EAGAN, Minn. – The slaying of former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and shooting of Senator John Hoffman have Minnesota in the national spotlight for the wrong reason. Carleton College political analyst Steven Schier says the state has had turbulent times since the early years of statehood.

Gov. Tim Walz called the event a “politically motivated assassination," with the attack marking the latest such incident over the last several years.

Just hours after House DFL Leader Melissa Hortman and her husband were killed and state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were wounded, top MAGA voices used those revelations to inaccurately paint Boelter as a Democrat.

Early Saturday morning, when a man dressed like a police officer knocked at the home of a Minnesota state legislator, marked the start of nearly 40 hours of violence and fear that swept through towns in an arc around Minneapolis.

In her last interview with the Pioneer Press, just days before she and her husband were fatally shot, state Rep. Melissa Hortman said that above all this summer she was looking forward to spending

Live updates: Minnesota lawmaker shooting suspect to appear in court on murder charges after huge manhunt Almost 200 law enforcement — including members of 20 regional and local SWAT teams — descended on eastern Sibley County to apprehend suspect Vance Boelter.

It was about 3:35 a.m. Saturday when two Brooklyn Park police officers approached the home of former Minnesota House

Raleigh native Mark Hortman and wife, lawmaker Melissa Hortman, were fatally shot in a suspected political attack in Minnesota.