Minnesota lawmaker who survived shooting recounts night of attack

The Hoffmans said they were awakened around 2 a.m. by someone pounding on their front door and shouting, identifying himself as a police officer and demanding entry.

shooting
John and Yvette Hoffman/GoFundMe

Minnesota State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette Hoffman, have shared details about the shooting that occurred at their Champlin home on June 14, which left them wounded by multiple gunshots.

The couple has been hospitalized since the incident and are both in stable condition, though Mr. Hoffman’s condition remained critical, according to a statement released to multiple news outlets.

During the incident, the Hoffmans said they were awakened around 2 a.m. by someone pounding on their front door and shouting, identifying himself as a police officer and demanding entry.

When the door was opened, the couple and their adult daughter, Hope Hoffman, were in the entryway. The gunman pointed the weapon directly at Mr. Hoffman, who then lunged at the shooter. Mr. Hoffman was shot nine times.

“As John fell, Yvette reached out to push the man and shut the door, succeeding before she was also hit eight times by gunfire,” the couple said in the statement.

Hope Hoffman then rushed to shut the door, secured the lock, and immediately called 911. According to the statement, the daughter’s actions alerted public safety officials that “a politically-motivated act was potentially underway.”

The Hoffmans underwent surgeries following the shooting. They thanked the medical providers, first responders, and law enforcement “who worked so quickly, professionally, and selflessly to safeguard others and to apprehend the shooter.”

The couple also expressed their grief over the deaths of former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, who were killed at their home in Brooklyn Park on the same day.

“We are heartbroken to know that our friends Melissa and Mark Hortman were assassinated. Our daughter Hope and Sophie Hortman went to school together, and we know that they—along with Colin Hortman—will have each other’s support as we all work through the devastating consequences of that horrific night,” they stated.

The suspect, identified as Vance Boelter, was arrested on June 15 in what Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley has described as “the largest manhunt in the state’s history.”

Bruley said the officers dispatched to check on Hortman around 3:30 a.m. found what appeared to be a police car outside Hortman’s house with flashing lights. The suspect engaged in gunfire upon spotting the officers and then fled.

The police chief said that a search of the suspect’s vehicle uncovered a hit list.

“When we did a search of the vehicle, there was a manifesto that identified many lawmakers and other officials,” he said. “We immediately made alerts to the state. We took action on alerting them and providing security where necessary.”

Police officers eventually tracked the suspect to an area around 200th Street in Sibley County, Minnesota. Boelter was charged on June 16 with stalking and killing Hortman and her husband, as well as with stalking and shooting the Hoffmans.

Jack Phillips and Joseph Lord contributed to this report.

This article was originally published by The Epoch Times

 

Aldgra Fredly | The Epoch Times