why was melissa hortman assassinated

Melissa Hortman was assassinated in a politically motivated attack on June 14, 2025. The shooter, Vance Luther Boelter, targeted multiple Democratic legislators, including Hortman, at their homes. Boelter impersonated a police officer and killed Melissa Hortman and her husband at their home in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. Authorities described the attacks as a planned political assassination with the intent to intimidate and harm Minnesota legislators who were associated with progressive policies, including abortion rights and other Democratic initiatives. The shooter had a list of about 70 potential targets that included abortion providers, pro-abortion rights advocates, and lawmakers from Minnesota and other states. Boelter was motivated by anti-abortion beliefs and political extremism, and the attack was condemned as an act of targeted political violence by Governor Tim Walz and others.