Yvette Hoffman has spoken out for the first time after she and her husband, Minnesota Senator John Hoffman, were badly injured in a violent attack that appears to have targeted Democratic politicians.
On Sunday, June 15, Senator Amy Klobuchar shared a screenshot of a text message from Yvette, who thanked people for their support.
“We’re overwhelmed by everyone’s love,” she wrote. “John is going through many surgeries but is slowly getting better.”
Yvette revealed that John was shot nine times and she was hit eight times. She said, “We’re incredibly lucky to be alive.”
She also expressed heartbreak over the deaths of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, who were killed by the same suspect.
“We’re devastated. There’s no place for this kind of political hate,” she wrote.
The attack happened early Saturday, June 14, in the Hoffmans’ home in Champlin, Minnesota. Governor Tim Walz called it a “politically motivated assassination attempt.”
Police say the shooter pretended to be a police officer to get into their home. After shooting the Hoffmans, he went after Rep. Hortman and her husband.
Around 2 a.m., police responded to the Hoffmans’ home and gave them emergency medical care before rushing them to the hospital.
It was later revealed that their daughter, Hope — a 28-year-old disability rights advocate — was home during the attack. Yvette protected her by throwing herself on top of her. Hope was not injured.
The suspect has been identified as 57-year-old Vance Boelter. Authorities say he is armed and dangerous and should not be approached. They are offering a $50,000 reward for information that leads to his arrest and conviction.
Boelter was last seen wearing a light-colored cowboy hat, a dark shirt or coat, and light pants. A car believed to be his was found over 50 miles from the scene the next day.
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