MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Friends and family of slain Minnesota Democratic lawmaker Melissa Hortman said the man who killed her failed to kill her spirit and drive, but he left many of them angry and traumatized
Fellow lawmakers and survivors of the shooting spoke Thursday at the sentencing hearing for Vance Boelter, the man who pleaded guilty last month to federal charges related to killing House Speaker Hortman and her husband Mark, as well as critically wounding state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette. They described the lasting fear and physical harm that Boelter caused.
Boelter, 59, agreed to plead guilty in June, almost a year after the Minneapolis-area attacks so federal prosecutors would not seek the death penalty; instead, he agreed to serve two consecutive life sentences, plus 40 years. Several of Hortman's in-laws said Thursday that it's a decision they disagreed with.
In court Thursday, Sen. Hoffman said they are constantly reminded of the extraordinary violence of that night, even in the mundane details of day-to-day life. He said they don't receive mail at home anymore, they installed solid steel doors, and that they have changed how they do everyday tasks because of their injuries.
“The defendant looked me in the eyes and pulled the trigger. The defendant looked at my wife and chose to do the same,” Hoffman said. "My wife and I now live with injuries. We live with our bodies remembering the gunfire.”
Yvette Hoffman said she has been too afraid to work since the attack in their home, and that she sees a therapist weekly to try to deal with those memories.
“I fought him, your Honor, with everything I had. And I finally got him out of our home. I will never forget looking down and watching my blood slowly stream down that white washing machine as I felt myself sinking to the floor,” she said.
Boelter admitted in court in June that he spent months identifying and stalking his targets, before driving to their homes in the middle of the night, disguised as a police officer, with the intention of killing them.
Democratic State Rep. Kristin Bahner was one of two other legislators whose homes Boelter visited that night, but she and her family were on vacation. Bahner said the shootings had left her shaken.
“I could not fathom why I was spared and (Hortman) was not,” she said. ”You failed because I carry her with me. In my mind and in my heart, she guides me.”
The killings sparked the largest police search in state history, causing panic, fear, and increased security and precautions. Elected officials faced escalating threats and political polarization that many worried would lead to more violence and attacks.
A presentencing memorandum submitted to the federal court in late June was sealed as of early Thursday, along with objections to that report.
But prosecutors and Boelter's defense team also submitted letters detailing their positions on the potential sentence.
“Vance Boelter committed an assault on democracy,” prosecutors wrote in their filing. “He shattered the lives of his victims. He terrified Minnesota’s public servants. He threatened police and pointed a gun at an officer. He viciously attacked the organs of Minnesota’s representative government.”
Boelter went to Hortman's home, wearing a tactical uniform and mask, about 3:30 a.m. on June 14, 2025. He rang the doorbell while shouting he was a police officer doing a welfare check, according to court documents.
Mark Hortman answered the door. Boelter gave him a fake name and badge number before requesting he summon Melissa Hortman to the door as well. He shot Mark Hortman multiple times before pushing into the house and shooting the lawmaker as she fled upstairs. Melissa and Mark Hortman were killed.
Boelter had already visited the Hoffmans' home that night, shooting and critically injuring the senator and his wife, according to police and court documents. Court documents said Boelter also went to two other lawmakers' houses that night. In one instance, no one answered the door, and in the other, Boelter was spooked when a police officer approached him in his car believing he was another officer.
Boelter also faces state charges, including two counts of murder, four counts of attempted murder, impersonating a police officer and animal cruelty. The Hortman family’s golden retriever was gravely injured in the shootings and had to be euthanized. Hoffman and his family filed a personal injury lawsuit against Boelter in April.
In a letter on the proposed sentencing, Boelter's attorney requested that he be sent to a federal prison in Florida, that he be allowed to work so he can pay restitution, and that he be allowed to participate in therapy and other in-person programs. The letter said Boelter had spent decades in food service and had experience in a handful of other fields.
“Mr. Boelter understands that his impending sentence means he will spend the rest of his life in prison. But the skill set he maintains from his diverse employment history makes him a strong candidate for programming, employment, and other opportunities at the Bureau of Prisons,” federal defender Manny Atwal wrote.
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Lauer reported from Philadelphia.
