Minnesota 'No Kings' protest cancelled as manhunt launched for shooting suspect

A 57-year-old man posing as a police officer shot and killed a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband in a brazen attack at their home early Saturday, and a second lawmaker and his wife were wounded in a separate shooting in what Gov. Tim Walz described as “targeted political violence.”

Police were searching for the gunman responsible for the attacks on the Democratic legislators.

Writings found inside a fake police car recovered at one of the shooting scenes mentioned the names of multiple lawmakers and other officials, Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said.

Melissa Hortman, a former Minnesota House Speaker, and her spouse were shot and killed early Saturday in their Brooklyn Park home.

A second state lawmaker, Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, were shot multiple times in Champlin. Officials say both Hortman and Hoffman were mentioned in the suspect's writings.

State Patrol Col. Christina Bogojevic asked people “out of an abundance of caution” not to attend any of the “No Kings” protests that were scheduled for across the state on Saturday.

Bogojevic said authorities didn't have any direct evidence that the protests would be targeted, but said the suspect had some “No Kings” flyers in their car. Organisers announced that all of the protests across the state were cancelled.

Hours after the shootings, hundreds of police and sheriff deputies from departments in the region, some in tactical gear with assault style weapons were scattered through the town. Occasional police roadblocks where cars are stopped and checked.

Walz said Hortman and Hoffman were deliberately targeted.