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A massive search continued Sunday for a man suspected in the fatal shooting of Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, and a separate shooting attack on another state lawmaker and his spouse, authorities said.

The manhunt for 57-year-old Vance Boelter stretched into its second day following Saturday’s twin attacks in Champlin and Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, and the discovery in the suspect’s vehicle of an alleged target list of dozens of Minnesota Democrats, including Gov. Tim Walz, U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith and state Attorney General Keith Ellison, according to law enforcement sources.

The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to Boelter’s arrest.

“Right now we are asking the public if you do locate him, if you see him, to call 911. Do not approach him. You should consider him armed and dangerous,” Superintendent Drew Evans of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said at a Saturday-evening news conference.

Sources tell ABC News that authorities searching for Boelter have found a “vehicle of interest” in Sibley County, outside Minneapolis, along with “personal items” believed to be associated with him. There are now many teams of law enforcement officials searching the area, sources said.

The suspect’s wife was detained for questioning after a traffic stop near Onamia late on Saturday morning, multiple law enforcement sources told Minnesota ABC News affiliate KSTP. She was released without being arrested, according to KTSP, which reports it’s unknown why her vehicle was stopped.

Boelter is suspected of gaining entry to the lawmakers’ homes by disguising himself as a police officer, even arriving at the victims’ home in a vehicle that looked like a police cruiser equipped with flashing emergency lights, officials said.

The shootings unfolded around 2 a.m. Saturday, when Minnesota State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were both shot multiple times at their home in Champlin, Minnesota, authorities said.

Soon after the shooting at the Hoffmans’ home, state Rep. Hortman and her husband, Mark, were shot and killed at their home in Brooklyn Park, according to authorities.

Police believe the suspect opened fire on the victims while wearing a latex mask, sources said.

Following the shooting at Hoffman’s residence, officers were sent to Hortman’s home to check on her well-being, officials said. As officers arrived at the residence, they encountered the gunman at around 3:35 a.m. The suspect and the officers exchanged gunfire before the suspect escaped, flee on foot and leaving behind his fake police car, where investigators found his target list, authorities said.

Two associates of Sen. Hoffman and his wife told ABC News on Sunday that the couple was awake and out of surgery.

Yvette Hoffman is conscious and “doing relatively well,” and John Hoffman is alert and recovering from a collapsed lung, the associates said. One source estimates that Sen. Hoffman was shot multiple times.

“Everybody is cautiously optimistic,” one of the sources said.

Boelter – a husband and father, according to an online biography – has touted an extensive background in security and military training, according to an ABC News review of his online presence and professional history.

Boelter helped lead the private security firm Praetorian Guard Security Services, which is based in the Twin Cities area, according to the company website.

ABC News’ Josh Margolin, David Brennan, Emily Shapiro, Jack Moore, Luke Barr and Mike Levine contributed to this report.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(BROOKLYN PARK, MN) — Authorities said they’ve identified 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter as a suspect as they search for the gunman who allegedly shot and killed a state representative and shot and wounded a state senator in a targeted act of violence early Saturday.

Authorities said they’re still investigating if Boelter knew the victims in Saturday’s shooting: State Rep. Melissa Hortman and State Sen. John Hoffman.

“There’s certainly some overlap with some, you know, public meetings, I will say, with Sen. Hoffman and the individual,” authorities said.

Police released this photo of Boelter taken on Saturday.

Dozens of Minnesota Democrats were on a target list written by the gunman, according to law enforcement sources.

The Minnesota Democrats on the list included Gov. Tim Walz, U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith and state Attorney General Keith Ellison, according to law enforcement sources familiar with the matter.

Police said the list — which was retrieved from the suspect’s vehicle — also named Hortman and Hoffman. Both victims are Democrats and Hortman was formerly the Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives.

The shooter’s list of potential targets also included the names of abortion providers and pro-choice activists, several sources told ABC News. Many of the Democratic lawmakers on the list have been outspoken about pro-choice policy positions, two sources said.

Security resources have been dispatched to protect those people named on the list, authorities said. The Capitol Police said it’s “working with our federal, state and local partners.”

The shootings began around 2 a.m. Saturday when Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were both shot multiple times at their home in Champlin, Minnesota, authorities said.

“We’re cautiously optimistic they will survive this assassination attempt,” Walz said at a news conference.

