911 call reveals new details in shooting of Minnesota senator
The full transcripts of the 911 call made to Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman’s home after a gunman dressed as a police officer shot him and his wife shed new light on their daughter’s role in saving lives.
Hennepin County officials released unredacted versions of the 911 call late Monday night after Minnesota media fought a months-long legal battle to obtain more information than the heavily redacted versions made available in July.
The call came about five minutes after Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, answered a incessant doorbell around 2 a.m. June 14 to find a man dressed in what originally looked like a police costume. He then opened fire, shooting John Hoffman nine times and Yvette eight times.
In the dark, they realized “too late” that he was wearing a mask and was not a cop, their daughter Hope told the dispatcher, according to the transcript obtained by KARE-TV.
“SHOT, SHOT, MY PARENTS WERE SHOT,” Hope said frantically. “Someone came to our door dressed as a fake police officer and shot my parents. They are alive but we need help quickly.”
The dispatcher asked her if she knew who the shooter was, and Hope repeated that they had been shot and replied, “NO, THEY WERE MASKED!” »
“Both your parents? » asked the dispatcher.
“YES, BOTH,” Hope replied. “PLEASE HURRY, PLEASE!”
Then she spelled out his last name, telling them: “My father is Senator John Hoffman. Mom, are you alive? Did they shoot you in the heart? Or hit the organs?” and another voice replied, “Yes.” »
Hope Hoffman recounted all of this while caring for her parents, both of whom survived the shooting. She also told authorities that she suspected her father was targeted because of his political stance and that the family’s security cameras could provide valuable footage of the shooter’s vehicle — information that authorities say helped save other lives.
However, the transcript raised questions about how police relayed the information to other elected officials and each other. About 90 minutes later, suspected shooter John Boelter fatally shot former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, just as cops arrived.
Local police are facing scrutiny over why the Hortmans were not warned during those 90 minutes that a potential killer was on the loose and allegedly stalking prominent politicians. State agencies told KSTP they will investigate law enforcement’s response.
