PinnedUpdated June 14, 2025, 4:21 p.m. ETLaw enforcement officials said they were searching for Vance Boelter, 57, in connection with the assassination of one Democratic state legislator in Minnesota and the attempted assassination of another on Saturday.State, local and federal police have flooded the Minneapolis suburbs searching for Mr. Boelter, and for hours have asked residents near one of the crime scenes to shelter in place. Officials said a gunman impersonating a police officer killed Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, on Saturday morning and wounded Senator John A. Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, in separate attacks at the lawmakers’ homes.The authorities said an assailant shot at police officers as they arrived at one of the lawmakers’ homes. Chief Mark Bruley of the Brooklyn Park, Minn., police said a gunman’s vehicle contained a manifesto and a target list with names of individuals, including the two lawmakers who were shot.“We must all, Minnesota and across the country, stand against all forms of political violence,” Gov. Tim Walz said.F.B.I. officials said they had joined the investigation. The Minnesota State Patrol urged people not to attend political protests on Saturday “out of an abundance of caution.” In a statement on social media, the agency posted a photo of papers on a car seat, including at least one with the words: “NO KINGS,” the name of the anti-Trump rallies scheduled across the nation. Though organizers of several protests said they were canceling their gatherings in Minnesota, thousands of people still gathered outside the State Capitol in St. Paul. Many carried American flags, and some held signs that read, “No Kings.”Ms. Hortman, a lawyer by training and a legislator for about 20 years, served as the speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives for a six-year period ending earlier this year. She helped Democrats pass several key policies on abortion rights, marijuana legalization, medical leave and other issues in 2023 and 2024, when her party briefly held full control of the state government.Mr. Hoffman, a fourth-term state senator from Champlin, another Minneapolis suburb, chairs the Senate’s Human Services Committee and has said he strives for “collaboration across the aisle.” His home address was published on his bio page on the Senate’s website.Bob Jacobson, the commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, said, “This is a dark day today for Minnesota and for democracy.”“We will not allow fear or violence to define who we are or how we move forward,” he added.Both houses of the Minnesota Legislature are closely divided. Before Ms. Hortman’s death, the House had been evenly split between Democrats and Republicans. Democrats have a one-person majority in the Senate.Here’s what else to know:Manhunt underway: Residents of Brooklyn Park, a suburb of Minneapolis where one of the attacks took place, were seen peeking outside their homes as law enforcement swarmed their neighborhood looking for the gunman.Protests were already planned nationwide: The attack in Minnesota came on a day when thousands of Americans were expected to protest President Trump’s policies, including his deployment of the military to respond to unrest, in cities across the country. The president was also scheduled to attend a military parade celebrating the Army on Saturday.Condemnations from across the political spectrum: Democratic and Republican officials spoke out against the violence. Senator Amy Klobuchar, Democrat of Minnesota, said, “It was an attack on everything we stand for as a democracy.” President Trump, who was the target of two attempted assassinations last year, said he had “been briefed on the terrible shooting that took place in Minnesota,” adding that “such horrific violence will not be tolerated.”Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs, Ernesto Londoño and Jonathan Wolfe contributed reporting.June 14, 2025, 4:45 p.m. ETMayor Hollies Winston of Brooklyn Park, Minn., said, “This individual did this to instill fear into our community.” The mayor said he had been encouraged by the range of people who had come together to offer support and search for the gunman.June 14, 2025, 4:33 p.m. ETGov. Tim Walz of Minnesota ordered flags in his state to half-staff in honor of Representative Hortman. “Today Minnesota lost a great leader,” said Walz, a Democrat. The Republican governor of South Dakota, Larry Rhoden, issued a similar order for flags at his state’s Capitol. “Violence has no place in our political system — and it must end,” he said.June 14, 2025, 4:29 p.m. ETJay SenterReporting from Brooklyn Park, Minn.The shelter-in-place order for Brooklyn Park, Minn., has been lifted. An emergency alert noting the expiration of the order says that the suspect is not in custody, but that there is “reason to believe he is no longer in the area.”June 14, 2025, 4:28 p.m. ETLexi Byler, a spokeswoman for Senator Tina Smith, said Smith