Live: Search for Hortman assassination suspect broadens to South Dakota

Minnesota House Democratic leader Melissa Hortman and her husband were fatally shot in their Brooklyn Park home, and state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife survived the assassin’s attack at their home in Champlin, in what Gov. Tim Walz said appeared to be a targeted act of political violence.

Authorities identified the suspect as 57-year-old Vance Boelter. A manhunt is underway to locate Boelter.

Officials said the suspect left a list of politicians at the scene. A person who has seen the list said it included several abortion rights supporters, including lawmakers.

Here’s what we know so far:

Follow live updates below:

8:35 p.m. - John and Yvette Hoffman were both in stable condition as they continued to recover from surgery, according to their nephew, Mat Ollig.

Yvette Hoffman “is alert and awake,” Ollig said. “We’re still waiting on an update about my uncle.”

7:58 p.m. - The Minnesota Orchestra said it would perform “a musical homage” for the victims of the shooting as part of its concert Saturday night.

In an Instagram post, the orchestra said, “Tonight, we perform our scheduled concert with heavy hearts. We join our community in grieving as we all struggle with how to make sense of a world in which dedicated public servants can be shot in their homes in the middle of the night by someone pretending to be a police officer.”

The post went on to say that the orchestra would perform Edward Elgar’s “Nimrod” in honor of them “and hope that we may collectively find our way again to a space of peace and civility toward one another.”

“Nimrod,” the ninth variation of Elgar’s “Enigma Variations,” is almost two-thirds of the way through the 14 variations in the piece. Dedicated to Elgar’s friend, editor August J. Jaeger, and his encouragement of Elgar in a time of struggle for the composer, the theme is characterized by its swelling strings and its reference to Beethoven’s second movement in “Sonata Pathétique,” one of his most famous works. Unlike the original theme of “Enigma Variations,” “Nimrod” is wistful, being set in major.

The slow and somber piece is a popular choice for funerals.

Led by Music Director Thomas Søndergård, the Minnesota Orchestra also played “Nimrod” in January 2024. “Nimrod” was also played by the orchestra in other times of sorrow, such as during the 2020 pandemic alongside the Seoul Philharmonic and after the events of 9/11.

6:15 p.m. - Mitchell Regional Public Safety dispatch in South Dakota issued a “Be on the Lookout” for a maroon Buick at 4:35 p.m., saying the driver is a “person of interest in the events that have happened in Minnesota” and may be traveling with “the person that was involved in the homicide considered armed and dangerous.”

5:35 p.m. - Vance Boelter texted roommates that he was “going to be gone for a while” and “may be dead shortly,” according to one of his housemates in North Minneapolis who read the message aloud to reporters. Boelter reached out to roommate David Carlson and friend Ron Ramsey.

“David and Ron, I love you guys. I made some choices, and you guys don’t know anything about this, but I’m going to be gone for a while. May be dead shortly, so I just want to let you know I love you guys both and I wish it hadn’t gone this way. I don’t want to say anything more and implicate you in any way because you guys don’t know anything about this. But I love you guys and I’m sorry for all the trouble this has caused.”

Police responded Saturday afternoon to the home at 4830 Fremont Av. N. that Boelter’s roommate said he rented and slept at, typically one or two nights a week so he could be closer to work.

Boelter’s roommate and friend were in a state of shock as they swept the broken glass from the front of the house. Police busted down the door and windows midafternoon, and remaining pieces of the door frame and track marks from an armored vehicle were covering the lawn.

The roommate, 59-year-old Carlson, said he had been friends with Boelter for about 50 years, dating back to fourth grade. He and another friend got the text at 6:17 a.m.

Carlson sobbed and paused in the middle before reading the next sentence: “May be dead shortly, so I just want to let you know I love you guys both and I wish it hadn’t gone this way.”

Carlson said he called the police after finding the text.

According to Carlson, Boelter had bought the squad cars because he was interested in starting a security company. Boelter had begun living there about two years ago, Carlson said.

“He was just the nicest guy,” Carlson said. “I mean, I can’t believe this has all happened.”

