Chilling New Details Emerge After Lawmakers Melissa Hortman and John Hoffman Found Dead in Minnesota

Two well-known politicians in Minnesota, State Representative Melissa Hortman and State Senator John Hoffman, were attacked in separate shootings on Saturday. Both were longtime lawmakers who had served their communities for years.

Melissa and her husband Mark were killed early Saturday morning at their home in Brooklyn Park. Police say the attacker pretended to be a police officer to get inside. The couple leaves behind two children.

Earlier that same morning, the same man broke into the home of Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, in Champlin. They were both shot but survived. They were taken to the hospital and had surgery.

The police have identified the suspect as 57-year-old Vance Boelter and are still trying to find him.

Both Hortman and Hoffman were part of Minnesota’s Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), which is connected to the national Democratic Party.

Melissa Hortman was 55 years old and had been in politics a long time. She grew up in Minnesota, studied political science and philosophy at Boston University, and interned for famous politicians like Al Gore and John Kerry. Later, she got a law degree and a public administration degree from Harvard. Before she was elected, she worked as a lawyer and helped with her local school board and her church.

Hortman ran for office a few times before winning a seat in the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2004. Over the years, she moved into leadership positions, including House speaker in 2019. She was known for pushing laws on environmental protection, women’s rights, and gun control. She also helped pass police reform laws after the death of George Floyd in 2020.

Her husband Mark worked in the electronics industry and often posted about their family life online. They had been married for over 30 years. The day they were killed was also the birthday of Melissa’s father.

Senator John Hoffman, 60, has served in the Minnesota Senate since 2012. He grew up in Wyoming and studied at Saint Mary’s University. Before politics, he worked with various businesses and nonprofits. He co-founded a group to help people manage their credit and served on a local school board. He won his Senate seat in 2012 and was re-elected several times. He also held leadership roles in the Senate and worked on health and human services issues.

Their shooting shocked the community, and many are mourning the loss of Melissa and Mark and hoping for John and Yvette’s recovery. People close to them described the attacks as tragic and senseless, and the police are working to bring the shooter to justice.