By Natalia Rueda 
Earlier today, Saturday, June 14, 2025, a politically motivated assassination in Minnesota resulted in the deaths of State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. In a separate incident perpetuated by the same gunman, Vance Boelter, the assassin left State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, critically injured. The assailant, impersonating a police officer and driving a vehicle resembling a police style cruiser, targeted the lawmakers at their homes in Brooklyn Park and Champlin, respectively.
As he exited the house of one of his victims, the gunman was actually intercepted, but exchanged gunfire with police and ran away. He remains a fugitive as authorities attempt to apprehend him. He remains at large, raising suspicions around prior planning and help.
In the suspect’s vehicle, authorities discovered a manifesto containing a list of names, including those of Hortman and Hoffman, indicating a premeditated attack . Governor Tim Walz condemned the shootings as an “unspeakable tragedy” and a “politically motivated assassination,” emphasizing the need to stand against political violence . A shelter-in-place order was issued in Brooklyn Park as law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, continue the manhunt for the suspect, who remains at large.
Additionally, the suspect had “No Kings” protest pamphlets, suggesting the intent to attack individuals at these events. As a result, local events that were set to denounce Donald Trump’s attempts to rule as a monarch were canceled.
Political Tone As Context
As the country reels from the intense amount of uncertainty around executive enabled state terrorism, many link the assassin’s behavior to the overall tone of far right MAGA republicans. Numerous communities in Southern California have also reported harassment from individuals wearing ICE or federal authorities style gear. Thus, the conclusion being that fringe and paramilitary groups are being brought into the fold of law enforcement activities and even more radical behaviors condoned.
Relatedly, on the topic of right wing extremism, numerous state level attorney generals have noted a reduced amount of cooperation and prioritization from federal level officials. Almost all priorities and resources have been shifted by Stephen Miller to the issue of immigration, paving the way for fewer and fewer agents to monitor far right wing extremist terror attacks, like today’s assassin attacks.