was among the names on the gunman’s target list. The list also included abortion providers in the state, Ms. Byler said.June 14, 2025, 4:23 p.m. ETThe suspect had “some overlap” with Senator John Hoffman, according to Drew Evans, the head of the state’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. But, he added: “We don’t know the nature of the relationship or if they actually knew each other.”VideoCreditCredit...Minnesota Department of Public Safety, via ReutersJune 14, 2025, 4:21 p.m. ETSuperintendent Evans said there was no update on the condition of Senator John A. Hoffman, who was shot alongside his wife at their home overnight. The latest information, he said, was that Senator Hoffman was out of surgery and in stable condition.June 14, 2025, 4:19 p.m. ETOfficials shared an image of the suspect taken this morning in Minneapolis, indicating that he made his way out of the immediate vicinity of the crime scenes. Superintendent Evans said they believed Boelter remained in the Twin Cities area but may be trying to flee.June 14, 2025, 4:17 p.m. ETVance Boelter, the white male suspect in the shooting of two state politicians, was last seen this morning wearing a light cowboy hat, a dark, long-sleeve collared shirt and light pants. He is also carrying a dark bag, according to Drew Evans, the superintendent of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.June 14, 2025, 4:14 p.m. ETInvestigators have not ruled out the possibility that the suspect had accomplices in the shooting of two state lawmakers and their spouses. “We still don’t know if additional people are involved,” said Drew Evans, who leads the state’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.June 14, 2025, 4:12 p.m. ETSuperintendent Drew Evans of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said at a news conference that investigators were looking for Vance Boelter, 57, in connection with the attacks. He described Mr. Boelter’s appearance and urged people to call 911 if they see him, adding, “You should consider him armed.”June 14, 2025, 4:01 p.m. ETAt the rally outside the Capitol in St. Paul, Minn., several attendees said it was important to protest and show courage even on a frightening day. There were elderly people using walkers and children in the crowd.Credit...Stephen Maturen/Getty ImagesJune 14, 2025, 3:50 p.m. ETJay SenterReporting from Brooklyn Park, Minn.A black Ford Explorer has been loaded onto a tow truck from the driveway of the home of Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, and was escorted from the scene by law enforcement. The license plate reads “Police” and a light bar is mounted on the roof. Investigators have not discussed the S.U.V., but have said that the suspect drove a vehicle designed to impersonate law enforcement.Credit...Tim Gruber for The New York TimesJune 14, 2025, 3:46 p.m. ETThe Texas Department of Public Safety identified “a credible threat toward state lawmakers” who were planning to attend a protest in Austin on Saturday, the agency said in a statement. Out of an abundance of caution, the Capitol and surrounding grounds were evacuated around 1 p.m. local time and remain temporarily closed. A “No Kings” protest is scheduled for downtown at 5 p.m.June 14, 2025, 3:15 p.m. ETVideotranscriptbars0:00/1:41-0:00transcriptMinnesota Lawmaker Is Assassinated in Act of ‘Political Violence’State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, died in the attack at their home. The assailant also shot and injured another Democratic lawmaker and his wife, officials said.“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 early this morning in what appears to be a politically motivated assassination.” “My prayers also go out to State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, who were each shot multiple times. The Hoffmans are out of surgery at this time and receiving care, and we are cautiously optimistic they will survive this assassination attempt.” “I just remind residents of Brooklyn Park. I know it’s been a long time, but those that are in the grid that we gave the alert out to continue to shelter in place. We’re also reminding them that if somebody comes to the door and they knock on the door and claiming to be a police officer, please do a couple of things. One, call 911 and confirm that the officer belongs there. If they are a police officer, dispatch will be able to confirm that that person is a police officer. Also, we’ve informed all our officers in Brooklyn Park that they are not to approach anybody by themselves. They’re to approach in pairs, meaning two officers. So if there’s only one officer outside the door, do not answer the door and call 911.”State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, died in the attack at their home. The assailant also shot and injured another Democratic lawmaker and his wife, officials said.CreditCredit...Tim Gruber for The New York TimesOfficials in Minnesota were searching for the person who shot and killed