We were just beginning to gather the group for our protest march, when we listened to Governor Walz’s announcement about the murders last night.
Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans said the Hoffmans were shot around 2 a.m.
The second shooting, at the Hortman home, happened around 3:35 a.m., with police at the scene exchanging gunfire with the suspect before the suspect fled the scene.
Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said officers did their “due diligence” to check on Hortman’s home after learning that a lawmaker had earlier been attacked.
“When they arrived at Melissa’s house, they noticed that there was a police vehicle in the driveway with the emergency lights on and what appeared to be a police officer at the door coming out o the house. When our officers confronted him, the individual immediately fired upon officers, which exchanged gunfire and the suspect retreated back into the home.”
The manhunt for the suspect, who was impersonating a police officer, is ongoing and involved “hundreds and hundreds” of officers. The suspect fled through the back door of the home and he is on foot and at large.
The suspect was driving a vehicle that looked “exactly like a police vehicle” and they were wearing a vest with a Taser and police badge. Inside the suspect’s vehicle was a manifesto that identified “many lawmakers and other officials,” including Hortman and Hoffman.
“No question that if they were in this room you would assume that they were a police officer,” Bruley said, acknowledging that investigators have “people of interest that they are looking for.”
“This is a dark day today for Minnesota and for democracy,” Minnesota Department of Public Safety Superintendent Bob Jacobson said.
The two homes were 8 miles apart. There is no doubt that this was an intentional, targeted, political assassination of Democratic lawmakers. They’ve at least seized the cowardly criminal’s car, so we’ll probably learn his identity soon enough.
The protest march went ahead as planned. About a hundred people, a remarkably large event for our little town, marched peacefully and legally through the town. This isn’t notable except that the goddamned chickenshit state police were using the violence as an excuse to shut down rallies all across the state.
State officials are urging Minnesotans to refrain from attending political rallies Saturday amid the backdrop of shocking political violence in the state.
“Given the targeted shootings of state lawmakers overnight, we are asking the public to not attend today’s planned demonstrations across Minnesota out of an abundance of caution,” the Minnesota State Patrol wrote on X.
Walz echoed the message in his own post, writing:
“Out of an abundance of caution my Department of Public Safety is recommending that people do not attend any political rallies today in Minnesota until the suspect is apprehended.”
No. Ten thousand times no. This is precisely the time when we have to stand up against political violence.
And we did.
Just got home from my local protest. Went well. Lots of honks of support.
And one lone MAGAt dragging his flag and hurling schoolyard insults until he left with his tail between his legs.
I’m about ready to stop calling them MAGAts and start calling them maggots. Except maggots are useful. Then again, Tolkien’s orcs called each other maggots, so…
wow, I’m so horrified and sorry. Also the NE Minneapolis protests were cancelled due to a shelter in place.
our small town had 500+ people – 5% of the population! – plus lots of support from passing drivers.
I’m wondering about the perp, but I won’t voice my speculation/fear before more data comes out…
I’m in the lockdown area in Brooklyn Park. Pretty quiet here except that a few hours ago a couple of officers walked through our yard. I was hoping to go to the rally at the Capitol in St. Paul.
Just as I was writing this another officer with a dog went through my garden.
@ #5
Could be looking for the suspect in hiding. I really hope they catch that guy much sooner. Please, by all means, DON’T let those cowardly terrorists win!
UPDATE: Via CNN: “The suspect in the assassination and attempted assassination of two Minnesota lawmakers has been identified as Vance Boelter, two law enforcement officials briefed on the case tell CNN. Boelter is 57 years old and according to a law enforcement official, he works for a security company, Praetorian Guard Security. The company website says that Boelter serves as the director of security patrols and has had training by people in the US military.”
GET ‘EM, BOYS, GET ‘EM!!
“State officials are urging Minnesotans to refrain from attending political rallies Saturday amid the backdrop of shocking political violence in the state.”
oh look an actual heckler’s veto (or i guess in this case a murderer’s veto). wouldn’t it be nice if anyone remembered or cared that that’s not a constitutionally sound limitation of the 1st amendment.
“he works for a security company, Praetorian Guard Security.”
why is this all so fucking on the nose. like, i’m not going to look it up but what’s the chances these imperial guard wannabes had a fasces in their company logo.
“Law enforcement found a hit list in the Minnesota suspect’s car that contained nearly 70 names, a law enforcement official briefed on the matter told CNN.
The names included abortion providers, pro-abortion rights advocates, and lawmakers in Minnesota and other states, the official added. Law enforcement also found a Father’s Day card addressed to the suspect in a bag full of ammunition, the official said.”
