Melissa Hortman, a top Minnesota Democrat in the state house, and her husband were fatally shot by a gunman impersonating a police officer in what Governor Tim Walz called a “politically motivated assassination”.

State Senator John Hoffman and his wife were seriously wounded in a shooting believed to be connected to the same suspect, authorities said. A manhunt is under way for the suspect.

Hortman and her husband were fatally shot at their home in Brooklyn Park, near Minneapolis. Hortman was a party leader in the Minnesota House and served as the speaker until early this year.

Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were shot by the same suspect, according to Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. The couple was found by police and taken to a hospital, where they underwent surgery for gunshot wounds. Hoffman and his wife are “in a difficult situation, but we’re cautiously optimistic that they will continue to improve”, Evans said.

Evans said officers responded about 2am on Saturday (local time) to the shooting at the Hoffman residence in Champlin. Officers in nearby Brooklyn Park received a call about the shooting at the Hortman residence about 3.35am, Evans said.

Brooklyn Park police responding to the shooting at the Hortman home found the gunman and exchanged gunfire with them, Evans said. The individual escaped during the melee, Evans said. Authorities said there is an extensive manhunt under way involving the FBI and state agencies. Residents in Brooklyn Park remain under a shelter-in-place order, which went out early on Saturday.

Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman, a Democrat from Champlin. Photo / Minnesota Senate photographer's office, Paul Battaglia, Minnesota State Legislature, AFP

The assailant was driving a car equipped with emergency lights that looked “exactly like” an SUV squad car, said Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley. The individual also wore a vest with a taser and a badge, Bruley added. “If they were in this room, you would assume that they are a police officer,” he said.

Authorities said that when they searched the suspect’s vehicle, they found writings that identified lawmakers as the intended targets.

President Donald Trump has been briefed on the recent shooting targeting lawmakers in Minnesota, according to a statement.

“I have been briefed on the terrible shooting that took place in Minnesota, which appears to be a targeted attack against State Lawmakers. Our Attorney General, Pam Bondi, and the FBI, are investigating the situation, and they will be prosecuting anyone involved to the fullest extent of the law,” said Trump’s statement, shared online by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

“Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America. God Bless the great people of Minnesota, a truly great place,” the statement said.

A Brooklyn Park police officer looks on as they guard the entrance to a neighbourhood in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. Photo / Getty Images

Later, Trump is slated to participate in a military parade and celebration in Washington marking the 250th anniversary of the US Army.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety has recommended that out of an abundance of caution people not attend any political rallies held in the state on Saturday until the shooter is apprehended, Walz said in a post on X.

This comes after the “No Kings” organisers cancelled a rally planned in northeast Minneapolis.

Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth (R) said she is “horrified” by the shootings.

“I am horrified by the evil attack that took place overnight, and heartbroken beyond words by the loss of Speaker-Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark,” she said.

Ken Martin, who headed the Minnesota state Democratic Party until he was elected chairman of the Democratic National Committee in February, said that the lawmakers targeted in the shootings were “not just names” but longtime friends and colleagues.

“This morning, like so many Minnesotans, my heart is broken,” Martin said in a statement. “Melissa, Mark, John, and Yvette – these are not just names, and this is not just politics. These are people. They’re longtime friends to me and Jenn and so many others in Minnesota. They have children, loved ones, neighbours, and friends.”

Martin - who was chairman of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, or DFL Party, from 2011 to earlier this year – honoured Hortman as “a leader in every sense of the word”, citing her work in bringing free lunch for the state’s schoolchildren and protecting reproductive rights in the state.

“She led our state legislature with humour, grace, and determination to get things done for Minnesotans across the state. She wasn’t only a leader – she was a damn good legislator and Minnesotans everywhere will suffer because of this loss,” Martin said.

“This senseless violence must end,” Martin said. “These heinous murders are a reflection of the extremism and political violence that have been fomented in our country. Lawmakers should be able to do their job without fear for their lives.”

Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) said she is devastated by the killing of Hortman, whom she called “a good friend”.

“We started in politics at the same time, and I still remember the two of us going door to door in her first legislative campaign,” Klobuchar said in a statement. “She was a true public servant to the core, dedicating her life to serving Minnesotans with integrity and compassion.”

Tobi Raji is a reporter on The Washington Post’s General Assignment team. Amy B Wang is a national politics reporter. Susan Levine is a deputy editor on the National Desk’s America team. Maegan Vazquez is a politics breaking news reporter.