Brady Condemns Heinous Political Violence in Targeted Shootings of Two Minnesota Lawmakers and Their Spouses

Sen. John Hoffman and Rep. Melissa Hortman, both champions in the movement to prevent gun violence, and their spouses were reportedly shot by an individual impersonating a police officer

WASHINGTON, D.C., June 14, 2025 — Brady, the leading gun violence prevention group founded in the wake of a horrific act of political violence after a gunman tried to kill President Reagan, responds to reports of targeted shootings of Minnesota elected officials, Sen. John Hoffman, Rep. Melissa Hortman, and their spouses, resulting in the deaths of Hortman and her spouse Mark.

Brady President Kris Brown said:

My heart is with the Hortman and Hoffman families. This is absolutely horrifying and completely devastating. I fear that we, as Americans, are becoming increasingly normalized to this bloodshed. This tragedy demands a clear message from Americans and lawmakers of all walks of life: Political violence has no place in a healthy democracy and must be universally condemned. We can and we must settle our differences in America at the ballot box.

The horrific truth is that the deadly problem of domestic terrorism has been metastasizing across the country, and our nation’s unique access to firearms is only exacerbating these tragedies. We cannot accept this as our reality. We simply do not, and should not, have to live this way. No other industrialized country does. We are well past the time to act. After recent incidents and plots of political violence experienced by President Trump, Gov. Whitmer, the whole of Congress on January 6th, and now state lawmakers and their families at their homes in Minnesota, we have to collectively ask ourselves: when will enough be enough?