On Friday night, Carlson recalled, Boelter said that he loved him.

“He paid for four months of rent in advance, and said I was his best friend, and that he loves me,” Carlson said. “I thanked him for that, our friendship and everything.”

Police towed an unmarked black SUV car from the alleyway behind the home Saturday afternoon, though it did not have police emergency lights on the top like the one in Brooklyn Park at Hortman’s house. It did have a Minnesota license plate.

5:20 p.m. - Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL), the state’s largest anti-abortion rights group, said in a statement that they are horrified to learn of the shootings and said “his actions are completely antithetical to the mission of MCCL and the pro-life movement,” the statement read. “MCCL has always worked peacefully to advance protections for the vulnerable, and has always deplored and unequivocally condemned violence.”

4:58 p.m. - In a self-made, resume-style video posted to social media, Vance Boelter introduces himself and spells out his work in the funeral home industry, a food supply business project in Africa, along with a benign snippet about his personal life.

He said he works six days a week, splitting his time with Wulf Funeral Home and Metro First Call.

“I mainly do removals at this point,” he said. “One contract is the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office. We’re working with a lot of police officers and death investigators at the location where the decedent is found. It could be a crime scene or just a natural death. Our role is to just take that decedent from that place of death to the medical examiner’s office.”

He shared that he lives in the Green Isle area, and has a wife, five children and two German shepherds as pets.

“Fun fact about myself,” he continued, “I’ve been in the food industry for about 30 years, and that led to an opportunity. I was invited to the Democratic Republic of Congo in central Africa. … I was asked a couple years ago to go and see what I can do on ideas for their food supply system.”

However, he became dissatisfied with his employer and set off on his own with his wife to try to tackle the mission on their own to provide the country through farming and fishing projects. He said he turned to working with funeral homes “to help pay the bills. … The shift worked pretty good for my schedule and other things I was doing.”

4:46 p.m. - Authorities believe Boelter is still in the Twin Cities area but is potentially working to flee, according to BCA Superintendent Drew Evans.

He said the BCA remains in contact with all federal authorities, including the Transportation Security Administration. He said two current operations in Minneapolis and Green Isle “are related to this investigation.”

4:40 p.m. - Asked about the sophistication of the shootings given that Boelter ran a security company, BCA Superintendent Drew Evans said: “We’re aware of the connections. Certainly an individual would have some familiarity if that’s the line of work they’re in … but we’ll be exploring that more fully.”

4:30 p.m. BCA Superintendent Drew Evans said at the afternoon briefing that there was no update on Sen. John Hoffman’s condition.

“The last information we had is that he was out of surgery and was in stable condition at that time, but he certainly experienced significant injuries, so we’ll have to continue to monitor that.”

4:25 p.m. - Police executed a search warrant at a home in the 4800 block of Fremont Avenue N. in Minneapolis in connection with the investigation, with numerous squads and police tape ringing the area.

4:20 p.m. - The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Boelter. The FBI’s accompanying image showed Boelter appearing to wear a mask.

4:18 p.m. - Authorities are exploring whether the suspect knew Hoffman or Hortman.

BCA Superintendent Drew Evans said there is “certainly some overlap with some public meetings” between Hoffman and Boelter, but that law enforcement doesn’t know anything about their relationship or if they actually knew each other.

3:58 p.m. - About 3:50 p.m., the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office issued news releases saying Melissa Hortman was shot multiple times at her home, died there and listed the manner of death as homicide. The office released that Mark Hortman also was shot multiple times at the couple’s home, and he died at North Memorial Health Hospital in Robbinsdale. His manner of death also was listed as homicide.

3:09 p.m. - BCA Superintendent Drew Evans said Boelter is 6 feet one 1 inch tall and 220 lbs with brown hair and eyes. He was spotted on surveillance footage from a Minneapolis business wearing a light colored cowboy hat with a long sleeve dark jacket, light pants and carrying a dark bag.