State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband in their home and who also shot and injured another Democratic lawmaker and his wife on Saturday.The man suspected of attacking the lawmakers has been identified as Vance Boelter, 57, according to two law enforcement officials with knowledge of the investigation.While the motive for the shootings was still unknown, officials shared some information about the events surrounding the attacks, like the quick thinking of a police sergeant that led officers to a scene where they engaged in a shootout with an assailant.Here’s how the attack unfolded early on Saturday:At around 2 a.m., officers from the Champlin Police Department responded to a report of a shooting at a home in Champlin, a city in the Minneapolis suburbs. There they found State Senator John A. Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, injured with gunshot wounds. Emergency responders provided first aid on the scene and the two were rushed to the hospital, where they underwent surgeries. They survived the attack and remained under medical care on Saturday.Officers from Brooklyn Park, Minn., another nearby suburb that is about 10 miles away, assisted in the emergency response to the senator’s home, and a sergeant from that department became concerned after discovering that one of the victims was a politician.“In hearing that, that very intuitive sergeant asked our officers to go check on Melissa Hortman’s home, the representative that lives in our community,” said Chief Mark Bruley of the Brooklyn Park Police Department.Two Brooklyn Park officers drove to Ms. Hortman’s home at around 3:30 a.m., and when they pulled up at her street they were met with a strange sight: A police vehicle, or what appeared to be one, was already there, parked in the driveway with its emergency lights on.As the officers approached, a person who looked like a police officer — dressed in a blue shirt and pants, donning what looked like a protective vest, carrying a Taser and wearing a badge — was at the door and walking out of the house.When confronted by the officers, the person immediately opened fire. The police fired back and the person “retreated into Melissa’s home,” Chief Bruley said. It wasn’t immediately clear whether anyone had been shot in the confrontation.Officers moved to the entrance of the house and found her husband, Mark Hortman, on the ground, who “clearly had been struck by gunfire,” Chief Bruley said. They took a few steps inside the home, dragged Mr. Hortman out and tried to offer first aid. He was pronounced dead shortly after.More officers were called to the scene and they surrounded the house. A SWAT team arrived and sent a drone into the house, which helped them find the body of Ms. Hortman inside.The person who confronted them escaped on foot, officers said, and officials began a “large scale” manhunt on Saturday. Chief Bruley said that the shooter’s vehicle contained a manifesto and a target list with names of people including the two lawmakers who were shot.Officers said that they had “people of interest” who they were looking for, and that they had detained and questioned several people, but no one was in custody by early Saturday afternoon.June 14, 2025, 3:04 p.m. ETVance Boelter, the man identified as the suspect in the attacks on two lawmakers, is listed as the director of security patrols on the website of a Minnesota-based private security group. “We drive the same make and model of vehicles that many police departments use in the U.S.,” the website says. The police have said the suspect was impersonating a police officer and had what appeared to be a police vehicle.June 14, 2025, 2:44 p.m. ETGlenn ThrushReporting on federal law enforcementThe man suspected of attacking the lawmakers has been identified as Vance Boelter, 57, according to two law enforcement officials with knowledge of the investigation.June 14, 2025, 2:36 p.m. ETLaw enforcement vehicles near the home of State Representative Melissa Hortman, who was fatally shot in Brooklyn Park, Minn., on Saturday.Credit...Tim Gruber for The New York TimesThe man believed to have shot two Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota, one fatally, had papers in his car that indicated he may have been planning to target one of the “No Kings” protests taking place in cities across the country on Saturday.Minnesota state police posted a photograph of papers in the suspect’s car that had “NO KINGS” written on them. That’s the slogan for protests taking place in hundreds of cities that were organized by liberal groups to protest President Trump and his administration.Organizers of the protests said that they were canceling all of the planned events in Minnesota after a recommendation to do so from Gov. Tim Walz and other officials.Several thousand people had gathered outside of the State Capitol in St. Paul by early Saturday afternoon, about 25 miles from the shootings.