The suspect, disguised as a police officer and carrying a manifesto with the names of other congressmen, wounded a state senator and remains at large.
Minnesota Democratic Congresswoman and former Speaker of the State House of Representatives Melissa Hortman was shot dead Saturday along with her husband after being shot multiple times in their home by an individual disguised as a police officer who remains at large, Governor Tim Walz announced, in what he described as a “politically motivated assassination.”
Law enforcement officials have so far identified a suspect who also shot Democratic State Senator John Hoffman and his wife. Both are wounded and have undergone emergency treatment. Their prognosis is guarded but “optimistic, with caution,” the governor explained.
Police received an initial call around 2:00 a.m. local time about a shooting at the Hoffman family home in Champlin.
Following standard protocol, officers approached the Hortmans’ Brooklyn Park home, about 10 kilometers away, an hour and a half later. They found an individual disguised as a police officer standing next to a patrol car with its lights on, part of his ruse to convince the couple to open the door, according to investigative sources.
At one point, the fake disguised officer, confirmed to be the prime suspect in the murders, engaged in a shootout with the officers before fleeing. The suspect was wearing clothing that was impossible to distinguish from a real uniform, including a badge and a stun gun.
The FBI, its deputy director, Dan Bongino, has confirmed, is assisting in the search for the individual, who is also wearing a bulletproof vest.
Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley has confirmed that law enforcement is virtually convinced the Hortmans’ murder was politically motivated after a manifesto identifying “many legislators and other officials” from the state was found in the fake patrol car.
Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin, former chairman of the Minnesota Democratic Party, was one of the first to offer his condolences for the murder of two close friends. Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar expressed her condolences for the murder of two close friends, as did Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar, who was “heartbroken by the tragic loss of the congresswoman and her husband, Mark, who were taken from us in an act of violence.”
President Donald Trump has been briefed on the shooting, his spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, confirmed. He lamented the “terrible attack directed at state congressmen.” Trump stated that Attorney General Pam Bondi and the FBI are leading the investigation, adding that anyone involved “will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“This horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America. May God bless the great people of Minnesota, a truly wonderful place!” the statement continued.
