(TJV) A shocking wave of politically motivated violence has rocked Minnesota’s political establishment after two coordinated shootings on Saturday left State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband dead, and State Senator John Hoffman and his wife seriously wounded.

As USA Today, The Associated Press, The Star Tribune, and TheBlaze reported, the suspect has been identified as Vance Luther Boelter, a former appointee to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s Workforce Development Council.

The political motive is tied to the anti-ICE movement and the “NO KINGS” far-left protests occurring nationwide over the weekend.  NO KINGS political literature was found in Boelter’s car. 

A recent vote placed by Hortman landed her on the far left’s radar.

 X reporter Colin Rugg noted, “shortly before Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman was shot and killed, she broke down in tears in front of cameras after siding with Republicans. Hortman was the lone Democrat who voted to cut health care access for adult illegal immigrants. “I did what leaders do… I stepped up and I got the job done for the people of Minnesota.”  

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz condemned the killings as a “politically motivated assassination,” mourning the death of Hortman—a longtime Democratic lawmaker and former Speaker of the Minnesota House—as “irreplaceable.” Speaking from the Capitol, Walz added: “She woke up every day determined to make this state a better place. We don’t settle our differences with violence or at gunpoint.”

REPORT: Shortly before Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman was shot and k*lled, she broke down in tears in front of cameras after siding with Republicans.

Hortman was the lone Democrat who voted to cut health care access for adult illegal immigrants.

“I did what leaders do… I… pic.twitter.com/tpqUe0LRaZ

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) June 14, 2025

Police say Boelter allegedly posed as a police officer, using a black SUV modified to look like a patrol vehicle and wearing a false uniform to gain entry into the homes. According to CNN, he shot and killed Hortman and her husband Mark early Saturday in Brooklyn Park. Just over an hour earlier, he allegedly attacked the home of Senator Hoffman in Champlin, leaving both Hoffman and his wife Yvette hospitalized after being shot multiple times.

As The Star Tribune reported, law enforcement discovered a manifesto in the suspect’s vehicle, naming several Minnesota lawmakers and officials. Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley stated that the manifesto included a “target list” and that the victims were among those specifically named. “This was not a real police officer,” Bruley emphasized. “This was a person clearly impersonating an officer, abusing the trust that comes with a badge.”

BREAKING: I’m told by a police source in Minnesota the suspect in the shootings of MN state lawmakers is Vance Luther Boelter.

It appears it is the same Boelter who was appointed to the Governor’s Workforce Development Board in 2019 by Gov. Tim Walz. He appointed to the… pic.twitter.com/r1wjWXs2lA

— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) June 14, 2025

Police confirmed that Boelter, who remains at large and is considered armed and dangerous, once held two separate appointments to the state’s workforce development boards—first by Gov. Mark Dayton in 2016 and then by Gov. Walz in 2019. As TheBlaze’s Julio Rosas pointed out, a notarized letter signed by Walz at the time read: “Because of the special trust and confidence I have in your integrity, judgment, and ability, I have appointed and commissioned you…”

As The New York Post reported, Boelter allegedly moved from the Hoffman home to the Hortman residence as part of what officials now believe was a premeditated campaign of violence. Police are urging citizens to remain vigilant as the suspect remains on the loose.

Adding to growing tensions, the Minnesota State Patrol issued an urgent public warning, asking residents to avoid planned “No Kings” anti-Trump protests scheduled across the state. Flyers bearing the phrase “No Kings” were found in the suspect’s vehicle, and as USA Today reported, authorities fear additional targeted violence may occur.

“The risk is simply too high,” a State Patrol spokesperson said. “Given the coordinated and politically targeted nature of these shootings, we are urging the public to stay home and remain alert.”

As media sources have pointed out, the broader implications are chilling: a former government appointee, allegedly radicalized and impersonating law enforcement, carried out targeted attacks on sitting legislators during a time of heightened political tension. The tragedy has sparked calls for renewed security protocols, public vigilance, and a recommitment to civil discourse in a dangerously polarized era.

Meanwhile, both John and Yvette Hoffman remain hospitalized but are expected to recover. The search for Boelter continues.