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Gone quiet · last update Oct 7, 2026 / Minnesota

The shootings of Minnesota lawmakers and the case against Vance Boelter

Overview · reviewed October 28, 2026

Early on June 14, 2025, a gunman who authorities say impersonated a police officer shot Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, then killed former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, at their home in Brooklyn Park, in what authorities described as a politically motivated plot against Democratic officials.[1][2][3] Vance Boelter was arrested after a manhunt, pleaded guilty to federal charges in June 2026 and was sentenced to life in prison.[2][4][5] He has pleaded not guilty to state charges, and that trial has been delayed until 2027.[6][7]

Read the timeline

Follow this story to see new developments when you return.

Vance Boelter was arrested after a manhunt, pleaded guilty to federal charges in June 2026 and was sentenced to life in prison.[2][4][5] He has pleaded not guilty to state charges, and that trial has been delayed until 2027.[6][7]

Coverage over time

Share of tracked outlets · weekly (UTC)

Week of 2025-06-09 (UTC): 14%, 28 of 199 tracked outlets (9 left, 12 center, 7 right)Week of 2025-06-16 (UTC): 20%, 24 of 118 tracked outlets (10 left, 11 center, 3 right)Week of 2025-06-23 (UTC): 13%, 18 of 137 tracked outlets (6 left, 8 center, 4 right)Week of 2025-06-30 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-07-07 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-07-14 (UTC): 11%, 20 of 184 tracked outlets (3 left, 6 center, 11 right)Week of 2025-07-21 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-07-28 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-08-04 (UTC): 9%, 17 of 194 tracked outlets (2 left, 2 center, 13 right)Week of 2025-08-11 (UTC): 7%, 13 of 181 tracked outlets (1 left, 1 center, 11 right)Week of 2025-08-18 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-08-25 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-09-01 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-09-08 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-09-15 (UTC): 8%, 16 of 191 tracked outlets (3 left, 4 center, 9 right)Week of 2025-09-22 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-09-29 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-10-06 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-10-13 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-10-20 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-10-27 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-11-03 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-11-10 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-11-17 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-11-24 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-12-01 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-12-08 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-12-15 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-12-22 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-12-29 (UTC): 5%, 9 of 166 tracked outlets (0 left, 1 center, 8 right)Week of 2026-01-05 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-01-12 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-01-19 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-01-26 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-02-02 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-02-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-02-16 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-02-23 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-03-02 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-03-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-03-16 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-03-23 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-03-30 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-04-06 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-04-13 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-04-20 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-04-27 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-05-04 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-05-11 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-05-18 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-05-25 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-01 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-08 (UTC): 7%, 13 of 200 tracked outlets (3 left, 5 center, 5 right)Week of 2026-06-15 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-22 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-29 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-07-06 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-07-13 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-07-20 (UTC): 11%, 64 of 562 tracked outlets (15 left, 29 center, 20 right)Week of 2026-07-27 (UTC): 2%, 11 of 561 tracked outlets (1 left, 1 center, 9 right)Week of 2026-08-03 (UTC): 4%, 22 of 537 tracked outlets (4 left, 6 center, 12 right)Week of 2026-08-10 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-08-17 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-08-24 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-08-31 (UTC): 2%, 10 of 475 tracked outlets (0 left, 1 center, 9 right)Week of 2026-09-07 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-09-14 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-09-21 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-09-28 (UTC): 3%, 12 of 476 tracked outlets (1 left, 2 center, 9 right)Week of 2026-10-05 (UTC): 3%, 12 of 479 tracked outlets (1 left, 2 center, 9 right)Week of 2026-10-12 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-19 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-26 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-11-02 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-11-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outlets, so far

LeftCenterRightLighter bar: this week so far

Each bar is the share of the outlets on our Left / Center / Right rating scale that we tracked publishing that week which carried reporting on this story, split by the outlets' ratings. We track more outlets now than in the archive, so a share keeps earlier and later weeks comparable. An outlet counts once a week however much it published, and outlets in one ownership or syndication group count as one on each side they appear on. A rating describes the outlet, not the report. A gap means no such reports were collected that week, not that nothing was reported anywhere. Weeks run Monday to Sunday in UTC, so a report published on a Sunday evening in US Eastern time counts in the next week. 3 more outlets off the scale (not rated, or outside the left-right graphs) also reported; they are not in this chart. See them.

Weekly counts, outlets and reports (15 weeks with coverage)
Outlets on the rating scale that carried this story each week, of the outlets tracked that week, newest first
Week of (UTC)LeftCenterRightOf trackedShareReceipts
Oct 5, 202612912 of 4793%
Sep 28, 202612912 of 4763%
Aug 31, 202601910 of 4752%
Aug 3, 2026461222 of 5374%
Jul 27, 202611911 of 5612%
Jul 20, 202615292064 of 56211%
Jun 8, 202635513 of 2007%
Dec 29, 20250189 of 1665%
Sep 15, 202534916 of 1918%
Aug 11, 2025111113 of 1817%
Aug 4, 2025221317 of 1949%
Jul 14, 2025361120 of 18411%
Jun 23, 202568418 of 13713%
Jun 16, 20251011324 of 11820%
Jun 9, 2025912728 of 19914%

Latest coverage

The newest reporting in this story's record.

