Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, released their first statement after being shot last week by a gunman accused of murdering Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, the same day.
In the statement, the two describe having attended the Humphrey Mondale dinner on June 13th, returning home that evening to their daughter, Hope. Around 2 a.m., they woke up to pounding on the door and a man identifying himself as a police officer. All three were in the entryway when the door opened, with John getting hit nine times as he lunged toward the gunman. That’s when Yvette stepped in to push the attacker out and shut the door. And while she was successful, she was shot eight times during her efforts.
“Hope then rushed to shut the door and secured the lock; she got to the phone and shared with the 911 operator that Senator John Hoffman had been shot in his home,” explained the statement, reported by KARE 11. “Her brave actions and quick thinking triggered the notice to public safety officials that a politically-motivated act was potentially underway."
As the Department of Justice explained, law enforcement was in the process of conducting a welfare check on the Hortmans when the attacker opened fire.
Boelter then traveled to the homes of two other Minnesota elected officials, still disguised as a law enforcement officer. Boelter did not manage to make contact with either of those officials or their families.
Next, Boelter drove to the home of Speaker Emerita and Representative Melissa Hortman. Meanwhile, local law enforcement, having heard of the shooting at the Hoffman residence, drove to the Hortman household to conduct a safety check. Upon arriving, officers saw Boelter’s car, a black Ford Explorer SUV designed to look like a law enforcement vehicle. It was equipped with police-style lights that were on and flashing. Officers saw Boelter, standing several feet from and facing the front door of the Hortman home. Moments later, Boelter fired several gunshots into the home, repeatedly striking Mr. Hortman. As Boelter did so, he rushed into the home and fired several additional shots, repeatedly striking Representative Hortman. Officers provided medical aid to the Hortmans and attempted to pursue Boelter, who abandoned the SUV and fled, initially, on foot. Both Hortmans died from their wounds.
Law enforcement searched Boelter’s SUV and recovered five firearms, including semi-automatic, assault-style rifles, a large quantity of ammunition, and several notebooks filled with handwritten notations. Those notes listed out the names of dozens of Minnesota state and federal elected officials. The notes often identified those officials’ home addresses. (DOJ)
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The Hoffmans went on to thank first responders, the hospital workers who have cared for them as they recover, and those who have contributed to a GoFundMe to help them "pick up the broken pieces of our lives." John is in critical but stable condition, while Yvette was released from the hospital on Thursday.
"Choosing to work in the public sector, even in as limited a way as John’s career as a senator, has always meant sacrificing a level of privacy," they continued. "But now we are grappling with the reality that we live in a world where public service carries such risks as being targeted because someone disagrees with you or doesn’t like what you stand for. As a society, as a nation, as a community, we must work together to return to a level of civility that allows us all to live peacefully. The future for our children depends on that. We will be praying for that work and appreciate all those who will join with us."
The suspect, Vance Boelter, was apprehended Sunday evening after the largest manhunt in the state’s history. He was charged with second-degree murder, but the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said it intends to seek first-degree murder charges, carrying a mandatory life sentence without possibility of parole. He also faces six federal counts.
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