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. pic.twitter.com/7hFccnrQUT— MN State Patrol (@MnDPS_MSP) June 14, 2025Governor Walz said that people should “not attend any political rallies” in the state until the suspect was taken into custody.The police said that the suspect had a list of targets and that both of the state lawmakers who were shot were on the list.The gunman impersonated a police officer, the authorities said, and killed State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, at their home before going to the home of State Senator John A. Hoffman and shooting him and his wife, Yvette. The Hoffmans are being treated at a hospital.Bernard Mokam and Ernesto Londoño contributed reporting.June 14, 2025, 2:15 p.m. ETA big crowd is gathered outside the State Capitol in St. Paul, Minn., for the previously planned “No Kings” protest against the Trump administration, which organizers have since canceled. Many are carrying American flags, and some are holding signs that read, “No Kings.” Some speakers paid homage to State Representative Melissa Hortman, prompting cheers.June 14, 2025, 2:01 p.m. ETAll “No Kings” protests against the Trump administration that were scheduled for today have been canceled throughout Minnesota, according to a statement provided by organizers.June 14, 2025, 1:56 p.m. ETOfficials in other states said they were checking in with legislative leaders on Saturday. Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois said, “I remain in close touch with Illinois State Police and all four leaders of the Illinois General Assembly as we monitor the situation in Minnesota.” Attorney General Dana Nessel of Michigan said, “My office will be in contact with legislative and elected leaders as we navigate this heartbreaking news.”June 14, 2025, 1:55 p.m. ETSenator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, said in a statement that the Capitol Police have increased security measures around Minnesota’s senators, Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, both Democrats, following his request.“I have also asked the Senate sergeant-at-arms and Leader Thune to convene a full briefing immediately when we return to D.C. on member security in light of this awful incident,” Schumer said, referring to Senator John Thune of South Dakota, the Republican leader.June 14, 2025, 1:51 p.m. ETJeff ErnstReporting from Champlin, Minn.There are what appear to be multiple bullet holes on a door at State Senator John Hoffman’s home. Most of the police officers are now leaving the scene.Credit...Jeff Ernst for The New York TimesJune 14, 2025, 1:46 p.m. ETJay SenterReporting from Brooklyn Park, Minn.Edinbrook Park, typically a site of weekend recreation in Brooklyn Park, has turned into a staging area for law enforcement. Police officers in full tactical gear have gathered around a mobile command unit. There are three armored SWAT vehicles on site.June 14, 2025, 1:37 p.m. ETGov. Tim Walz of Minnesota had planned to speak at the anti-Trump “No Kings” rally in St. Paul on Saturday, he said during an appearance at the Center for American Progress in Washington a day earlier. “The world is on fire under his watch,” Mr. Walz said. After the shootings, the governor urged residents to not attend the rally.June 14, 2025, 1:25 p.m. ETLaw enforcement personnel near the home of State Representative Melissa Hortman in Brooklyn Park, Minn., on Saturday. She was a top Democrat in the State Legislature.Credit...Tim Gruber for The New York TimesThe targeted shooting of two Democratic Minnesota state lawmakers on Saturday morning came days after the conclusion of an unusually acrimonious legislative session, where tensions over party dominance had turned into a legal dispute, and a narrowly divided statehouse struggled to agree on a two-year budget.State Representative Melissa Hortman, a top Democrat, and her husband, Mark, were fatally shot inside their home in Brooklyn Park early Saturday morning, in what the governor described as a politically motivated attack.State Senator John A. Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were also shot multiple times in an earlier attack by the same assailant. Mr. Hoffman and his wife remained alive on Saturday morning. A search is underway for the gunman, who officials said was impersonating a police officer when he carried out his attacks.Both state lawmakers who were shot served critical roles in the Minnesota Legislature as members of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, which functions as the state’s Democratic Party. Ms. Hortman served as speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives for a six-year period that ended this year, and she led her party’s push to retain power during the chaotic start to the session. Mr. Hoffman, a fourth-term state senator, chairs the Senate Human Services Committee.Before the shooting, Democrats and Republicans each held 67 seats in the lower chamber. Gov. Tim Walz could call a special election to fill Ms. Hortman’s position. Democrats hold a one-seat