Residents should consider him armed and dangerous; do not approach him and call 911. Tips as to his whereabouts can be called in at 877.996.6222 or email bca.tips@state.mn.us.

“We still don’t know if additional people are involved, but this individual is the one that we’re looking at as a person of interest right now, but there may be other people with him and we’d like to speak to anybody that may have had contact with him at any point in time,” Evans said.

2:50 p.m. - DFL Rep. Kelly Morrison said she learned that something had happened early Saturday morning after a local police officer came to her door to tell her to “shelter in place.” She later discovered that her former colleagues in the state Legislature had been shot after she connected with colleagues. Morrison confirmed that she too was on the shooter’s list of potential victims and said she was told there “are abortion providers and organizations that provide reproductive health care on the list.”

“I have not heard any confirmation that that that was the motivation,” she said. Morrison is an OB/GYN and sponsored prominent abortion rights legislation when she served in the state Senate two years ago. She said she had planned to attend the No Kings rally Saturday in Minnetonka but decided not to go following the shooting.

“I don’t want to increase the risk for others. So I’m holding up with my family and grieving this terrible loss for our state,” she said.

2:43 p.m. - The suspects’ list targets prominent abortion rights supporters in Minnesota, according to an official who has seen the list. That includes many Democratic lawmakers who have been outspoken about supporting abortion rights policy positions.

2:15 p.m. - A 57-year-old man has been identified as the suspect in connection with the killing of Hortman and her husband and the attempted killing of Hoffman and his wife.

A source familiar with the investigation identified Vance Boelter as the suspect of an intensive manhunt after he allegedly fled from Hortman’s home following a police shootout in the wake of her killing.

1:46 p.m. - Minnesota lawmakers, led by Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Rep. Tom Emmer, released the following statement on behalf of the Minnesota Delegation.

“Today we speak with one voice to express our outrage, grief, and condemnation of this horrible attack on public servants. There is no place in our democracy for politically-motivated violence. We are praying for John and Yvette’s recovery and we grieve the loss of Melissa and Mark with their family, colleagues, and Minnesotans across the state. We are grateful for law enforcement’s swift response to the situation and continued efforts.”

1:31 p.m. - Police loaded what looked like a standard, unmarked black SUV police squad car onto a tow truck and drove it away around 1:15 p.m.

It had license plates that plainly read “police” without any other associations. The squad car had front spotlights and a police emergency light bar on the top. The blue and red light inside of the squad car were still flashing as a tow truck took it away.

12:37 p.m. - Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said he has directed police to assist with the manhunt and to protect lawmakers.

“I am sickened by the assassination of Speaker Hortman and the attack on Senator Hoffman,” Frey said in a written statement. “I have been in contact with our Commissioner, Chief and safety partners all morning, and we have assigned additional police resources to check on the safety of public officials who may be at risk, and to actively participate in the manhunt to bring this suspect to justice. Political violence is evil. It cannot be tolerated, and neither can those who condone it or make excuses for it.”

12:28 p.m. - A large gathering of swat teams, police cruisers and armored vehicles were stationed around noon in Edinbrook Park, a short drive from Hortman’s house.

12:15 p.m. - Minnesota Second District Rep. Angie Craig declined to say if she was included in a list of other elected officials the gunman sought to target, adding that she would let law enforcement reveal those details. But, she added: “I have armed folks in my driveway right now.”

Craig said she is sheltered in place with armed security protecting her and was forced to cancel her planned appearance at a No Kings rally in Rochester. She said the shooter had literature that showed he may have been aware of the multiple rallies taking place across the state.

But even before the shooting, Craig said she’s already had to increase security measures on her own.

“Unfortunately, we’ve seen a rise in political threats of violence for some time now,” she said. “I don’t do public events anymore without private security or police presence in my own district. Last night at the Humphrey Mondale dinner, I had private security there with me. It’s just become part of what we do.”

12 p.m. - When authorities arrived to check on Hortman’s home, they saw what looked like a police SUV in the driveway with emergency lights on, said Brooklyn Park police chief Mark Bruley. A person who appeared to be a police officer was at the door, coming out of the house.

