Share and Follow
Left inset: Minnesota Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette Hoffman (Facebook). Right inset: Shooting suspect Vance Boetler (Minnesota Department of Public Safety). Background: Law enforcement at the home of Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman, who was also killed Saturday, June 14, 2025, after the Hoffman shooting, along with her husband (KMSP/YouTube).
The wife of Minnesota Sen. John Hoffman protected the couple’s daughter during the “politically motivated assassination” attempt at their home over the weekend — throwing herself “on top” of the woman and “using her body as a shield to save her life,” a relative says.
“[The daughter] was not hit,” Mat Ollig, nephew of Hoffman and his wife Yvette Hoffman, told local NBC affiliate KARE. The woman, Hope Hoffman, is in her 20s and was at the couple’s Champlin home when they were allegedly targeted by 57-year-old Vance Boetler in a pair of coordinated attacks on Hoffman and Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman, who was killed by Boetler early Saturday along with her husband after the Hoffman shooting.
“Early this morning, an absolute vile piece of s— dressed as a cop broke into my aunt and uncle’s house and shot him 6 and my aunt 5 times in a political act of terrorism,” Ollig wrote on Facebook Saturday in a since-deleted post, first reported by The Minnesota Star Tribune. “My aunt threw herself on her daughter, using her body as a shield to save her life. … I am beyond sick,” Ollig said.
Love true crime? Sign up for our newsletter, The Law&Crime Docket, to get the latest real-life crime stories delivered right to your inbox.
KARE reports that Hope, who was born with spina bifida, was a big reason why Hoffman went into politics, with the senator describing in the past how he wanted to be a voice for people with disabilities. Ollig brought this up on Facebook.
“He went into politics to help people with disabilities get the care they need, and she works with young school children,” Ollig said. “They have always been there for me and everyone in our family and community.”
Champlin Police responded around 2 a.m. Saturday to the Hoffmans’ home and found the couple with gunshot wounds, but alive. Boetler had allegedly moved on to the Hortmans’ Brooklyn Park residence and killed them at around 3:30 a.m., with officers responding minutes later and being met with bullets as Boetler exited and escaped on foot, according to officials.
Cops say Boetler was wearing police gear and a mask during the shooting attacks. A vehicle resembling a police SUV with flashing lights was found outside the Hortman home with a manifesto inside that included names of other targets.
Vance Boelter allegedly fled to a Minneapolis residence near 49th and Fremont afterward, where cops say he had rented a room part-time, local Fox affiliate KMSP reports.
Boetler allegedly texted two roommates of his, telling them he had made some bad choices and may be dead soon, per KMSP.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz condemned the shootings at a press conference Saturday as acts of “targeted political violence.”
The list of individuals that was allegedly found in Boetler’s vehicle included nearly 70 names, with most being Democratic politicians or figures with ties to abortion rights. Minnesota lawmakers Rep. Ilhan Omar and Sen. Tina Smith were both on the list, according to KARE.
The suspect was still at large Sunday.
“I assure you that those responsible for this will be held accountable,” Walz said. “Each and every one of us are committed to making sure that a tragedy like this never repeats itself in Minnesota or across this country.”