majority in the Senate.After last November’s election, Democrats and Republicans were tied for control of the lower chamber. But when a judge determined that one of the newly elected Democrats had not met the residency requirements to run for his seat, Republicans won a narrow majority and sought to capitalize on it.Minnesota Republicans used their temporary narrow majority to push several contentious bills, including one that would bar transgender girls from competing in girls’ sports and another that would limit the governor’s emergency powers. Those bills failed to pass but inflamed partisan tensions.That majority was short-lived because a Democrat won a special election for the newly vacant seat in March. Ms. Hortman had said in January that her members intended to stay away from the capital, holding off any business until Democrats regained the seat.House Democrats refused to show up in the State Capitol on opening day, but Republicans unilaterally continued business, choosing Representative Lisa Demuth as their House leader. House Democrats called the move outrageous and filed a lawsuit, asking the Minnesota Supreme Court to bar Republicans from conducting business.The chaotic start to the session underscored the challenges that Mr. Walz, a Democrat, faced on his return to Minnesota after he spent part of last year campaigning to be vice president.Without full control of the Legislature — which they had held the previous two years — Democrats faced significant challenges in passing their priorities. The Minnesota Senate was also closely divided.Lawmakers failed to pass a balanced budget when the session ended in May, leading Mr. Walz to call a special session.Lawmakers passed a $66 billion budget after a daylong special session, averting a partial government shutdown that would have begun in July.June 14, 2025, 1:03 p.m. ETNear the home of State Representative Melissa Hortman in Brooklyn Park, Minn., on Saturday.Credit...Tim Gruber for The New York TimesThe overnight shootings of two Democratic Minnesota state lawmakers and their spouses — which left one couple dead and another hospitalized — were the latest in a series of recent attacks on political figures that has shaken U.S. politics.Melissa Hortman, a state representative and the former speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives, and her husband died in the attack, while State Senator John Hoffman and his wife were each shot multiple times.The shootings come amid a wave of political violence that in the last year has included gunmen and arsonists targeting politicians in both parties, from state-level officials to a major-party presidential candidate.Most notably, last July, a gunman shot at Donald J. Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., grazing his right ear and killing a spectator. Two others were critically injured. Just over two months later, Secret Service agents traded fire with a man they called a second would-be assassin at one of Mr. Trump’s golf courses in Florida.Research into the prevalence of political violence in the United States is mixed. After the assassination attempts against Mr. Trump last year, researchers found that Americans’ support for partisan violence had dropped. And by some metrics, instances of political violence involving extremists have declined in recent years.But some studies have found that as the influence of extremist groups like militias has declined, people unconnected to such organizations have become more emboldened to carry out attacks, fueled by online engagement and social media.“Ideas that were once confined to fringe groups now appear in the mainstream media,” Rachel Kleinfeld, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, wrote in an academic journal several months after the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.“White-supremacist ideas, militia fashion and conspiracy theories spread via gaming websites, YouTube channels, and blogs,” she continued, “while a slippery language of memes, slang and jokes blurs the line between posturing and provoking violence.”Some surveys have found an uptick in support for political violence this year, and even a small number of people can have an outsize impact. Certainly, individual cases of high-profile violence have contributed to the feeling that partisan politics are more volatile than ever.This year, a man was charged with setting fire to the residence of Gov. Josh Shapiro, Democrat of Pennsylvania; another man gunned down a pair of workers at the Israeli Embassy in Washington; and the Republican Party headquarters in New Mexico and a Tesla dealership near Albuquerque were firebombed. The latter attacks came as rancor toward Elon Musk’s slashing of the federal government prompted a wave of arson and vandalism against Tesla dealerships.Just days ago, Daniel Hernandez Jr., a former Arizona legislator running for an open seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, reported that someone had shot at a staff member’s car outside Mr. Hernandez’s home in Tucson, which is also his campaign office. In 2011, he was an intern for Representative Gabby Giffords. When Ms. Giffords was shot in the head at a political event, Mr. Hernandez helped stanch the bleeding.On Saturday, Mr. Hernandez posted a video message on social media, at times growing emotional as he urged people to work to temper political vitriol and end gun violence. In an interview, he said he worried that political campaigns had become too personal, with politicians potentially contributing to the violence by focusing more on their opponents than on policy.