When the officers confronted the person, they immediately fired on police and retreated back into the house after exchanging gunfire, Bruley said.

Bruley said police “believe confidently” the suspect fled out of the back of the house.

Bruley said the SUV at the scene “looked exactly like a police vehicle” and the suspect was wearing a vest, had a Taser and other equipment and had a badge of some type. Bruley said “no question, if they were in this room” the person would be mistaken for an officer.

11:24 a.m. - The Minnesota State Patrol has encouraged the public to avoid the planned No Kings Day protests in St. Paul and across the state.

“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 patrol said in a statement. The patrol published a photo of “No Kings” papers inside the suspect’s car:

Indivisible Twin Cities, one of the groups organizing local No Kings Day protests, said they still planned to demonstrate.

“We are horrified by these acts of unspeakable political violence. We mourn with the state and the families. As of now, we are proceeding with the No Kings event. We think it’s important to gather peacefully.”

11:17 a.m. - Department of Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobson said that elected officials are receiving increased security.

“This is a dark day today for Minnesota and democracy, but we will not allow fear or violence to define who we are or how we move forward,” he said in a news conference. “We will stand together and we will stand strong … These are our public servants, leaders who committed their lives to improving the lives of others, and they were targeted in a violent and cowardly way. The suspect exploited the trust of our uniforms, that our uniforms are meant to represent. That betrayal is deeply disturbing to those of us who wear the badge with honor and responsibility. We want to reassure the public that there is increased security in place for elected officials and others who may be at risk. If you see anything suspicious, especially individuals impersonating law enforcement, please report it immediately by calling 911 or your local police department.”

10:57 a.m. - Stores and homes surrounding Edinburgh Golf Course were quiet Saturday morning, with a bevy of different police agencies stationed at the entrance to each of the street that approached Rep. Melissa Hortman’s home. Many of the stores put signs on their door to indicate they are closed in response to the shelter in place notice.

Armored Hennepin County Sheriff’s office vehicles were cruising down a major street going through Brooklyn Park, and crews of officers wearing military-style gear were patrolling nearby grassy areas, some bringing along police dogs with leashes.

A shelter in place order was issued for the surrounding area.

10:41 a.m. - President Donald Trump said he has been briefed on the shooting. In a statement released by the White House, Trump said:

“I have been briefed on the terrible shooting that took place in Minnesota, which appears to be a targeted attack against State Lawmakers. Our Attorney General, Pam Bondi, and the FBI, are investigating the situation, and they will be prosecuting anyone involved to the fullest extent of the law. Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America. God Bless the great people of Minnesota, a truly great place!”

10:33 a.m. - Gov. Tim Walz also expressed sympathy to the family of Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, who were shot multiple times. They are expected to survive, according to the governor.

“The Hoffmans are out of surgery at this time and receiving care, and we are cautiously optimistic that they will survive this assassination attempt,” Walz said. “This was an act of targeted political violence. Peaceful discourse is the foundation of our democracy. We don’t settle our differences with violence or at gunpoint.”

10:13 am. - Here’s the full quote from Gov. Tim Walz confirming that Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband were killed in what the governor called a “politically motivated assassination.”

“We’re here today because an unspeakable tragedy has unfolded in Minnesota. My good friend and colleague, Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were shot and killed this morning in what appears to be a politically motivated assassination. Our state lost a great leader, and I lost the dearest of friends. Speaker Hortman was someone who served the people of Minnesota with grace, compassion, humor and a sense of service. She was a formidable public servant, a fixture and a giant in Minnesota. She woke up every day determined to make this state a better place. She is irreplaceable and will be missed by so many.”

10:11 a.m. - Authorities investigating the shooting recovered an alleged manifesto.

“There was a list of individuals and the individuals that were targeted were on that list,” said Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans. “It’s a large number of people.”

“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, who took action on alerting them and providing security where necessary,” Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley added.

