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Many Lawmakers Share Their Home Addresses. Political Violence Is Changing That.
The Minnesota assassination is causing some state legislators to rethink home security and how much personal information they make public.When an assassin visited the homes of two Minnesota lawmakers on Saturday, it exposed the longstanding tension between a public official’s accessibility and their security.Both State Representative Melissa Hortman, who along with her husband Mark was killed, and State Senator John A. Hoffman, who along with his wife Yvette was wounded, readily shared their home addresses with constituents. Ms. Hortman’s address was listed on her campaign website, and Mr. Hoffman’s address had been listed on his official legislative webpage, a common practice in many states.But in the hours after the shootings, while police officers were still searching for the assassin, lawmakers across the country began to rethink their approach to privacy and safety. The Michigan State Police held security briefings for legislators. The police in Fairfax County, Va., increased patrols around lawmakers’ homes. And in North Dakota, officials decided by midday Saturday to scrub home addresses from legislator biography pages.“In light of the tragedy in Minnesota, we quickly decided to remove all addresses until our leaders have time to assess the proper balance between transparency and safety of our elected officials,” John D. Bjornson, the director of the North Dakota Legislative Council, said in an email.In interviews with lawmakers across the country, some said sharing their home address helped reassure constituents that they were part of the community and could be easily reached. But unlike governors and presidents, most state lawmakers have no special security protection when they are away from work. The country’s coarsening public discourse has left them to weigh difficult trade-offs.“Part of the reason why my address is easily found is to make it clear that I actually live in my district,” said Stephanie Sawyer Clayton, a Democratic state representative in Kansas. “If you have a P.O. box, you don’t look authentic, right?”We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More
- in US Politics
Manhunt continues for suspect in shootings of Minnesota lawmakers
The hunt for the man suspected of shooting two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses while impersonating a police officer, killing one legislator and her husband, continued on Sunday more than 24 hours after the killings.Vance Boelter, 57, now on the FBI’s most wanted list, is believed to have left the Minneapolis region after allegedly gunning down Democratic state representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, at their home, according to CNN. Boelter is also suspected of shooting Democratic state senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, at their residence, gravely injuring them; a relative posted on Facebook that they were out of surgery and recovering.Authorities have disseminated photos of Boelter to border patrol agents in case he tries fleeing to Canada, CNN said.The Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar said on Sunday that authorities believe Boelter remains in the midwest. Klobuchar said on NBC’s Meet The Press that “he may be” in Minnesota and that law enforcement has issued an alert in South Dakota.“We believe he’s somewhere in the vicinity and that they are going to find him,” Klobuchar said. “But right now, everyone is on edge here because we know that this man will kill at a second.”An emergency alert was issued in Sibley county, which is approximately one hour from Minneapolis, around 12pm after Boelter’s vehicle was discovered, according to local Fox anchor Chenue Her. “Officials are telling residents nearby to take precaution as they continue searching for Boelter,” Her also reported.Klobuchar urged the public to be cautious if they see Boelter, warning they “should not approach him, that they should immediately call the tip lines and report”.View image in fullscreenPolice responded to a shooting at Hoffman’s house at about 2am local time, then went to check on Hortman, who lives approximately 9 miles away. When they arrived there around 3.30am they encountered Boelter, who was dressed as a police officer. They said he exchanged shots with them before escaping on foot.Hoffman’s nephew, Mat Ollig, told the Minnesota Star Tribune that both were recovering from surgery. In a Facebook post, Ollig said that Yvette saved their daughter’s life.“Early this morning, an absolute vile piece of shit dressed as a cop broke into my aunt and uncle’s house and shot him 6 and my aunt 5 times in a political act of terrorism. My aunt threw herself on her daughter, using her body as a shield to save her life,” Ollig wrote.“These two are the kindest, most giving and caring people I know. He went into politics to help people with disabilities get the care they need, and she works with young school children. They have always been there for me and everyone in our family and community.”Police said Boelter’s uniform might appear authentic to most people.Boelter also drove a vehicle that appeared identical to an SUV police squad car, said Mark Bruley, a local police chief. “It was equipped with lights, emergency lights, that looked exactly like a police vehicle, and yes, they were wearing a vest with Taser, other equipment, a badge very similar to mine, that, no question, if they were in this room, you would assume that they are a police officer,” Bruley said.Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota, said the murders appear “to be a politically motivated assassination”.The Federal Bureau of Investigation has offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to Boelter’s apprehension and conviction. He was added to the FBI’s most wanted list on Saturday.Before the attacks he reportedly contacted two friends by text message, which they read aloud to the Star Tribune: “I made some choices, and you guys don’t know anything about this, but I’m going to be gone for a while. May be dead shortly, so I just want to let you know I love you guys both and I wish it hadn’t gone this way.”He added: “I don’t want to say anything more and implicate you in any way because you guys don’t know anything about this. But I love you guys and I’m sorry for all the trouble this has caused.”Authorities reportedly said that Boelter left a list of potential targets at the shooting scene. Multiple outlets have reported that it included pro-choice lawmakers, as well as reproductive health clinics.