A Democratic state legislator, Melissa Hortman, and her husband, Mark, were assassinated by a shooter on Saturday, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz confirmed.

A shooter pretending to be a police officer shot the House speaker and her husband in their home in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.

Another Minnesota State senator, John A. Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were also shot in their home at Champlin.

The Minnesota governor described the killing of Mrs Hortman and her husband as a “politically motivated assassination.”

“We’re here today because an unspeakable tragedy has unfolded in Minnesota,” Mr Walz said. “My good friend and colleague, Speaker Melissa Hortman, and her husband, Mark, were shot and killed early this morning in what appears to be a politically motivated assassination. Our state lost a great leader, and I lost the dearest of friends.”

At a press conference on Saturday, Brooklyn Park’s police chief, Mark Bruley, said the assailant “drive a vehicle that looked exactly like an SUV squad car. It was equipped with lights, emergency lights, that looked exactly like a police vehicle, and yes, they were wearing a vest with taser, other equipment, a badge very similar to mine, that, no question, if they were in this room, you would assume that they are a police officer.”

Drew Evans, the superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, confirmed the assailant had a list of those targeted.

“There was a list of individuals, and the individuals that were targeted in this situation were on that list,” Mr Evans said, adding it was “far too early in the investigation” to determine the motive of the shooter.