A gunman impersonating a police officer killed a prominent Minnesota Democratic lawmaker and her husband early Saturday morning, then wounded another legislator and his wife in what Governor Tim Walz called “an unspeakable tragedy” and “targeted political violence.”

State Representative Melissa Hortman, the former House Speaker and current Democratic caucus leader, and her husband Mark were fatally shot at their Brooklyn Park home around 3:35 a.m. State Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette were wounded earlier in a separate attack at their Champlin residence, occurring about 2 a.m.

Both attacks happened within miles of each other in Minneapolis suburbs, carried out by a suspect dressed as a law enforcement officer driving a vehicle equipped with police lights.

“This was an act of targeted political violence,” Walz said at a Saturday morning press conference. “Peaceful discourse is the foundation of our democracy. We don’t settle our differences with violence or at gunpoint.”

The sequence of events began when Champlin police responded to the first shooting at Hoffman’s home. After discovering the senator and his wife had been shot multiple times, a Brooklyn Park police sergeant made what authorities called a “very intuitive” decision to proactively check on other lawmakers in their jurisdiction.

When officers arrived at Hortman’s residence, they encountered the suspect emerging from the house wearing police-style gear including a vest, badge, and tactical equipment. The gunman opened fire on responding officers, sparking an exchange of gunfire before fleeing on foot into the surrounding neighborhood.

Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said both Hoffman and his wife underwent surgery.

Authorities have identified 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter as the suspect being sought in connection with the shootings. A massive manhunt involving local police, state patrol, and FBI agents is currently underway.

Inside the abandoned fake police vehicle, investigators discovered what they described as a manifesto containing a list of potential targets. The list included both victims as well as numerous other Democratic officials, including Governor Walz, U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar, U.S. Senator Tina Smith, and state Attorney General Keith Ellison.

“Speaking to Minnesota Public Radio, Minnesota Democratic U.S. Sen. Tina Smith said she was told her name is on the list,” according to NPR’s reporting. Smith noted she had been with both Hortman and Hoffman at a Democratic dinner just hours before the shootings occurred.

President Donald Trump was briefed on the situation and released a statement saying, “Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America.” Attorney General Pam Bondi said she’s closely monitoring the investigation and that “this horrific violence will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Hortman, 55, had served in the Minnesota House since 2004, representing District 34B. She served as minority leader from 2017 to 2019 and as Speaker from 2019 to 2025. An attorney by training, she was serving her 11th term and leaves behind two children.

Law enforcement sources suggest the suspect may have been motivated by extreme views on abortion, though the investigation remains ongoing.

Plans for “No Kings” protests scheduled across Minnesota on Saturday were cancelled as a precaution.

“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 announced.