ST. PAUL — President Donald Trump said he was briefed on the “terrible” shootings of two Minnesota lawmakers early Saturday morning, June 14.
"I have been briefed on the terrible shooting that took place in Minnesota, which appears to be a targeted attack against State Lawmakers,” Trump said in a statement on Saturday morning.
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Trump said Attorney General Pam Bondi and the FBI are investigating the shootings and “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!” Trump said.
Gov. Tim Walz said in a press conference that Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband were shot and killed early Saturday morning, June 14 in Brooklyn Park, in the second of two reported shootings on state lawmakers.
DFL Sen. John A. Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were also shot early Saturday morning in Champlin. In a press conference Saturday, officials said Hoffman and his wife underwent surgery for their injuries and are recovering. Walz said he is “optimistic they will survive this assassination attempt.”
In an afternoon press conference, law enforcement identified the suspect as 57-year-old Vance Boelter. He reportedly impersonated a police officer to gain access to the victims.
Boelter escaped on foot after being confronted by police outside Hortman's home in Brooklyn Park on Saturday morning.
According to Boelter's social media profile, he worked in the Minnesota food industry until starting a security company in 2021. He was appointed by Gov. Tim Walz and former Gov. Mark Dayton to a state workforce board.
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The FBI listed Boelter on the webpage for the and is offering up to $50,000 for any information leading to the arrest of Boelter.
Reaction from Minnesota leaders and beyond
Leaders from both sides of the aisle in Minnesota and beyond strongly condemned Saturday’s shootings.
In a press release, Walz said, “Minnesota lost a great leader, and I lost a friend.”
He called Hortman “a formidable public servant and a fixture of the state Capitol.”
“Minnesota’s thoughts are with her loved ones, and my prayers are with Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette, who were shot and wounded and are being treated,” he said.
He added, “We are not a country that settles our differences at gunpoint. We have demonstrated again and again in our state that it is possible to peacefully disagree, that our state is strengthened by civil public debate. We must stand united against all forms of violence — and I call on everyone to join me in that commitment.
A state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigation is underway, Walz said.
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“… We will spare no resource in bringing those responsible to justice. We will not let fear win,” he concluded.
Senate Republican Leader Mark Johnson, East Grand Forks, said his “heart is broken over the events that unfolded overnight and the loss of life, security, and peace that we are all feeling right now.”
“Senate Republicans are unified in our condemnation of this brazen act of violence. We thank law enforcement and Capitol Security for their coordinated effort responding to the threat and delivering justice,” Johnson wrote in a statement.
Speaker of the House Rep. Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, said she was “horrified by the evil attack” and is “heartbroken beyond words by the loss of Speaker-Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark.”
“With the law enforcement response ongoing and details still emerging, I will simply ask all Minnesotans to please lift up in prayer the victims of this horrific attack, as well as the law enforcement personnel still working to apprehend the perpetrator,” Demuth said in a statement.
U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar said she and Hortman were good friends who started in politics around the same time.
“I still remember the two of us going door to door in her first legislative campaign,” Klobuchar wrote in the statement. “She was a true public servant to the core, dedicating her life to serving Minnesotans with integrity and compassion. As Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives, she led efforts to protect women’s rights, invest in clean energy, and secure free school lunch for kids. She was beloved by her colleagues.”
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Klobuchar thanked the “brave law enforcement officers” who are working on the case and to protect Minnesotans.
“Let me be absolutely clear: this was an act of targeted political violence, and it was an attack on everything we stand for as a democracy. We must all condemn it. And we must refuse to be a country where anyone is silenced by threats or violence,” she said.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said, "... through all the ups and downs of public life, Melissa never lost sight of what's right, and always stood on the side of fairness, and of justice."
"The Attorney General's Office will do whatever it can to assist law enforcement in their investigation," Ellison said in a statement.
Ken Martin, former head of the Minnesota DFL who was recently elected as chair of the Democratic National Committee, said Hortman wasn’t only a leader, “she was a damn good legislator and Minnesotans everywhere will suffer because of this loss.”
“Melissa, Mark, John, and Yvette — these are not just names, and this is not just politics. These are people. They’re longtime friends to me and Jenn and so many others in Minnesota. They have children, loved ones, neighbors, and friends,” Martin said.
U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, a Republican from Iowa, posted on the social media platform X about the shootings.
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"Violence is never the answer. I hope suspect is caught & swiftly brought to justice," Grassley wrote.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., released a joint statement alongside the entire Minnesota Congressional Delegation -- (Delegation: U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and U.S. Representatives Brad Finstad (R-Minn.), Angie Craig (D-Minn.), Kelly Morrison (D-Minn.), Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Michelle Fischbach (R-Minn.), and Pete Stauber (R-Minn.):
“Today we speak with one voice to express our outrage, grief, and condemnation of this horrible attack on public servants,” they said in the statement. “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.”
As the news reverberated around Minnesota, local leaders have also spoken out about the shootings.
Duluth Mayor Roger Reinert said, “There is no room for political violence in Duluth, or in Minnesota. This is not how we solve problems here, and it’s not how we get our ideas across. Today is an opportunity for each of us to ask ourselves, are we doing things to help combat this growing trend, or contribute to it?"
Although law enforcement encouraged caution when attending "No Kings" rallies held around the state, some protests went on Saturday.
The rally in Rochester began with a moment of silence to acknowledge the shootings.
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Walz ordered flags to fly at half-staff in remembrance of Hortman.
Some lawmakers around the state have also reported having law enforcement stationed outside their homes. Sen. Aric Putnam, DFL-St. Cloud, and Rep. Dan Wolgamott, DFL-St. Cloud, both reported officers are stationed outside of their homes on Saturday morning.
"It's a really sad day," Putnam told St. Cloud LIVE, adding it's a chance to reflect on how people treat one another.
Rep. Jim Joy, R-Hawley, said Hortman’s “presence at the Capitol left a meaningful and lasting imprint on our state. Her voice, her passion, and her commitment to public service will not be forgotten.” He added he continues to pray for the Hoffmans as they recover.
“This evil must be condemned without hesitation. Political violence has no place in Minnesota or anywhere in America,” he said.
"I am numb with shock and sick with grief at the assassination of my friend and mentor, Melissa Hortman, and her husband Mark,” state Rep. Dan Wolgamott, DFL-St. Cloud, said in a statement. “Melissa taught me so much about making laws, serving constituents, and how to be a true public servant. I will miss her and Mark so much.”
Wolgamott said legislators will honor her memory by “refusing to be intimidated by political terrorism” and work hard to “improve the lives of Minnesotans.”
The Trust Project