“There clearly was some through line with abortion because of the groups that were on the list, and other things that I’ve heard were in this manifesto. So that was one of his motivations,” Klobuchar said.She also urged the public not to make any assumptions and allow investigators to work. “But again, they’re also checking out, did he have interaction somehow with these without legislators? Is there more to this?”The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that 11 lawmakers in the state of Wisconsin were also among the targets listed in Boelter’s alleged manifesto.Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader, said on MSNBC that he expects to convene with congressional leaders to discuss ramping up security for lawmakers across the country in the wake of the deadly attacks.“This should be another wakeup call amongst many that have happened over the last several years, including, of course, the violent attack on the Capitol that took place on January 6,” Jeffries said. More
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Like School Shootings, Political Violence Is Becoming Almost Routine
Threats and violent acts have become part of the political landscape, still shocking but somehow not so surprising.The statements of shock and condolences streamed in eerily one after another on Saturday after the assassination of a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband, and the attempted murder of another lawmaker and his wife.“Horrible news,” said Representative Steve Scalise, who was shot at a baseball game in 2017. “Paul and I are heartbroken,” said former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whose husband was bludgeoned with a hammer in 2022. “My family and I know the horror of a targeted shooting all too well,” said former Representative Gabby Giffords, who was shot in the head in 2011.Still more came from Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania (arson, 2025), Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan (kidnapping plot, 2020) and President Trump (two assassination attempts, 2024).“Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America,” the president said.And yet the expanding club of survivors of political violence seemed to stand as evidence to the contrary.Bullet holes in the door of State Senator John Hoffman’s home in Chaplin, Minn., on Saturday.Tim Gruber for The New York TimesIn the past three months alone, a man set fire to the Pennsylvania governor’s residence while Mr. Shapiro and his family were asleep inside; another man gunned down a pair of workers from the Israeli Embassy outside an event in Washington; protesters calling for the release of Israeli hostages in Boulder, Colo., were set on fire; and the Republican Party headquarters in New Mexico and a Tesla dealership near Albuquerque were firebombed.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More
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What We Know About the Suspect in the Minnesota Lawmakers Shootings
The suspect, Vance Boelter, was appointed more than once to the Workforce Development Board, where he served with State Senator John A. Hoffman, who was shot on Saturday.The man suspected of shooting two Democratic state lawmakers in Minnesota early on Saturday had served on a state board with one of the victims, records show.The suspect identified by the authorities, Vance Boelter, 57, was appointed several times by Minnesota governors to the Workforce Development Board, where he served with State Senator John A. Hoffman, who was shot and survived.Mr. Boelter and Senator Hoffman attended a virtual meeting together in 2022 for a discussion about the job market in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, minutes from the meeting show.Drew Evans, the superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said investigators did not yet know how well the two knew each other, if at all.Mr. Boelter was appointed to the board in 2016 by Mark Dayton, a Democrat who was then the governor. More recently, he was appointed by Gov. Tim Walz, also a Democrat. The board has 41 members who are appointed by the governor, and its goal is to improve business development in the state.A state report in 2016 listed Mr. Boelter’s political affiliation as “none or other,” and another report in 2020 listed him as having “no party preference.” Voters do not declare political affiliation when they register in Minnesota.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More
- in US Politics
The attacks on Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota: what we know
Early Saturday morning, Minnesota woke to the news of two targeted attacks on its lawmakers. A gunman killed the top Democratic state legislator, Melissa Hortman, and her husband, Mark, and injured another state legislator, John Hoffman, and his wife Yvette in the Minneapolis area.The suspect, Vance Boelter, remains at large.Here’s what we know about the violent incidents.The shootings appeared to be a ‘political assassination’Amid rising threats of political violence in the US, Democratic governor Tim Walz was quick to identify the shootings as politically motivated. The fact that both targeted state politicians, and that police soon found a “manifesto” in the shooter’s car, seemed to support that definition.The shootings occurred in two Minneapolis area neighborhoodsThe gunman targeted the two lawmakers in their homes in Brooklyn Park (Hortman) and Champlin (Hoffman).The FBI named Vance Boelter, 57, as the main suspect. He remains at largeVance Boelter, police say, impersonated a police officer to approach Hortman and Hoffman’s homes, where he shot the legislators and their spouses. Brooklyn Park’s police chief, Mark Bruley, said at a press conference that the suspect drove a vehicle that looked identical to an SUV police squad car.The FBI is currently offering a $50,000 reward in the search for Boelter, who has not been seen since this morning.Boelter was appointed by numerous Minnesota governors to the workforce development board, which is tasked with improving business development in the state. John Hoffman also served on the board, though it is unclear if they knew each other.Boelter is married, and runs a private security company with his wife, according to his LinkedIn page and the company website.The suspect’s motivations were politically charged and included anti-abortion sentimentsIn documents, Boelter listed his political affiliation as “none or other”, according to the New York Times, and