In a statement shared by Minnesota U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, State Sen. John Hoffman’s wife says he is stable but not “out of the woods” after being shot nine times on Saturday at his home in Champlin.
“John is enduring many surgeries right now and is closer every hour to being out of the woods. He took 9 bullet hits. I took 8 and we are both incredibly lucky to be alive,” Yvette Hoffman said on Sunday. “We are gutted and devastated by the loss of Melissa and Mark. We have no words. There is never a place for this kind of political hate. Thank you for your friendship always. Minnesotans are at our very best when we stand together.”
The couple was attacked in their home in the wee hours of the morning by a man posing as a police officer. Their nephew told MPR News Saturday that Yvette threw herself on top of their daughter, Hope, to shield her from the bullets. Hope was uninjured.
After police responded to the shootings at the Hoffmans’ home, law enforcement performed a wellness check on former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman, who lived in nearby Brooklyn Park.
There, officers found both Hortman and her husband, Mark, fatally shot.
Authorities say 57-year-old Vance Boelter is suspected in all four shootings. Police continue to look for him. They say they consider Boelter to be armed and dangerous.
Hoffman was first elected in 2012 and has represented parts of northwest Hennepin County since then.
During the most recent legislative session, Hoffman told his colleagues that supporting a sweeping Health and Human Service bill would make for a better Minnesota.
“When we care for the most vulnerable in the state, when we put people before politics, we build a Minnesota that works for all of us,” Hoffman said. “That’s a Minnesota value, that’s the Minnesota way.”
Hoffman’s passion has been advocating for people living with disabilities, inspired by his daughter, who has spina bifida and wears a prosthetic leg. The two of them are often seen at the State Capitol advocating for more funding and support for people who have disabilities.
During his time at the Legislature, Hoffman has championed bills designed to expand employment opportunities for people with disabilities, including vocational training and equal pay.
