Governor Walz reports Minnesota legislator and spouse killed in politically motivated attack

A Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband were shot and killed overnight in what Gov. Tim Walz said was a “politically motivated assassination.”

The Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) Speaker Emerita Melissa Hoffman and her spouse were victims of a shooting incident in Brooklyn Park, where the perpetrator pretended to be a police officer.

Another shooting related to the incident occurred in Champlin, where DFL Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were also shot, as reported by sources from FOX 9. Fortunately, they are expected to recover from the injuries sustained and have successfully undergone surgery.

The suspect, who was dressed in black body armor over a blue shirt and blue pants, engaged in a shootout with the police who responded to the scene. However, he managed to escape and was believed to be posing as law enforcement, according to an alert issued.

Emerita Melissa Hoffman and Sen. John Hoffman were shot overnight. Their spouses were also shot. (Fox 9)

Walz said this morning that had activated the State Emergency Operations Center.

“The Minnesota Department of Public Safety and local law enforcement are on the scene,” Walz wrote on X.

“Local law enforcement in Champlin and Brooklyn Park have the full resources of the State of Minnesota behind them,” he wrote on a follow-up post. “We are monitoring the situation closely and will share more information soon.”

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.