XPost: alt.fan.rush-limbaugh, sac.politics, alt.politics.immigration
XPost: or.politics, mn.politics
Bill Flatt <
bflatt32@gmail.com> wrote:
Minnesota Democratic state Representative Melissa Hortman and her
husband were shot and killed early Saturday morning in an act of
"targeted political violence," Governor Tim Walz said during a press conference Saturday.
Earlier this week, Hortman provided the sole Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Party vote on HF1, a bill amending the state's MinnesotaCare coverage eligibility.
The bill, which passed the House on June 12, enforces citizenship requirements to obtain the state's Medicaid program coverage, stripping
adult undocumented immigrants of publicly funded health care.
Why It Matters
Hortman and her husband, Mark, were pronounced dead Saturday morning
after a gunman posing as law enforcement arrived at their home in the
early hours and shot them. Walz called the shooting "a politically
motivated assassination."
The gunman, who remains at large, had targeted the home of another
Democratic lawmaker, state Senator John Hoffman, shortly before the
attack on the Hortmans. Hoffman and his wife Yvette were shot multiple
times and underwent surgery.
Walz, the Democratic nominee for vice president last year, said the
killing was politically motivated without elaborating.
Hortman provided the sole Democratic vote in Minnesota's lower chamber
to pass a Republican bill that would strip adult undocumented migrants
of state-funded healthcare. The bill passed the House in a 68-65 vote,
with Hortman's vote helping Republicans secure its passage, which left Hortman in tears.
The vote took place against an increasingly violent backlash to the
Trump administration's tough immigration policies. Protests in Los
Angeles erupted into rioting last weekend and "No Kings" protests were planned in cities across the country on Saturday, President Donald
Trump's 79th birthday.
Minnesota State Police said they had found "No Kings" flyers in the
suspect's car, and the "No Kings" protests across the state have been cancelled.
State Patrol Col. Christina Bogojevic asked people "out of an abundance
of caution" not to attend any of the "No Kings" protests that were
scheduled for across the state on Saturday, although she added that no
direct evidence showed the protests would be targeted.
Who Is Melissa Hortman?
Hortman, who was the House DFL Caucus Leader, had a distinguished career
in the Minnesota House. She previously served as speaker from 2019 until early 2025. First elected in 2004, she was in her 11th term.
Hortman was an attorney who earned her law degree from the University of Minnesota and a master's in public administration from Harvard
University's Kennedy School of Government. Hortman and her husband
shared two children together, Colin and Sophie.
She got her start in politics working for then-Senators Al Gore and John Kerry in Washington D.C. She is from the Twin Cities and grew up working
at her family's used auto parts company, according to The Minnesota Star Tribune.
Who Is John Hoffman?
Hoffman, also a member of the DFL Party, has held his seat representing
the 34th district since being elected in 2012. He served as minority
whip from 2017 to 2020, and currently is the chair of the Human Services Committee.
According to public voting records, Hoffman voted against the bill
amending Medicaid eligibility when it came before the state Senate. The
bill was presented to Walz on June 12.
Hoffman has one child with his wife, a daughter named Hope. He attended
St. Mary's College, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology,
and later obtained an advanced certificate in energy policy at the
University of Idaho.
What To Know
At approximately 3:45 a.m. local time on Saturday, the local Brooklyn
Park police were called and "proactively" went to Hortman's house
following a shooting at Hoffman's house earlier, Brooklyn Park police
chief Mark Bruley said at the press conference.
When police officers showed up at Hortman's house "they noticed that
there was a police vehicle in the driveway with the lights, emergency
lights on, and what appeared to be a police officer at the door coming
out of the house."
However, that individual was "not a real police officer, this is
somebody that clearly had been impersonating a police officer," Bruley
noted.
"When our officers confronted him, the individual immediately fired upon
the officers who exchanged gun fire," the police chief said. The
individual then escaped, believed to have escaped outside the back of
the house. Bruley also noted that the suspect drove a vehicle that
"looked exactly like an SUV squad car."
"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," Walz said.
"This is a dark day today for Minnesota, and for democracy," Bob
Jacobson, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety,
said during Saturday's press conference.
Prior to arriving at the Hortmans house, the gunman appeared at
Hoffman's house around 2 a.m. local time. Jacobson noted that the
"suspect exploited the trust of our uniforms, that our uniforms are met
to represent. That betrayal is deeply disturbing to those of us who wear
the badge with honor and responsibility."
What People Are Saying
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz wrote in a statement posted to X on Saturday afternoon: " Today Minnesota lost a great leader, and I lost a friend. A formidable public servant and a fixture of the state capital, Melissa
Hortman woke up every day determined to make our state a better place.
She served the people of Minnesota with Grace, compassion, and
tirelessness. 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."
"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," Walz wrote. "We must stand united against all forms of violence
- And I call on everyone to join me in that commitment. To the
responding officers, thank you for your bravery and your swift action. A State Bureau of criminal apprehension investigation is underway, and we
will spare no resource in bringing those responsible to justice. Will
not let fear win."
President Donald Trump in a post on the White House Press Secretary X
account 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!"
Mayor Justin M. Bibb, president of the Democratic Mayors Association
said in a statement obtained by Newsweek: "We are horrified and
devastated by the horrendous targeted shooting of Minnesota lawmakers, Senator John Hoffman and Representative Melissa Hortman, and their
spouses. We're holding them, their families, and all those impacted in
our thoughts and in our hearts, and praying for Senator Hoffman and his wife's recovery. Violence has no place in our politics or society."
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison wrote in a post on X: "The
Attorney General's Office will do whatever it can to assist law
enforcement in their investigation. My heart goes out to Melissa's and
Mark's two children and their families."
Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat, said in an X post Saturday:
"I am heartbroken and horrified by the tragic loss of Rep. Melissa
Hortman and her husband, Mark, who were taken from us in an act of
violence. Melissa was a good friend and we started in politics at the
same time and were always there for each other. She was a true public
servant to the core, dedicating her life to serving Minnesotans with integrity and compassion. Melissa's legacy will endure, but today we
grieve deeply. John's and my prayers are with their children, their
loved ones, and all who are mourning this devastating loss."
In a later post, Klobuchar wrote: "The governor is asking people in
Minnesota not to attend rallies today until this murderer is
apprehended. This is the right call for public safety. It isn't about
the rallies themselves...it's because there's a killer who knows no
limits who hasn't yet been apprehended and law enforcement is focused on keeping people safe."
Senator Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican, said in an X post Saturday: "Horrible news in our neighbor to the north/MN w the targeting of public servants Violence is never the answer I hope suspect is caught & swiftly brought to justice."
What Happens Next?
Anyone who sees any suspicious activity, "especially involving
individuals impersonating law enforcement, please report it
immediately," Jacobson said.
This remains an active investigation, and thousands of people have been
told to shelter in place in the city of Brooklyn Park.
The organizers of the "No Kings" protest in northeast Minneapolis has canceled the Saturday protest due to the shooting and subsequent shelter-in-place order.
"Right now, we are in an extensive manhunt involving hundreds and
hundreds of police officers and SWAT teams," officials said at the press conference.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/democrat-lawmaker-killed-days-after- contentious-vote-on-migrant-healthcare/ar-AA1GI8A8
The assassin, Vance Boelter, is known to be an anti-abortion right-wing extremist, a registered Republican. Plus he’s the owner of Praetorian Guard Security, giving him unfettered access to police grade equipment, which is
why he was able to impersonate law enforcement.
-hh
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