AP Brooklyn Park (US)

Hundreds of law officers fanned out across a Minneapolis suburb on Saturday in pursuit of a man who authorities say posed as a police officer and fatally shot a Democratic state lawmaker in her home in what Governor Tim Walz called "a politically-motivated assassination". Authorities said the suspect also shot and wounded a second lawmaker and was believed to be trying to flee the area.

Democratic former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were killed in their Brooklyn Park home. Senator John Hoffman, also a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, were injured at their Champlin address, about nine miles (about 15 kilometres) away. Authorities identified the suspect as 57-year-old Vance Boelter, and the FBI issued a reward of up to USD 50,000 for information leading to his arrest and conviction.

Authorities displayed a photo taken on Saturday of Boelter wearing a tan cowboy hat and asked the public to report sightings. Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said investigators obtained video as well. He did not give details on a possible motive.

Boelter is a former political appointee who served on the same state workforce development board as Hoffman, records show, though it was not clear if or how well they knew each other. Authorities said the suspect had "No Kings" flyers in his car and writings mentioning the names of the victims as well as other lawmakers and officials, though they could not say if he had any other specific targets.