Alleged Killer Slaughters Democratic Politician and Her Spouse in Minnesota
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Gunman slaughters Democratic U.S. politician and her spouse in Minnesota incident - Armed assailant murders Democratic political figure and her spouse in Minnesota.
Governor Walz expressed cautious optimism that Hoffman and his wife Yvette would pull through.
The suspected aggressor, posing as a law enforcement officer, apparently ambushed his victims in their homes in two suburbs of Minneapolis. The perpetrator is still at large, with a large team of police officers reportedly involved in the manhunt.
Authorities have identified the prime suspect as 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter. The elusive fugitive is deemed "armed and dangerous." The probe into the assailant's motivation remains ongoing, as per Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) Director Drew Evans.
According to police, the alleged attacker's vehicle was seized post-incident. The man believed to be a private security firm employee is thought to be on foot.
In the vehicle, officers discovered flyers promoting protests against the US President Donald Trump, as well as a political manifesto featuring the names of several Minnesota politicians and officials.
Evans reported that, based on initial police findings, the suspect initially targeted Senator Hoffman and his wife. About an hour and a half later, he carried out the lethal attack on Representative Hortman and her spouse.
Law enforcement officers reportedly clashed with the suspected attacker near Hortman's residence; however, he managed to escape.
In the wake of the shootings, Minnesota Governor Walz, who ran for Vice President alongside Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the 2020 election, branded the incident as "a targeted act of political terrorism." Walz emotion-ridden, "A civil political debate is the bedrock of our democracy. We settle our disputes not with gun violence." The attack on Hortman and Hoffman serves as a "sad reminder" of this.
US President Donald Trump deplored the incident in Minnesota. He was briefed about the "despicable shooting incident" in Minnesota, which seemed to be a "targeted assault on state legislators," Trump explained, adding, "Such barbaric violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America."
US Attorney General Pam Bondi, who serves as a federal prosecutor, described the violence as "abhorrent" and pledged to pursue the culprits "with the full strength of the law."
In Minneapolis, the city with the largest population in Minnesota, police imposed a curfew due to the shooting incidents. Consequently, a scheduled protest event against President Trump, dubbed "No Kings," was cancelled.
The political climate in the US is intensifying. In recent times, several attacks on politicians have transpired. During the 2024 presidential campaign, a man armed with a firearm attempted to execute the then-Republican presidential candidate and Trump supporter. In April 2025, an arson attack was executed on the residence of Democratic Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. In 2022, the husband of then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was brutally assaulted with a hammer in their home and severely wounded.
- Minnesota
- Democrats
- Tim Walz
- Attack
- Donald Trump
- Spouse
- Minneapolis
- Police
- US President
- BCA
- Vehicle
- Criminal Investigation
- The tragic attack on Democratic Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette, as well as Representative Hortman and her spouse, has once again brought politics and crime-and-justice to the forefront in Minnesota.
- Republican Governor Tim Walz, a Democrat who ran for Vice President in the 2020 election, has labeled the incident in Minneapolis as "a targeted act of political terrorism," highlighting the increasing tension in the political climate of the US.