After Hoffman was shot, officers headed to pro-actively check on Hortman, who lived in the nearby town of Brooklyn Park, police said.

Around 3:35 a.m., the officers found the suspect — who was dressed as a police officer — coming out of Hortman’s house, police said.

The suspect fired at the officers; gunfire was exchanged and the suspect was able to escape and flee on foot, authorities said.

Hortman and her husband, Mark, were both found fatally shot at the house, police said.

The suspect’s vehicle — which looked like a police vehicle, including police lights — was in Hortman’s driveway, authorities said, and the list of potential targets was found inside the car.

A manhunt for the gunman is ongoing. Brooklyn Park is under a shelter in place order, officials said

Walz said in a statement, “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 out state is strengthened by civil public debate. We must stand united against all forms of violence.”

“We will spare no resource in bringing those responsible to justice,” he added.

Walz warned, “out of an abundance of caution,” Minnesotans should not attend any political rallies in the state until the suspect is caught.

Fliers reading “No kings,” were found in the suspect’s car, authorities said. Thousands of “No Kings Day” protests are set to be held across the U.S. on Saturday to protest Trump’s administration and to counterprogram the military parade in Washington, D.C.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

ABC News’ Luke Barr, Mike Levine and Katherine Faulders contributed to this report.

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(BROOKLYN PARK, MN) — State Rep. Melissa Hortman and State Sen. John Hoffman, who were targeted by a shooter on Saturday, were longtime members of Minnesota’s state legislature who spent years working to improve their communities, according to leaders who knew them.

Hortman and her husband, Mark, were shot and killed at their home in Brooklyn Park early Saturday by a suspect who posed as a police officer, investigators said. They left behind two children.

Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were shot earlier in the morning by the same suspect inside their home at Champlin. The couple, who have a daughter, were rushed to a hospital and underwent surgery, Gov. Tim Walz said.

Authorities said they’ve identified 57-year-old Vance Boelter as a suspect as they search for the gunman.

Both state leaders were members of Minnesota’s Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), a state party affiliated with the Democrats.

Hortman, 55, nee Haluptzok, had the most experience in the state legislature. She earned a BA in political science and philosophy at Boston University and worked as an intern for then-Sen. Al Gore and later Sen. John Kerry, according to her campaign biography.

Hortman went on to earn a law degree at the University of Minnesota Law School in 1995 and clerked with Judge John Sommerville. She later earned an MPA from Harvard in 2018.

Outside politics, Hortman worked as a private attorney and volunteered her time in the local school board and Sunday school at Saint Timothy Catholic Church in Blaine. She first ran for office in 1998, for the State House of Representatives seat, but lost.

After another defeat for the same seat four years later, Hortman was elected to the state’s District 47B in 2004.

Hortman quickly rose through the ranks of the House, serving as assistant majority leader from 2007 to 2010 and as minority whip from 2011 to 2012. She championed many causes, including reproductive rights and environmental issues.

She also pushed for stricter gun control and attended events with gun control advocates, including Everytown for Gun Safety.

In 2017, she was named minority leader and became speaker in 2019 after the DFL gained a majority in the House. Hortman spearheaded efforts to pass police reform in 2020 following the George Floyd protests.

During this year’s session, the state House Republicans and the DFL engaged in a tense standoff over leadership after Republicans gained seats. A DFL boycott ended in February with a power-sharing agreement where Hortman retained the title of minority leader until a March special election created a tie in the House.

Hortman and her husband were married for 31 years. Mark Hortman worked as a program manager for nVent Electric, a company that specialized in electronics, particularly green electronics, according to his Facebook and LinkedIn pages.

Mark Hortman frequently posted photos and updates about his family on his Facebook page.

“A couple of weeks ago, I posted a video showing off how we taught our dog how to ring the doorbell when he wants to come inside. Well, now that dog has figured out that if he wants to play he rings the doorbell and then ding dong ditches us just to get us to come outside and play!,” he posted in 2023.

The couple attended the DFL’s annual Humphrey-Mondale Dinner at the Minneapolis Hilton on Friday, according to the Minnesota House DFL Caucus.

They were killed on the same day as the birthday of Melissa Hortman’s father, her sister, Lieza Jean Haluptzok, told ABC News.

