Wife of Minnesota politician shielded daughter from bullets, says relative

A state lawmaker's wife who was shot eight times during an apparent assassination attempt in Minnesota, shielded her daughter from being hit, a relative has said.

After surviving the hail of bullets that wounded her parents, Hope Hoffman then called local authorities who rushed to the scene and saved her parents' lives.

Her father, Democratic state senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette Hoffman are recovering in hospital while the suspected gunman is in custody.

"The heroic actions by the Hoffman family and their daughter Hope saved countless lives and we are grateful," Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said at a press conference.

This is one of the many details emerging from a Saturday shooting that killed former Speaker of the Minnesota House Melissa Hortman and her husband Marc Hortman and left the Hoffmans in hospital.

The shooter targeted the two Democratic politicians in what Walz has called an "act of targeted political violence".

During the shooting Yvette Hoffman threw herself on their adult daughter Hope Hoffman to shield her from the bullets.

"Early this morning, an absolute vile piece of [expletive] dressed as a cop broke into my aunt and uncle's house and shot him 6 times and my aunt 5 times in a political act of terrorism," Matt Ollig, a nephew of the Hoffman's said on Facebook. "My aunt threw herself on her daughter, using her body as a shield to save her life."

• What we know about the attack on two Minnesota lawmakers
• Minnesota assassination survivor and husband shot 17 times

In a statement texted from Yvette Hoffman to US Senator Amy Klobuchar, who represents Minnesota, she said she was shot eight times and her husband was shot nine times.

"John is enduring many surgeries right now and is closer every hour to being out of the woods," Yvette Hoffman wrote in a text message. "He took 9 bullet hits. I took 8 and we are both incredibly lucky to be alive."

After officials arrived at the Hoffman residence, one of the police officers on the scene decided to make sure the Hortmans, who lived nearby, were ok.

When officials arrived on the scene, they saw the suspect and engaged fire before the suspect fled the scene.

The suspect in the case, Vance Luther Boelter, was taken into custody on Sunday evening after a day-long manhunt. He was charged with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree attempted murder.

Mr Boelter was described as a Republican who voted for Donald Trump by his roommate who has spoken to US media. But police have not revealed a motive.

Authorities found a list of political targets among Mr Boelter's belongings.