UPDATE: Two Minnesota Lawmakers Shot, One Killed in Early Morning Attacks
Authorities say the shooter may have been impersonating a police officer.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – According to multiple media outlets, two Minnesota lawmakers, Rep. Melissa Hortman and Sen. John Hoffman, were shot inside their homes in Champlin and Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, in coordinated early-morning attacks.
Both are Democrats. Both lawmakers’ spouses were shot in the attacks as well.
The Brooklyn Park Police Department sent out a shelter-in-place notification for a three-mile radius around the Edinburgh Golf Course at 5:30 A.M. on June 14.
The suspect in question is a white man with brown hair wearing black body armor over a blue shirt and blue pants. He may be impersonating law enforcement, which is how he could have gained entry into the lawmakers’ homes. Authorities are telling people in the area not to answer their door for a police officer unless it’s two officers together, or call 911 to confirm the identity of the officer at your door.
Gov. Tim Walz is aware of the situation. He activated the state’s Emergency Operations Center and scheduled a news briefing for approximately 9:30 A.M.
No information is available regarding the condition of the lawmakers or their spouses at this time.
UPDATE: In his news briefing, Walz said that Hortman has died as a result of this attack, while Hoffman and his wife are out of surgery and Walz is “cautiously optimistic” about their prognosis.
