Melissa Hortman, leader of the Minnesota House DFL caucus, and her husband Mark were shot and killed at their home in Brooklyn Park. Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette were shot and wounded at their home in Champlin. The gunman, who approached both homes impersonating a police officer, was arrested after a two-day manhunt.
Investigators recovered notebooks from the suspect’s vehicle listing more than 45 Minnesota state and federal public officials, several accompanied by home addresses obtained through people-search websites. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension cautioned against describing the notebooks as a manifesto.
Vance Boelter pleaded guilty in June 2026 to all six federal counts, including stalking and murder through use of a firearm, and was sentenced in July 2026 to two consecutive life terms plus 40 years. Federal prosecutors said at sentencing that he had expressed disdain for the Democratic Party and understood that killing legislators in a closely divided legislature would shift the balance of power. Separate state charges, including first-degree murder, remained pending as of August 2026.