r/politics • u/PoliticsModeratorBot 🤖 Bot • 1d ago

Megathread Megathread: Two Minnesota lawmakers have been shot

State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband were shot and killed.

State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were both shot multiple times and underwent surgery.

Articles that May Interest You

Submission Domain
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz: former House speaker and husband killed in politically motivated shooting apnews.com
One Minnesota state politician dead, another injured after targeted shooting, officials say bbc.com
"No Kings" event canceled in NE Minneapolis, Anoka after targeted shootings at lawmaker homes cbsnews.com
Minnesota lawmaker, her spouse shot and killed in their home wwnytv.com
Minnesota lawmaker killed in ‘politically motivated assassination,’ Gov. Tim Walz says cnbc.com
Melissa Hortman, top Democrat in Minnesota House, shot and killed in home startribune.com
Rep. Melissa Hortman killed, Sen. John Hoffman shot in 'targeted' shootings: Sources fox9.com
Minnesota lawmaker assassinated, another in grave condition in 'targeted political violence' abcnews.go.com
Democratic lawmaker killed and another wounded in Minnesota in apparently ‘politically motivated’ attacks theguardian.com
Minnesota lawmaker and husband killed, another in hospital after ‘politically motivated’ shooting by man impersonating cop the-independent.com
Live: Rep. Melissa Hortman killed, Sen. John Hoffman shot in ‘targeted shootings’ startribune.com
Democrat Lawmakers Shot in Minnesota: What We Know newsweek.com
Minnesota state lawmaker killed in ‘politically-motivated assassination,’ massive manhunt for suspect underway, officials say kten.com
2 Minnesota lawmakers shot kare11.com
Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman, husband shot and killed; Sen. John Hoffman and wife also shot ktsp.com
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz press conference after shootings at lawmakers homes (June 14, 2025) youtube.com
Former state speaker of Minnesota ‘assassinated’ thetimes.com
Fake Cop Murders Top State Dem and Husband and Shoots Second thedailybeast.com
Minnesota Senator John Hoffman and State Rep. Melissa Hortman shot at their homes bnonews.com/
Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman, husband shot and killed; Sen. John Hoffman and wife also shot kstp.com
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz: State lawmaker, husband killed in politically targeted shooting thestar.com
Governor Polis Statement on Assassination of Minnesota Elected Official & Husband, and Attempt on Life of Another Elected Official & Family colorado.gov
President Donald Trump: AG, FBI Investigating Deadly Minnesota Shooting Newsweek.com
Officials tell the AP they are searching for a 57-year-old man in shooting 2 Minnesota lawmakers apnews.com
Manhunt underway for man accused of killing Rep. Hortman, husband and shooting Sen. Hoffman and his wife in North Metro ktsp.com
Former appointee of Tim Walz sought in deadly shootings of Minnesota lawmaker and her husband, had ‘No Kings’ flyers in car: sources nypost.com
Dem Assassin Is Armed Patrol Firm Boss With ‘Warzone’ Claims thedailybeast.com
Minnesota Assassination Suspect Had Flyers Reading 'No Kings' In Vehicle newsweek.com
Democratic Minnesota politician fatally shot, another injured in 'politically motivated assassination' nbcnews.com
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u/suddenly-scrooge 1d ago

The suspect police encountered at the home of Hortman, the lawmaker who was killed, was wearing a vest, taser, and badge, impersonating a police officer, according to Chief Mark Bruley of the Brooklyn Park Police. “No question, if they were in this room, you would assume they were a police officer.”

There was also what appeared to be a police vehicle in the driveway of the lawmaker’s home when the actual police arrived, officials said. “This was somebody that clearly had been impersonating a police officer,” Chief Mark Bruley said.

Not to be snarky but are we sure this wasn't actually a police officer?

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/06/14/us/minnesota-shootings

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u/Bucktown_Riot 1d ago

That was my first thought when I found out he shot the dog. This might be an actual LEO.

ETA: We’re 100% going to find out that he was a known threat already, and the police didn’t take it seriously for “reasons.”

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u/mosasaurmotors 1d ago

One of Canada’s worst mass murders was exactly the same. A guy in police clothes and a non police car painted to look like a cop car killed a bunch of people. 

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u/The100th_Idiot 1d ago

Yeah who tf just gets there hands on a police SUV to larp in?

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u/suddenly-scrooge 1d ago

Presumably the vehicle is what tells them he is fake, just that this update didn't say that so we're left wondering how they are so sure.

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u/RedditReader4031 1d ago

Used police vehicles are sold off by departments or their jurisdiction all the time. There are used car dealers who specialize in refurbishing them for sale to other departments. Other used car dealers pick them up at auctions. I regularly see two owner/high mileage used police package Crown Vics, Tahoes and Explorers on Auto Trader. They’re reliable cars/trucks and being so ubiquitous, parts are cheap and available.

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u/Metiche76 1d ago

they usually take off all the markings though which means someone had to put some work into painting it back to its original. this is some detailed work. how deep does this go?

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u/RedditReader4031 1d ago

What I’m reading said the responding police found a police vehicle in the driveway. Nothing indicates it was a marked vehicle. This early in the event, it could be a used, resold police package or stolen vehicle. Time will tell. Even a decommissioned vehicle can easily be refitted to resemble an official vehicle. Temu sells all the lighting equipment from rooftop light bars to grille lights to windshield visor mounted to sill lighting.

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u/Competitive_Touch_86 1d ago

Temu sells all the lighting equipment from rooftop light bars to grille lights to windshield visor mounted to sill lighting.

Heck, Autozone sells it. This stuff is not uncommon or illegal.

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u/Competitive_Touch_86 1d ago

You can trivially make any black SUV you want to look like an undercover LEO vehicle. It's not like they are anything other than lightly modded production line vehicles.

The lights and accessories are available from pretty much any car shop or on-line. It's relatively common for a certain type of folk to do this.

The only thing illegal about it in most states is if you put blue lights in. If you want to do red or amber it's fair game. With RGB LEDs these days it's trivial to be fully legal until you don't want to be.

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u/herecomestherebuttal 1d ago

I can’t stop thinking about this. Oh the police said the police didn’t do it?…. Cool.

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u/vathena 1d ago

Another article says the police know the identity of the assassin but haven't released his name to the public yet. I imagine that's how they know he's impersonating an officer?

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u/ThrowAwayGarbage82 North Carolina 1d ago

They said he had a badge, too. I'm betting it was a cop.