Two politicians and their respective spouses have been shot in their homes in Minnesota, USA.
Two people are dead.
An intensive hunt is currently underway for the suspected shooter – who is said to be dressed as a police officer.
State Senator John Hoffman and local congresswoman Melissa Hortman have been shot in their homes in the city of Minneapolis in the early morning, American time.
Their respective spouses have also been shot, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz says at a press conference.
– An unimaginable tragedy has happened, he says.
Tim Walz confirms at the press conference that Melissa Hortman and her husband have died in connection with the shooting.
State Senator John Hoffman. Photo: X
– She is irreplaceable and will be missed by so many, says Tim Walz.State Senator John Hoffman and his wife are still alive and are currently being treated in hospital. The injuries are serious after the couple was shot several times.
Shot at police
The suspected perpetrator is said to have been dressed as a police officer and was driving a police car.– It looked exactly like a police SUV with blue lights. He was wearing both a vest and had a police badge, says Police Chief Mark Bruley at the press conference.
However, he emphasizes that the person is not a police officer.
The man is said to have first shot Hoffman and his wife, and then driven to Melissa Hortman's home in a nearby area to shoot her and her husband to death.
When police arrived at Hortman's home, they encountered the perpetrator - who opened fire on the officers and managed to escape.
Police warning: Do not open the door
The perpetrator's car, however, remained, and is said to have contained a manifesto and a list of several names that police believe are targets, reports The New York Times.
An intensive manhunt is currently underway to catch the perpetrator, along with the FBI, among others.
The local police chief is urging residents in the Brooklyn Park area to stay inside and not answer the door if a lone police officer knocks.
Walz calls the murders and attempted murders "targeted political violence".
Both politicians represented the local Democratic party DFL, Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.
US President Donald Trump describes the shooting as "horrible", and sees it as a "targeted attack on lawmakers".
“Our Attorney General Pam Bondi and the FBI are investigating the situation, and they will prosecute all those involved to the fullest extent of the law. Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America,” he said in an official statement on X.
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