MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — People living near two Minnesota state lawmakers who were targeted by a gunman early Saturday morning say they’re shocked over what transpired in their neighborhood.
Investigators say a man impersonating law enforcement gunned down Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark inside their home. The suspect is also believed to have shot State Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette.
Police have identified the alleged shooter as Vance Boelter. Investigators say they found a list of names in Boelter's car that identified many lawmakers and other officials who may have been additional targets. Boelter remains at large as of Saturday evening.
Check out: Neighbors of Minnesota lawmaker shooting victims speak
"Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were shot and killed in the early morning hours in what appears to be a politically motivated assassination," Governor Tim Walz said.
As neighbors begin to emerge from their homes, they're still trying to process the tragedy that unfolded in their community.
"It's a tragedy, she was a lovely person," said Carolyn Walter, who recalled conversations with Hortman about gardening and, occasionally, politics.
"She’s a Democrat, I'm a Democrat and we chatted politics a little bit," Walter said.
Another neighbor, who asked to be identified only as Mike, woke up to the sound of helicopters over the neighborhood before learning two of his neighbors were dead.
"A very nice lady,” Mike said of Hortman. “It's a tragedy. You hate to see stupid people do stupid things for probably what we will find out to be stupid reasons," Mike said.
Evidence of the attack on Senator Hoffman's home in Champlin, Minnesota is visible from outside, with bullet holes marking the front door of the residence.
Dennis Manke, who lives next door to the Hoffmans, didn't hear the gunfire but is struggling to understand the violence.
"No one deserves what happened to the Hoffmans and Hortmans," Manke said.
For residents like Malca Bialke, who lives near the Hortmans, the loss is deeply personal.
"It's so heartbreaking for me to know that there's a family there and is lost to us," Bialke said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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