Within hours of the shooting of two lawmakers and their spouses in the US state of Minnesota, social media posts began claiming, without evidence, that Governor Tim Walz ordered a "political hit" on his rivals,

A state lawmaker and her husband were shot and killed, and a second lawmaker and his wife were shot and wounded early Saturday.

Mayor Ryan Sabas of Champlin said state senator John Hoffman and state representative Melissa Hortman were shot, and that Hoffman's wife was also shot.