10 a.m. - Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said that when officers arrived to the Hortman home, they noticed a vehicle with emergency lights what appeared to be a police officer at the door, “when our officers confronted him he immediately fired at officers and retreated back into the home.” He fled back into the house after being confronted by police. They went to the threshold and saw a man that was down and dragged him out to safety, he was pronounced dead shortly after. Police then went in with a drone to identify Hortman dead in the home.

“This was not a real police officer, this was a person who was clearly impersonating a police officer wearing the trust of this badge to manipulate their way into the home,” Bruley said.

The suspect drove a vehicle that looked exactly like an SUV squad equipped with emergency lights, a Taser and badge. There was “no question that if they were in this room you would assume that they are a police officer.”

A massive manhunt is underway for the suspect, who is believed to be on foot. Bruley said police are now arriving at residences in pairs of two or more. Officers will not be alone. Police are searching for people of interest.

9:59 a.m. - Gov. Walz and other officials are holding a live news briefing now. Watch the news conference at this link.

9:57 a.m. - Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans said Champlin police were called at 2 a.m. to the Hoffman home. While they were investigating, Brooklyn Park police proactively checked on Hortman’s residence, at 3:30 a.m., where they encountered a man who fired at them and fled during an exchange of gunfire. Hortman and her husband were killed, Hoffman and his wife were taken to the hospital where they are being treated.

9:54 a.m. - Gov. Walz confirmed that Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were also shot but are out of surgery.

“My prayers also go out to state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette, who were each shot multiple times. The Hoffmans are out of surgery at this time and are receiving care and we are cautiously optimistic that they will survive this assassination attempt,” Walz said.

9:48 a.m. - Gov. Tim Walz has confirmed that Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband were killed in the shooting.

“We’re here today because an unspeakable tragedy has unfolded in Minnesota. My good friend and colleague Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were shot and killed earlier this morning in what appears to be a politically motivated assassination,” Walz said in a news conference.

9:46 a.m. - Champlin Mayor Ryan Sabas said he received confirmation of shootings at the homes of Hoffman and Hortman from the city police chief.

“It’s a completely evil act,” Champlin Mayor Ryan Sabas said in an interview. “The people of Champlin can rest assured that police are working with agencies around us to find the individual so neighborhoods and our community can be safe right now.”

9:43 a.m. - Kate Ocken Lundquist lives across the Edinburgh Golf Course from Hortman. She was woken up by an emergency shelter in place notification and the sound of helicopters overhead.“It’s just eerily quiet outside,” Lundquist said, noting that there was heavy police activity at Hortman’s house and any updates she had been receiving were “not good.”Lundquist serves as a political campaign manager and communications directors. She said rumors about the situation were spreading extensively.

9:39 a.m. - Multiple lawmakers have confirmed over social media that Rep. Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, and Sen. John Hoffman, DFL-Champlin, were targeted in the shootings.

Brooklyn Park police have issued a shelter in place order in the area surrounding the Edinburgh Golf Course as they search for a suspect in “multiple targeted shootings” involving state lawmakers.

The suspect is armed and dangerous and may be impersonating law enforcement, according to the alert sent out early Saturday morning.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz posted on X Saturday that he’s been briefed on an ongoing situation involving targeted shootings in both Champlin and Brooklyn Park.

Walz is scheduled to hold a news briefing this morning “to address violence targeted at legislators.” Although no names have been released, a large law enforcement presence, which included the FBI surrounded the Brooklyn Park home of DFL House leader Melissa Hortman.

“The Minnesota Department of Public Safety and local law enforcement are on the scene. We will share more information soon,” Walz said.

Walz spokesman Teddy Tschann said the governor has activated the State Emergency Operations Center and is on site now. He will host a news briefing later this morning.

The suspect is a white male with brown hair and wearing black body armor over a blue shirt and blue pants.

Police advised residents not to approach anyone who matches their description.

House Speaker Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, said in a statement: “I am shocked and horrified by the evil attack that took place overnight. Please lift up in prayer the victims, as well as the law enforcement personnel working to apprehend the perpetrator.”

A call to Brooklyn Park police was not immediately returned.

Brooklyn Park police said they will be briefing reporters later today at City Hall.