“We loved them dearly; they will be missed. It’s a horrible thing. I hope they catch him. And they get justice for what happened. It’s devastating,” she said Saturday afternoon.

Hoffman, 60, was elected to the State Senate in 2012.

A Wyoming native, Hoffman earned a bachelor’s degree from Saint Mary’s University and spent several decades working for various Minnesota businesses and non-profits, according to his campaign bio page.

He was the co-founder of Consumer Credit of Minnesota, a non-profit consumer assistance organization, and served on the Anoka Hennepin School Board starting in 2005, his bio said.

In 2012, he won the state senate seat for District 34 and would win reelection three more times.

He served as the minority whip from 2017 to 2020 and is on the Senate’s Human Services committee.

“Throughout my career, I have been afforded many opportunities to assume progressive management roles, which have allowed me to gain and implement a unique set of expertise,” he wrote on his campaign page.

ABC News’ Mark Guarino contributed to this report.

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(BROOKLYN PARK, MN) — A Minnesota state representative and her husband were shot and killed, and a state senator and his wife were shot and wounded in an “act of targeted political violence” at their homes early Saturday, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said.

A manhunt is now underway for the gunman who was impersonating a police officer, authorities said.

State Rep. Melissa Hortman, a Democrat, and her husband were shot and killed in what appears to be a “politically-motivated assassination,” Walz said at a news conference.

Hortman, formerly the Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives, “was a formidable public servant,” the governor said of his friend. “She is irreplaceable.”

State Sen. John Hoffman, a Democrat, and his wife were both shot multiple times and underwent surgery, the governor said.

“We’re cautiously optimistic they will survive this assassination attempt,” Walz said.

The two shooting locations are a few miles away from each other in Champlin and Brooklyn Park, just north of Minneapolis.

Hoffman and his wife were shot around 2 a.m. in Champlin, Superintendent of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Drew Evans said.

After Hoffman was shot, officers were heading to pro-actively check on Hortman when they encountered the suspect at Hortman’s home around 3:35 a.m., Evans said.

The officers found a person who was dressed as a police officer — wearing a vest and a badge, and with a Taser and other equipment — at the door, coming out of Hortman’s house, police said.

The suspect fired at the officers; gunfire was exchanged and the suspect was able to escape and flee on foot, authorities said.

The suspect’s vehicle — which looked like a police vehicle, including police lights — was in Hortman’s driveway, authorities said.

A list of other possible targets was retrieved from the suspect’s vehicle, authorities said. Police said the list had “many lawmakers,” including the victims.

Security resources have been dispatched to protect those people named on the list, authorities said.

The gunman did say something to the victims, police said, but authorities did not reveal what that was.

President Donald Trump has been briefed on the shooting and said “such horrific violence will not be tolerated,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted on social media.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said she’s closely monitoring the situation.

“This horrific violence will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” she said in a statement.

House Speaker Mike Johnson also condemned the violence and said “every leader must unequivocally condemn it.”

Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin, formerly the Minnesota Democratic party chair, said he’s friends with both Hoffman and Hortman.

“Speaker Hortman was a leader in every sense of the word — from ushering in free lunch for our kids, to protecting women’s rights and reproductive care, to standing up for Minnesota families,” Martin said in a statement. “Melissa was also a close friend whom I’ve known since the very start of her political career. She was someone I personally relied on for advice, counsel, and friendship and I am beyond words. As I said many times when I introduced her at events, she is the very best Speaker of the House that Minnesota has ever had.”

“This senseless violence must end. These heinous murders are a reflection of the extremism and political violence that have been fomented in our country,” Martin said. “Today, we recommit ourselves to fight harder for the values that Melissa and Mark embodied — building a kinder, more just, and loving world. If this murderer thinks we will be silenced, he’s wrong.”

With the manhunt ongoing, police are urging community members to be cautious. Brooklyn Park is under a shelter in place order, officials said.

Police warned, if an officer comes to your door, call 911 to confirm that the officer is supposed to be there.

“Police are asking that no one open their door to a lone police officer,” the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office said. “Licensed officers are working in pairs.”

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(WASHINGTON) — The federal judge overseeing the case of Columbia University pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil ruled Friday that he won’t release him from government custody.

U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz sided with the government’s interpretation of his preliminary injunction and ruled that his order will not prevent the Trump administration from detaining Mahmoud Khalil on accusations that he misrepresented information on his green card application.

