When Melissa Hortman, Minnesota lawmaker shot dead, visited India and saw Taj Mahal

Updated on: Jun 15, 2025 11:27 AM IST

Melissa Hortman and her husband were shot and killed in their home. A manhunt is underway for the suspect, Vance Luther Boelter.

Politician Melissa Hortman and her husband were shot and killed in their Brooklyn Park home. Following the horror incident, the FBI has launched a widespread manhunt for Vance Luther Boelter, the suspect in the shootings. Officials believe it to be a “politically motivated assassination”.

Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband were shot dead by a gunman. (AFP)
Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband were shot dead by a gunman. (AFP)

Amid the chaos, an old tweet by Hortman resurfaced on X, where she talked about her visit to India. In the 2016 X post (then known as Twitter), the Minnesota state representative wrote, “Presented on my Community Solar Gardens law in New Delhi, India earlier this week. (And got to see the Taj Mahal in Agra!) (sic).”

What happened?

State representative Melissa Hortman, 55, and her husband Mark, 58, were shot and killed in their home. According to law enforcement, the attack happened in the early hours of Saturday.

Police, upon receiving news of gunshots at Hortman's house, reached the scene where they exchanged gunfire with the suspect. However, the suspect escaped, which led to a manhunt.

Police officials said that the person who killed Hortman and her husband was impersonating a police officer. The suspect was also driving a car that resembled a police vehicle. Reportedly, the suspect was wearing a uniform and had a badge.

According to a CBS News report, Hortman was pronounced dead at the scene. Her husband was rushed to the North Memorial Health in Robbinsdale, where he succumbed to his injuries. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office reported that both died from multiple gunshot wounds.

Who is the suspect?

A photo of an individual who appears to be 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter, the suspect in the shooting of the Minnesota lawmaker and her husband, has recently surfaced on social media. It shows the person trying to enter the victims' home.

"When we did a search of the vehicle, we did find a manifesto that identified many lawmakers and other officials. We immediately made alerts to the state to provide security wherever necessary,” Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said in a press conference.

Donald Trump on the shooting:

The President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, called the incident a “horrific violence”.

"I have been briefed on the terrible shooting that took place in Minnesota, which appears to be a targeted attack against state lawmakers," Trump said in a statement, according to AFP. He added, “Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America.”

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