later as “no party preference”.He had a list of around 70 other targets, including lawmakers such as US senator Tina Smith, a Democrat, as well as community leaders, doctors and Planned Parenthood sites.His roommate and best friend David Carlson told media outlets that Boelter was a devout Christian and staunchly anti-abortion. He said Boelter texted him that he would be dead shortly. He claimed Boelter was a strong supporter of Donald Trump.Minnesota saw some protests cancelled while others continued peacefullyWhile some Minneapolis demonstrations were cancelled after the violent incidents, others continued and were well attended, with signs showing support for Hortman and Hoffman.Minnesota’s state house is divided along stark political linesMinnesota’s house of representatives was evenly split between Republicans and Democrats before Hortman died. Democrats have a one-vote majority in the state senate.Police declared Brooklyn Park safe, but the search for Boelter remains under wayThe Brooklyn Park police department lifted a shelter in place order on Saturday afternoon and said Boelter was no longer thought to be in the area. The hunt for him remains under way. More
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Minnesota, Known for Bipartisan Civility, Reels After Attack on Lawmakers
Even as the national political discourse has grown hyperpartisan in recent years, Minnesota had kept a foothold on its own traditions.The assassination of an elected official is rare and shocking anywhere on American ground.Nowhere is it more jarring than in Minnesota, a state known for a singular political culture with high value placed on bipartisanship and a tradition of civic involvement that transcends ideology.“What happened today is simply incomprehensible and unimaginable, certainly in the context of Minnesota,” Norm Coleman, a former senator from Minnesota and former mayor of St. Paul, said in an interview on Saturday. He ticked off a list of Republican and Democratic politicians who had reached across the aisle — Hubert Humphrey, Tim Pawlenty and Amy Klobuchar. “It’s a history of people who tried to find common ground.”Authorities in Minnesota were still trying to capture the 57-year-old man who has been identified as the suspect in the shootings that took place early Saturday in the quiet suburbs of the Twin Cities. But they said that it was “politically motivated” act of violence, and that the suspect had papers in his car that indicated he may have been planning to target one of the “No Kings” protests taking place in the state or cities across the country on Saturday.Even as the national political discourse has grown hyperpartisan in recent years, Minnesota has kept a foothold on its own traditions, formed by a long line of politicians who were known for their openness and bipartisanship approach. Some lawmakers, including State Senator John A. Hoffman, a Democrat who was shot in the attacks overnight, still posted their home addresses online. State Representative Melissa Hortman, a Democrat, was killed in the attacks, along with her husband, Mark, and Mr. Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were seriously wounded.A SWAT and K9 team sweep the neighborhood near the home of State Representative Melissa Hortman of Minnesota in Brooklyn Park on Saturday.Tim Gruber for The New York TimesMinnesota, one of only three states with a legislature where control is split between Democrats and Republicans, consistently has higher voter turnout than any other state, with 76 percent of voting-age citizens casting ballots in the 2024 presidential election.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More
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Flood of tributes for Minnesota Democrat killed in ‘targeted violence’
Colleagues of Melissa Hortman paid tribute to Melissa Hortman, the top Democratic lawmaker in the Minnesota state house of representatives who was killed on Saturday, with Governor Tim Walz saying the state “lost a dear leader and I lost the dearest of friends”.Hortman was killed along with her husband, Mark, in what Democratic colleagues in the state described as an act of “targeted political violence”. Fellow lawmaker Josh Hoffman and his wife were also shot, reportedly by the same gunman, and are expected to survive.The former speaker of the chamber, Hortman, 55, was serving her 11th consecutive term as a state legislator when she was assassinated, apparently by a man impersonating a police officer, at her home in Brooklyn Park, a suburb north-west of Minneapolis.Hortman represented a reliably safe Democratic district in which she won re-election repeatedly by significant margins. She played a key role in passing recent legislation expanding abortion rights, legalizing marijuana for recreation, and requiring family and medical paid leave from employers.After Democrats and Republicans won an equal number of seats in the House last year, Hortman led a boycott of the early weeks of the legislative session while the results of two seats were challenged. A Republican, Lisa Demuth, then took over as speaker.Hortman was praised for her work ethic, negotiation skills and pragmatism. “She had a vision of what she wanted the state to be like, and she knew it was going to take a lot of work,” her former campaign manager Jerry Gale told the New York Times.Gale said Hortman worried about her safety: “I think it did cross her mind at times on the campaign trail,” he said.US senator for Minnesota Amy Klobuchar said she was heartbroken by the loss of her friend in a post on X.“Melissa was a good friend and we started in politics at the same time and were always there for each other,” she said. “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,” Klobuchar added.Hortman and her husband had two children, according to her state legislative biography. She entered politics after earning a degree in political science from Boston university; a law degree from Minnesota law school; and a master’s in public administration from the Kennedy school at Harvard. She also interned for former US senator Al Gore and served as a legislative correspondent for former senator John Kerry.Walz was the first to say that Hortman and her husband had been targeted in what appeared to be a “politically motivated assassination”.Ken Martin, chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), said in a statement: “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.“She led our state legislature with humor, grace, and determination to get things done for Minnesotans across the state.” More