On Wednesday, Farbiarz issued a preliminary injunction barring the Trump administration from deporting or continuing to detain Khalil based on Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s determination that his continued presence in the country would pose a risk to foreign policy.

The judge stayed his injunction until 9:30 a.m. Friday, giving the Trump administration about 40 hours to appeal the decision.

In a filing Friday, Justice Department attorneys said that Judge Farbiarz’ preliminary injunction does not prohibit the government from detaining Kahlil on a second set of grounds — the allegation that he lied on his green card application — however rare his detention on those grounds may be.

Farbiarz, in his ruling Friday afternoon, ruled in the government’s favor.

“While the Court made a factual finding that it was unlikely that Khalil would be detained on another basis … the Court never held that it would be unlawful for Respondents to detain Khalil based on another charge of removability,” DOJ lawyers argued in their filing.

Farbiarz said Friday he was denying Khalil’s request for release, but said he may schedule a bail application with the immigration judge presiding over his case.

ABC News previously reported that DHS submitted several tabloids and conservative news articles in immigration court to make the case Khalil failed to disclose on his green card application that he was a “member” of the Columbia University Apartheid Divestment coalition, and that he misrepresented the amount of time he worked for the Syria Office in the British Embassy in Beirut.

Khalil’s lawyers submitted several declarations, including from U.K. embassy officials, corroborating information he submitted on his green card application. Additionally, his lawyers say that many of the articles the government is using as evidence of alleged wrongdoing and other deportable activities were published after his application was submitted. They have argued in immigration court that Khalil was a negotiator between CUAD, which is made up of dozens of on campus groups, and the university’s administration — and therefore couldn’t be a “member.”

Khalil, a green card holder who is married to an American citizen, has been held in a Louisiana detention facility since ICE agents arrested him in the lobby of his apartment building in New York City on March 8.

Immigration Judge Jamee Comans ruled in April that Khalil is deportable based on Rubio’s assertion that his continued presence and actions in the country pose an “adverse foreign policy consequence.”

But Judge Farbiarz subsequently issued an injunction against Khalil’s removal on those grounds — and also said in his ruling that lawful permanent residents, like Khalil, who are accused of making misrepresentations on their applications are “virtually never detained pending removal.”

Trump administration officials have said Khalil was detained for his purported support of Hamas — a claim his legal team has disputed.

In a memo filed in the case, Rubio wrote that Khalil should be deported because of his alleged role in “antisemitic protests and disruptive activities, which fosters a hostile environment for Jewish students in the United States.”

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(WASHINGTON) — In a court filing Friday, the Trump administration said it won’t release Columbia University pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil.

On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz barred the Trump administration from seeking to deport or continue to detain Khalil based on Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s determination that his continued presence in the country would pose a risk to foreign policy.

The judge stayed his injunction until 9:30 a.m. ET Friday, giving the Trump administration about 40 hours to appeal the decision.

In its filing Friday, the Justice Department attorneys said that Judge Farbiarz’ preliminary injunction does not prohibit the government from detaining Kahlil on a second set of grounds — however rare his detention on those grounds may be.

“While the Court made a factual finding that it was unlikely that Khalil would be detained on another basis … the Court never held that it would be unlawful for Respondents to detain Khalil based on another charge of removability,” DOJ lawyers wrote.

Khalil, a green card holder who is married to an American citizen, has been held in a Louisiana detention facility since ICE agents arrested him in the lobby of his apartment building in New York City on March 8.

In April, an immigration judge in Louisiana ruled that Khalil is deportable based on Rubio’s assertion that his continued presence and actions in the country pose an “adverse foreign policy consequence.” The judge has yet to rule on a second set of charges which stem from the Department of Homeland Security’s allegations that Khalil withheld information on his green card application.

But Judge Farbiarz said in his ruling that lawful permanent residents, like Khalil, who are accused of making misrepresentations on their applications are “virtually never detained pending removal.”

Trump administration officials have said Khalil was detained for his purported support of Hamas — a claim his legal team has rejected.

In a memo filed in the case, Rubio wrote that Khalil should be deported because of his alleged role in “antisemitic protests and disruptive activities, which fosters a hostile environment for Jewish students in the United States.”

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.