Minnesota shooting: Wounded state senator, wife have deep Iowa ties
A Minnesota state senator and his wife who were wounded in a "politically motivated assassination" attempt early Saturday had deep ties to the state of Iowa.
Sen. John Hoffman, and his wife, Yvette, were injured at their Champlin, Minnesota, home — about 9 miles away from the scene of a shooting that killed and her husband, Mark.
The , 57, who works for a security company, Praetorian Guard Security. The company website says that Boelter serves as the director of security patrols and has had training by people in the US military.
The Hoffmans spent decades in central Iowa and were well-known community figures.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said at a news conference Saturday afternoon that the Hoffmans had both undergone surgery and are alive.
“The Hoffmans are out of surgery at this time and receiving care, and we are cautiously optimistic, they will survive this assassination attempt,” the governor said.
Hoffman co-founded West Des Moines Democrats
According to Ray Blase, he, Hoffman and Iowa state Sen. Claire Celsi co-founded the West Des Moines Democrats group because the region was a "Democrat desert" at the time. Blase says the effort kick-started a new era that helped Democrats gain momentum in the area. Celsi said Hoffman was also the organization's first chairperson.
"When I found out it was him, it was just an absolute shocking, awful, moment," Celsi said.
Radio station Star 102.5 confirmed to vlog that Yvette Hoffman is a former on-air personality listeners may remember as "Kelly Fox," a job she had from 1988 to 2001.
Celsi said the politically-motivated violence is sobering.
'"It really just knocks you just flat when you think about it, that somebody could actually target somebody like me," Celsi said. "It is honestly never crossed my mind because, I just see myself as a regular public servant, just doing my job and that nobody really thinks about me on a daily basis. Having this enter my consciousness that there could actually be a person out there that is somehow stalking me or wanting to kill me or wanting to hurt me, it just never entered my mind before."
Details of the Minnesota shootings
Police responded to reports of gunfire at the Hoffmans' home shortly after 2 a.m., Champlin police said, and found both with multiple gunshot wounds.
After seeing who the victims were, police sent officers to check on Hortman's home, where they encountered what appeared to be a police vehicle and a man dressed as an officer at the door, leaving the house.
"When officers confronted him, the individual immediately fired upon the officers who exchanged gunfire, and the suspect retreated back into the home" and escaped, Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said.
Multiple bullet holes could be seen in the front door of Hoffman's home.
President Donald Trump said in a White House statement that the FBI would join in the investigation.
"Our Attorney General, Pam Bondi, and the FBI, are investigating the situation, and they will be prosecuting anyone involved to the fullest extent of the law. Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America. God Bless the great people of Minnesota, a truly great place!"
Information from the Associated Press was used in this article.