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A man posing as a police officer shot and killed a Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband John Hoffman in a brazen attack at their home early Saturday, and a second lawmaker and his wife were wounded in a separate shooting in what Governor 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.

Two people familiar with the matter identified the suspect being sought as 57-year-old Vance Boelter. The people could not publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Federal Laws Set the Baseline

  • Background checks are required for purchases from licensed dealers.
  • Certain people (example-felons, domestic abusers) are banned from owning guns.

State Laws Vary Widely

  • Some states (like California) have strict laws; others (like Texas) are more permissive.
  • Rules on assault weapons, magazine limits, waiting periods, and age requirements differ by state.

Concealed and Open Carry

  • Concealed carry is legal in all states, but permits and training vary.
  • Open carry is allowed in many states, with different restrictions.

Debates Focus on Key Issues

  • Hot topics include assault weapon bans, red flag laws, background check loopholes, and mass shootings.

Gun Ownership Is High

  • Over 390 million guns are in circulation, with about 1 in 3 U.S adults owning one.
  • Gun rights and regulations remain a major political and cultural issue.

Gun violence in US surges

The pre-dawn Minnesota killings come amid a surge in US political attacks in recent years, underscoring the dark side of the nation's deepening political divisions. Planned anti-Trump demonstrations in Minnesota organized nationwide by the "No Kings" coalition have been cancelled following the shootings, the group said.

US President Donald Trump said he was briefed on the "terrible shooting that took place in Minnesota, which appears to be a targeted attack against State Lawmakers." "Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America. God Bless the great people of Minnesota, a truly great place!" he said in a statement.

Gunman shot multiple times: Walz

Democratic state assemblywoman Melissa Hortman, a former assembly speaker, and her husband, Mark, were shot dead in their home in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Park, Walz and law enforcement officials told reporters. Her official website says they have two children. Walz said that the gunman went to the Hortmans' residence after shooting Senator John Hoffman and his wife multiple times in their home in the nearby town of Champlin. They underwent surgery, Walz said, adding that he was "cautiously optimistic" that they would survive "this assassination attempt."

Targeted violence

"This was an act of targeted political violence," he said. "Peaceful discourse is the foundation of our democracy. We don't settle our differences with violence or at gunpoint." Law enforcement officials said the gunman attacked the Hoffmans at around 2 a.m. CDT (0700 GMT) and then drove about five miles to the Hortmans' residence. Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said that a "very intuitive" police sergeant who responded to the Hoffman attack asked colleagues to "proactively" check the Hortmans' residence.

(With inputs from agency)