“We’re at this very sad state in our politics where the rhetoric keeps getting worse and keeps getting more negative,” Mr. Hernandez said. “This is one of the sad realities, that my sister and I have had to have conversations about temporarily relocating because we don’t feel safe where we live.”The attacks have occurred against a backdrop of mounting threats against judges and lawmakers. In recent years, attackers have targeted former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her husband; a mayoral candidate in Louisville, Ky.; and Republican congressmen practicing for the annual Congressional Baseball Game.Congressional candidates’ spending on personal security has skyrocketed in recent years in the face of death threats, particularly against those Republicans who blamed Mr. Trump for the Jan. 6 attack.June 14, 2025, 12:45 p.m. ETThe lawmakers who were shot on Saturday morning in Minnesota were State Representative Melissa Hortman, the top Democrat in the House, and State Senator John A. Hoffman, a fellow Democrat and longtime lawmaker.Ms. Hortman, who was assassinated at her home in Brooklyn Park, Minn., was a lawyer by training and a legislator for about 20 years who served as the speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2019 to 2025. She represented a reliably Democratic district and routinely won re-election by more than 20 percentage points.She played a key role in passing a trove of bills during the 2023 session, when Democrats held a slim majority in the Legislature, including legislation that expanded abortion rights, legalized recreational marijuana and required employers to offer paid family and medical leave.This year, under Ms. Hortman’s leadership, Democrats in the House boycotted the early weeks of the legislative session amid a fight for control of the chamber. Voters last year left Democrats and Republicans with an equal number of seats in the House, but challenges to two of the elections won by Democrats created a period of uncertainty around which party would control the chamber.When those challenges were settled, Ms. Hortman agreed to let the top Republican in the House, Representative Lisa Demuth, serve as speaker.Colleagues have long praised Ms. Hortman’s work ethic, negotiation skills and pragmatism.Jerry Gale, Ms. Hortman’s campaign manager, said in an interview that she was a tireless campaigner who was passionate about recruiting fellow Democrats to run for office.“She had a vision of what she wanted the state to be like, and she knew it was going to take a lot of work,” Mr. Gale said.As the political rhetoric in the state grew more acrimonious in recent years, Mr. Gale said, Ms. Hortman worried about her safety.“I think it did cross her mind at times on the campaign trail,” he said. Her own style was not combative, however. On the campaign trail and in the Capitol, Ms. Hortman kept her remarks short, to the point and civil, he said.Ms. Hortman was married with two children, according to her state legislative biography. Her husband, Mark, was also shot and killed on Saturday.Sen. John A. Hoffman has served in the Legislature since 2013. Before being elected, he served as a member of the Anoka-Hennepin School Board for several years.Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota said the Hoffmans had both undergone surgery. “We are cautiously optimistic that they will survive this assassination attempt,” he said.Mr. Hoffman, 60, was born in Casper, Wyo., and formerly made a living as a marketing and public relations professional. He and his wife, Yvette, have a daughter. They live in Champlin, a suburb north of Minneapolis. His home address was published on his biographical page on the Senate’s website.Mr. Hoffman chairs the Senate’s Human Services Committee. He is a fourth-term senator, and won his most recent election by 10 percentage points.“A hallmark of my approach is collaboration across the aisle,” Mr. Hoffman wrote in a letter to constituents ahead of last year’s legislative session. “I firmly believe that the path to progress for our state involves considering input from all perspectives, regardless of which party holds the majority.”On his campaign website, Mr. Hoffman said he was particularly proud of his efforts to make it easier for people with disabilities to work. He also described himself as a conscientious steward of taxpayer dollars.