A Minnesota State Senator and his wife were critically wounded and a former House speaker and her husband killed in a targeted shooting allegedly carried out by a heavily armed anti-government extremist.
At a Glance
- Melissa and Mark Hortman were shot and killed outside their home.
- Senator John Hoffman and his wife were also shot and remain hospitalized.
- The alleged shooter is Vance Boelter, a former state legislative IT worker.
- Authorities found survivalist bunkers and weapons at Boelter’s property.
- Federal prosecutors have charged Boelter with murder and attempted murder.
A Targeted Act of Domestic Terror
On June 14, former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were gunned down outside their Brooklyn Park home. Minutes later, State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were also shot as they arrived for a scheduled meeting. Authorities allege the assailant, Vance Boelter, lay in wait in a nearby vehicle, firing multiple rounds before fleeing.
Hoffman and his wife survived but remain in intensive care. Hortman, once a prominent Democratic leader in the state legislature, was pronounced dead alongside her husband at the scene. The attack stunned Minnesota’s political community and set off a manhunt that ended hours later at Boelter’s fortified rural compound.
Watch a report: FBI Reveals Motive Behind Lawmaker Shooting.
A Violent Ideology Exposed
Federal documents filed in U.S. District Court allege that Boelter maintained an arsenal of firearms, tactical gear, and survival supplies in what agents describe as an underground “prepper complex.” The FBI affidavit outlines his anti-government writings, encrypted communications, and use of drones to surveil political figures.
At arraignment, prosecutors revealed Boelter’s prior employment in the Minnesota House IT department, suggesting he used insider knowledge to track his victims. The courtroom was placed on lockdown as Boelter refused to enter a plea and was ordered into federal custody pending psychological evaluation.
Boelter’s wife told People Magazine she was “completely blindsided” by the attack, though admitted they had long prepared for “civil collapse” and owned multiple firearms. She has not been charged but remains under investigation.
National Attention to Prepper Extremism?
The massacre has drawn national attention to the rising threat of politically motivated violence by extremist “preppers.” Lawmakers are now demanding heightened surveillance and legal tools to identify and intervene against lone-wolf actors radicalized by anti-government ideologies.
Memorial services for the Hortmans are scheduled this weekend, as a shaken legislature prepares for what may be a long reckoning.