Apparently this is a Christo-fascist domestic terrorist Minnesota’s now dealing with.
It’s state jurisdiction, but Trump will find a way to pardon the murderer as a federal offense.
Wouldn’t be surprised to see law enforcement finding him dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, knowing that he’s on the verge of getting caught with no chance of ever getting a pardon from that Stupid Idiot.
Now the Right is claiming that he was a Democrat because Walz appointed him to a non-partisan committee years ago. I think his hit list tells us what his political leanings are.
Wanna see true Americans in action?
San Diego No Kings
https://bsky.App/profile/muellershewrote.com/post/3lrllwbc6rk2x
Philadelphia No Kings
https://x.com/Mollyploofkins/status/1933934794787942426
The life of the fetus is sacred, unless it grows up into a Democrat.
It sounds like Mr. BrightBulb took his work vehicle to commit crimes.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but I wouldn’t be too surprised if he had put your name on it as well. Are you safe?
link
Has anyone heard of this?
@18 Reginald Selkirk
Our USAID dollars at work!
Just as I was writing this another ICE thug with a dog went through my garden.
Apparently Boelter was a part time preacher. His facebook account has been deleted. He has written evangelical books.
https://web.archive.org/web/20110205133952/http://revoformation.com/
Not any more, thanks to Harris losing the election.
Remember? Not that long ago, it was.
Let’s ask the BubbleBot:
Since returning to office, Donald Trump has overseen the near-total dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Over 5,200 of its 6,200 programs—more than 80%—have been terminated. These cuts span global health, education, food security, and climate resilience initiatives.
Key impacts include:
– HIV/AIDS treatment: Programs like PEPFAR, which once supported millions with antiretroviral therapy, have been slashed, leading to treatment disruptions and reported child deaths in places like South Sudan.
– Malnutrition and disease: Internal estimates warned of up to 160,000 malaria deaths and 200,000 additional polio cases over a decade if cuts proceeded.
– Indigenous rights and environmental protection: Longstanding support for Indigenous communities, such as those in the Peruvian Amazon combating deforestation, has been rescinded.
– Education and refugee aid: Scholarships for Afghan women and clinics for marginalized groups have been shuttered.
The remaining 18% of programs have been transferred to the State Department under Secretary Marco Rubio, with oversight from the Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk. Critics argue the move prioritizes ideological alignment over humanitarian need. Legal challenges are ongoing.
—
Anyway, not surprising to see how very happy you seem that those USAID dollars no longer are at work.
Reginald Selkirk@16–
He didn’t take his work vehicle because he was stupid. It was part of his MO pretending to be police and his work vehicle had lights and sirens and looked like a law enforcement vehicle. I bet he knew all along he wasn’t going to get to everyone on his extensive list and wasn’t worried about being identified.
Anyone who contracts a security service called Praetorian Guard for protection is too stupid to live.
ABC
I just got home from our local protest.
I haven’t seen that many people at a demonstration since the Vietnam war.
It was huge, in the thousands, and probably 3-5% of the population that it drew from.
Also very festive. Live music, an outdoor lawn game area for children, etc.,
People were high energy but the whole scene was calm and relaxed.
Even age distribution for once, a lot of older people down to little children.
No counter protesters or police in sight.
Except towards the end.
After a lot of people had left, some guy dressed as a soldier showed up. Meaning wearing all military style camouflage. He pulled out a…confederate flag.
A few seconds later, a couple of people came out of nowhere, grabbed the flag and ran.
He just stood around while the crowd moved away from him.
Which might have been stupid of him or not. Vastly outnumbered but then again, he might have had a gun and if anyone confronted him…bang, self defense.
The police showed up 10 minutes later and I’m sure someone in the crowd called it in.
They talked to him and he left.
I’m pretty sure they told him to leave.
I think I’ve seen him around before.
There is a paramilitary militia around here and they occasionally get together and dress in their uniforms and look scary. These are actual real neo-Nazis.
Glad I was there. No kings, no fascists.
Update.
I just checked a local internet group.
They know who he is.
It is a local white supremacist racist group.
[good on you, raven]
I didn’t see any counter-protestors at the local meeting, but that’s because only about four showed up and the main protest was over a mile long. I’ve heard similar results from other protests: even deep red states like Idaho and Florida got massive protests and the counter-protests were mostly single to double digits in turnout.
I wouldn’t call that a “dismal way to start,” I’d call it another stark reminder of why we all have to march.