Minnesota lawmakers killed in politically motivated shootings

On Jun. 14, 2025, at approximately 2:00 a.m., Sen. JHJohn Hoffman and his wife were shot at their home in Champlin; both underwent surgery and were reported in stable condition.

Later that morning, a gunman disguised as a police officer fatally shot Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband at their Brooklyn Park home; a shelter-in-place order was issued at 5:30 a.m. for a 3-mile radius around the scene and later lifted.

Investigators identified 57-year-old VLVance Luther Boelter as the suspect; he carried a manifesto naming dozens of Democratic officials, “No Kings” flyers, and texted his roommates around 6 a.m., “I made some bad choices, I may be dead soon.”

Boelter had worked as director of security patrols at a private home-security company in the Twin Cities and served on 🦆Minnesota’s Governor’s Workforce Development Board from 2016–2018 and again from 2019–early 2023.

Organizers cancelled statewide “No Kings” events after flyers were found in the suspect’s vehicle, and security resources were dispatched to other officials named on the list.

The FBI offered a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to Boelter’s arrest and conviction.

Champlin and Brooklyn Park locations were about 5–6 miles apart; law enforcement warned residents not to open their doors to lone “officers” and to call 911 to verify any law-enforcement visit.