Two dead and two injured in US ‘politically motivated’ shootings

State representative Melissa Hortman and her husband were killed, while a second politician, senator John Hoffman, and his wife were wounded in a separate shooting at their home about eight miles away.

A manhunt was under way after the suspected gunman escaped after a ­shootout at Hortman’s home in the early hours of Saturday.

Officers had checked on the Hortman house after attending the shooting at the Hoffmans’, when they saw the shooter leaving, police said. They exchanged fire and the man escaped. Local police officials said they had found a “manifesto” in the suspect’s vehicle that “identified many lawmakers and other officials”, including the two politicians who were targeted.

Hortman, 55, was a Democrat and had served as speaker of the Minnesota house of representatives for the past six years. She and her husband, Mark, had two children and lived in Brooklyn Park, north of downtown Minneapolis. Hoffman and his wife Yvette were both shot multiple times and needed surgery after the attack at their home in nearby Champlin, said the state’s ­governor Tim Walz. “We're cautiously optimistic they will survive this assassination attempt,” he added.

Praising Hortman, a personal friend, at a press conference, the senator added: “She was a formidable public servant, she is irreplaceable. We must all, in Minnesota and across the country, stand against all forms of political violence. Those responsible for this will be held accountable.”

A “shelter-in-place” order was in effect at the nearby Edinburgh Golf Course as officers scoured the area for the gunman. The public were warned not to open their doors to anyone and to verify police officers by calling 911.The suspect was wearing a vest and a badge and carrying a Taser and other equipment.

Ms Hortman was the top house Democratic leader in the state legislature. She was first elected in 2004.Mr Hoffman was first elected in 2012 and runs Hoffman Strategic Advisors, a consulting firm.

He previously served as vice-chairman of the Anoka-Hennepin school board, which manages the largest school district in Minnesota. He and his wife have one daughter.

Brooklyn Park police chief Mark Bruley said of the other names in the manifesto: “We immediately made alerts to the state. We took action on alerting them and providing security where necessary.”

Public safety commissioner Bob Johnson confirmed the suspect was posing as a law enforcement officer.

“[The] suspect exploited the trust of our uniforms, what our uniforms are meant to represent. That betrayal is deeply disturbing to those of us who wear the badge with honour and responsibility.”

The US attorney general, Pam Bondi, said the FBI was investigating. “Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America,” she said.

In a statement, US president Donald Trump said he had been briefed on what he described as a “targeted attack against state lawmakers”.

Photographs by Alex Kormann/Star Tribune via AP; AFP PHOTO / Minnesota Senate photographer's office; MINNESOTA SENATE PHOTOGRAPHER'S OFFICE, PAUL BATTAGLIA/Minnesota State Legislature/AFP via Getty Images