Dispatch logs newly obtained by 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS provide the most detailed timeline yet of how police responded on the morning when Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark Hortman were killed, and Senator John Hoffman and his family were attacked.
The pages reveal a massive response and an intense suspect search beginning before the sun rose on June 14, 2025. They also revealed that police recognized right off the bat that more state lawmakers could be in danger.
Prosecutors say Vance Boelter first went to the Hoffmans’ home in Champlin on June 14, disguised as a police officer, and opened fire on the family. John Hoffman was shot nine times, and his wife, Yvette, was shot eight times. Their daughter Hope was also home, but John and Yvette were able to push her out of the line of gunfire.
A transcript of Hope’s 911 call was released in October, and we now have the dispatch logs showing law enforcement responses to both shootings.
After the attack on the Hoffmans, Boelter is accused of driving to the homes of Rep. Kristin Bahner and Sen. Ann Rest — luckily, neither was home. From there, prosecutors say he drove to the Hortman home.
Melissa and Mark Hortman were both fatally shot. Their family dog was also shot and euthanized.
The Hoffman home
The first known 911 call came from Hope Hoffman in Champlin at 2:05 a.m. Within five minutes, dispatch learned two people had been shot by a masked suspect who ran off, and that one victim was Sen. John Hoffman.
By 2:17 a.m., an officer advised, “suspects were dressed as police officers.”
At 2:21 a.m., dispatch noted, “Given this guy is a state senator, you might want to notify State Patrol so they can work on other senator notifications as they cover dignitary protection.”
The Hoffmans were taken to the hospital as officers began an intensive search for the suspect and vehicle.
The Hortman home
An hour and 40 minutes after that first call, Brooklyn Park police went to the Hortmans’ home for a welfare check at 3:35 a.m.
Officers arrived and almost immediately witnessed Mark Hortman shot in the doorway by a suspect said to be “dressed like a cop.” One minute later, it’s noted that the shooter could be inside the house, but officers were unsure. They went on to make plans to send in a drone.
Eight minutes into the Brooklyn Park dispatch log, the house is identified as the home of Melissa and Mark Hortman, and it is noted that she is a DFL rep.
All the while, more resources are continually called in.
At 3:57 a.m., now 22 minutes in, someone on scene suggested checking with the State Patrol for her phone number. A minute later, dispatch notes showed the state was unsure if it had senators’ phone numbers.
After 4 a.m., the drone was deployed, and at 4:09 a.m., it found Melissa Hortman and her dog “down” on the stairwell. 12 minutes later, notes said the drone found no one else inside, but it could not access one room.
At 4:34 a.m., the drone re-entered after its battery was recharged. By 4:37 a.m., dispatch notes said a suspect had not been found, and an emergency team was sent in to extract Melissa Hortman.
At 4:40 a.m., 31 minutes after her body was first seen by a drone, she was successfully removed from the home.
A warrant was requested for Vance Boelter by 5 a.m. after a search of the vehicle that he left in the driveway.
The manhunt continued until after 9 p.m. the following night.
Boelter is expected in federal court for his next hearing in October.
