers in his car and writings mentioning the names of the victims as well as other lawmakers and officials, though they could not say if he had any other specific targets.

A Minnesota official told The Associated Press that the suspect鈥檚 writings also contained information targeting prominent lawmakers who have been outspoken in favor of abortion rights. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing.

The shootings聽听飞丑别苍听聽have been attacked, harassed and intimidated amid deep political divisions.

鈥淲e must all, in Minnesota and across the country, stand against all forms of political violence,鈥� Walz, a Democrat, said at a news conference. 鈥淭hose responsible for this will be held accountable.鈥�

The governor also ordered flags to fly at half-staff in Hortman's honor.

Law enforcement agents recovered several AK-style firearms from the suspect鈥檚 vehicle, and he was believed to still be armed with a pistol, a person familiar with the matter told AP. The person could not publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.

An overnight shooting

Police responded to reports of gunfire at the Hoffmans' home shortly after 2 a.m., Champlin police said, and found the couple with multiple gunshot wounds.

After seeing who the victims were, police sent officers to proactively check on Hortman's home. There they encountered what appeared to be a police vehicle and a man dressed as an officer at the door, leaving the house.

鈥淲hen officers confronted him, the individual immediately fired upon the officers who exchanged gunfire, and the suspect retreated back into the home鈥� and escaped on foot, Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said.

Multiple bullet holes could be seen in the front door of Hoffman鈥檚 home.

John and Yvette Hoffman each underwent surgery, according to Walz.

鈥淲e are cautiously optimistic they will survive this assassination attempt,鈥� the governor said at a morning news conference.

Trump said in a statement that the FBI would join in the investigation.

鈥淥ur Attorney General, Pam Bondi, and the FBI, are investigating the situation, and they will be prosecuting anyone involved to the fullest extent of the law. Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America. God Bless the great people of Minnesota, a truly great place!鈥�

Two Democratic lawmakers targeted

Hortman, 55, had been the top Democratic leader in the state House since 2017. She led Democrats in a聽聽at the beginning of this year鈥檚 session in a power struggle with Republicans. Under a power sharing agreement, she turned the gavel over to Republican Rep. Lisa Demuth and assumed the title speaker emerita.

Hortman used her position as speaker in 2023 to help champion expanded protections for abortion rights, including legislation to solidify Minnesota鈥檚 status as a refuge for patients from restrictive states who travel to the state to seek abortions 鈥� and to protect providers who serve them.

Walz called her a 鈥渇ormidable public servant, a fixture and a giant in Minnesota."

"She woke up every day, determined to make this state a better place,鈥� he said. 鈥淪he is irreplaceable.鈥�

Hortman and her husband had two adult children.

The initial autopsy reports from the Hennepin County Medical Examiner鈥檚 Office gave their cause of death as 鈥渕ultiple gunshot wounds.鈥�

The reports said Melissa Hortman died at the scene while her husband was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Hoffman, 60, was first elected in 2012 and was chair of the Senate Human Services Committee, which oversees one of the biggest parts of the state budget. He and his wife have one daughter.

State Patrol Col. Christina Bogojevic asked people 鈥渙ut of an abundance of caution鈥� not to attend聽. Bogojevic said authorities did not have any direct evidence that the protests would be targeted, but noted the 鈥淣o Kings鈥� flyers in the car.

Organizers announced that all demonstrations in the state were canceled, but many people still showed up for protests at the Capitol and elsewhere in the Twin Cities area.

The suspect

Boelter was appointed to the workforce development board in 2016 and then reappointed in 2019 to a four-year term that expired in 2023, state records show.

Corporate records show Boelter鈥檚 wife filed to create a company called Praetorian Guard Security Services LLC with the same Green Isle mailing address listed for the couple. On a website for the business, Boelter鈥檚 wife is listed as president and CEO, while he is listed as director of security patrols.

The homepage says it provides armed security for property and events and features a photo of an SUV painted in a two-tone black and silver pattern similar to a police vehicle, with a light bar across the roof and 鈥淧raetorian鈥� painted across the doors. Another photo shows a man in black tactical gear with a military-style helmet and a ballistic vest.

An online resume says Boelter is a security contractor who has worked in the Middle East and Africa, in addition to past managerial roles at companies in Minnesota.

Boelter texted friends at a Minneapolis residence, where he had rented a room and would stay one or two nights a week, to say he had 鈥渕ade some choices,鈥� the聽.

In the messages, read to reporters by David Carlson, Boelter did not specify what he had done but said: 鈥淚鈥檓 going to be gone for a while. May be dead shortly, so I just want to let you know I love you guys both and I wish it hadn鈥檛 gone this way. 鈥� I鈥檓 sorry for all the trouble this has caused.鈥�

A former next-door neighbor in Inver Grove Heights, where Boelter used to live, said he hardly knew him but remembers his daughters because they kayaked and ice skated on the pond behind the homes.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really sad for the kids, very, very nice kids,鈥� Michael Cassidy said. He added that the suspect鈥檚 wife once came over to pray with his wife and daughter.

Massive search

, some in tactical gear with assault-style weapons, were scattered throughout the town. Some checkpoints were set up. Police lifted a shelter-in-place order in the afternoon, saying they had reason to believe the suspect was no longer in the area.

鈥淭his is crazy, someone going after representatives,鈥� said Brooklyn Park resident Douglas Thompson, 62. 鈥淭his is wrong. I鈥檓 hoping they鈥檒l catch them.鈥�

Political violence

Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, a Republican from Cold Spring, called the attack 鈥渆vil鈥� and said she was 鈥渉eartbroken beyond words鈥� by the killings.

The shootings are the latest in a series of attacks against lawmakers across parties.

In April a suspect set fire to the home of Democratic Pennsylvania聽, forcing him and his family to flee during the Jewish holiday of Passover. The suspect said he planned to beat Shapiro with a small sledgehammer if he found him, according to court documents.

In July 2024, Trump was聽聽by one of a hail of bullets that killed a Trump supporter. Two months later a man with a rifle was discovered聽聽and arrested.

Other incidents include a 2022 hammer attack on the husband of then-House Speaker聽聽in their San Francisco home and a 2020 plot by anti-government extremists聽聽and start a civil war.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said he asked Capitol Police to 鈥渋mmediately increase security鈥� for Minnesota Democratic Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith. He also asked Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican, to hold a briefing on member security.

鈥淐ondemning violence is important but it is not enough,鈥� Schumer said on the social platform X. 鈥淲e must also confront the toxic forces radicalizing individuals and we must do more to protect one another, our democracy, and the values that bind us as Americans.鈥�

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Karnowski reported from Minneapolis, and Durkin Richer from Washington. Associated Press writers Giovanna Dell'Orto in Champlin, Minnesota, Carolyn Thompson in Buffalo, New York, and Michael Biesecker in Washington contributed.