  1. Oct 7, 2026 · first reported · Headline from KAAL Rochester

    Gag order lifted in Vance Boelter trial

Background

The attacks began about an hour before the Hortmans were killed, when Hoffman and his wife were shot multiple times at their home.[1] Police arrested Boelter the next night,[2] and authorities said the killings were part of a larger plot to kill Democratic elected officials.[2] His wife spoke out for the first time weeks later.[8] The public bid farewell to the Hortmans, and Melissa Hortman and her husband were memorialized at a funeral in Minneapolis.[9][10]

In July 2025 a federal Boelter on charges including murder,[3] and he pleaded not guilty in August,[11] facing a possible death sentence.[12] A that September decided control of the state House in Hortman's old seat.[13] In June 2026 he pleaded guilty to the federal charges,[4] and in July he was sentenced to life in prison after survivors and relatives of the victims spoke.[5] On state charges he pleaded not guilty in September,[6] first sought a speedy trial and then asked for a delay, and a judge moved the trial to next year.[14][7]

Supporting stories (14)
  1. 1 Minnesota lawmaker killed, 1 injured in targeted shootings. Here
  2. Vance Boelter, accused of assassination of DFL House leader Melissa Hortman, apprehended • New Hampshire Bulletin
  3. Federal grand jury indicts Vance Boelter in Minnesota lawmaker shootings
  4. Minnesota lawmaker shootings: Vance Boelter pleads guilty to all federal charges
  5. Minnesota lawmaker’s killer sentenced to 2 life terms plus 40 years
  6. Vance Boelter to make second appearance for state charges
  7. Vance Boelter's state trial delayed until May
  8. Wife of Minnesota suspect says she was ‘blindsided’ by shootings of state politicians
  9. Melissa Hortman, husband, dog to lie in state at Minnesota Capitol
  10. Funeral of Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark
  11. Suspect in shooting of Minnesota lawmakers pleads not guilty in federal court
  12. Hennepin County grand jury indicts Vance Boelter on first-degree murder charges
  13. Minnesota House returns to a tie in special election to fill Melissa Hortman’s seat
  14. Judge issues gag order in Vance Boelter’s state case

The full record

Each date is when an update was first reported.

All 22 recorded updates

October 2026

  1. Temporary gag order lifted in Vance Boelter state caseHeadline from Park Rapids Enterprise · 12 outlets
  2. Vance Boelter's state trial delayed until MayHeadline from West Central Tribune · 12 outlets

September 2026

  1. Judge issues gag order in Vance Boelter’s state caseHeadline from KAAL Rochester · 2 outlets
  2. Vance Boelter's defense team asks to delay November trialHeadline from The Bemidji Pioneer · 10 outlets
  3. Vance Boelter’s defense seeks gag order for witnessesHeadline from West Central Tribune · 10 outlets
  4. Vance Boelter to make second appearance for state chargesHeadline from Dglobe · 10 outlets

August 2026

  1. Man who killed top Minnesota lawmaker and her husband makes first state court appearanceHeadline from Green Field Reporter · 9 outlets

July 2026

  1. Vance Boelter in court on state charges; No plea filedHeadline from WDIO Duluth · 13 outlets
  2. Minnesota lawmaker’s killer sentenced to 2 life terms plus 40 yearsHeadline from BNO News · 64 outlets

June 2026

  1. Minnesota lawmaker shootings: Vance Boelter pleads guilty to all federal chargesHeadline from Fox7 Austin · 13 outlets

January 2026

  1. Democratic leaders condemn Trump’s claims about Hortman’s deathHeadline from West Central Tribune · 9 outlets

September 2025

  1. Minnesota House returns to a tie in special election to fill Melissa Hortman’s seatHeadline from Grand Forks Herald · 16 outlets

August 2025

  1. Hennepin County grand jury indicts Vance Boelter on first-degree murder chargesHeadline from West Central Tribune · 13 outlets
  2. Suspect in shooting of Minnesota lawmakers pleads not guilty in federal courtHeadline from Dglobe · 17 outlets

July 2025

  1. Federal grand jury indicts Vance Boelter in Minnesota lawmaker shootingsHeadline from The Bemidji Pioneer · 20 outlets

June 2025

  1. Funeral of Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband MarkHeadline from NPR · 5 outlets
  2. Melissa Hortman, husband, dog to lie in state at Minnesota CapitolHeadline from KRDO · 9 outlets
  3. Wife of Minnesota suspect says she was ‘blindsided’ by shootings of state politiciansHeadline from CNN · 7 outlets
  4. Police investigate apparent break-in at slain Minnesota lawmaker’s homeHeadline from ABC 17 Mid-Missouri · 8 outlets
  5. Vance Boelter, accused of assassination of DFL House leader Melissa Hortman, apprehended • New Hampshire BulletinHeadline from New Hampshire Bulletin · 3 outlets
  6. What we know about the investigation into the suspected Minnesota gunmanHeadline from KESQ Palm Springs · 21 outlets
  7. 1 Minnesota lawmaker killed, 1 injured in targeted shootings. HereHeadline from CBS News · 27 outlets

Coverage & sources

Read the reports, see how much was collected over time, or compare outlets by political leaning.

Coverage & sources →