India
In a chilling act of what authorities are calling “targeted political violence,” a 57-year-old man posing as a police officer fatally shot Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband inside their Brooklyn Park home early Saturday. Hours later, State Senator John Hoffman and his wife were seriously injured in a separate but clearly connected attack at their residence in Champlin.
The shootings have sent shockwaves through Minnesota’s political community and prompted an urgent manhunt for the suspect, who remains at large. Authorities recovered a fake police vehicle from one of the crime scenes, inside which police discovered a manifesto listing the names of multiple lawmakers and officials.
Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley confirmed that both Hortman and Hoffman were explicitly mentioned in the writings found in the fake patrol car. “When we did a search of the vehicle, there was a manifesto that identified many lawmakers and other officials. We immediately made alerts to the state. We took action on alerting them and providing security where necessary,” Bruley said during a press briefing.
Melissa Hortman, 57, a prominent Democrat and former Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives, was known for her strong advocacy on climate change, labor rights, and education reform. Her husband, whose name has not yet been officially released, was also declared dead at the scene.
Senator John Hoffman and his wife sustained multiple gunshot wounds but survived the attack. They are currently receiving treatment at a Minneapolis-area hospital, where officials say they are in critical but stable condition.
Governor Tim Walz condemned the attacks in a public statement, calling them “a brutal and deliberate assault on our democracy.” He pledged full support to law enforcement and ordered heightened security for other elected officials across the state. “This was not random,” Walz emphasized. “This was calculated, and it’s a threat to every Minnesotan who believes in representative government.”
Law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and state police, are assisting in the search for the suspect. Surveillance footage and forensic analysis from both scenes are being reviewed, while investigators are also working to trace the origin of the fake police uniform and vehicle.
As tributes poured in from across the political spectrum, flags were lowered to half-staff across Minnesota. Colleagues described Hortman as “a fearless leader and a devoted public servant,” and many have called for stronger protections for public officials in light of the attack.
The motive behind the shootings appears to stem from political grievances expressed in the suspect’s manifesto, though specific details have not yet been made public. Authorities have declined to name the suspect until an arrest is made.
The twin attacks mark one of the most serious instances of politically motivated violence in Minnesota’s recent history.
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