() Minnesota shooting suspect Vance Boelter is facing four counts of second-degree murder after the shootings of two Democratic lawmakers over the weekend.
Boelter, 57, was captured after a two-day manhunt in a rural area of Minnesota.
Minnesota shooting suspect disguised himself as a police officer
According to charging documents, Boelter was allegedly wearing a mask and a police-style tactical vest and badge when he approached the homes of two Democratic lawmakers, state Rep. Melissa Hortman and state Sen. John Hoffman.
Hoffman’s daughter called 911 to report the shooting of her parents. According to court documents, Boelter knocked on the door and introduced himself as a police officer before shooting Hoffman and his wife.
Surveillance video then showed him fleeing the residence and leaving in a police-style vehicle with lights on it, the documents say.
Because Hoffman was a legislator, officers were sent to check on the homes of her colleagues. At Hortman’s home, police said they saw the suspect shoot Hortman’s husband before fleeing.
Hortman and her husband were killed. Hoffman and his wife are alive following treatment.
Who is Minnesota shooting suspect Vance Boelter?
State corporate records show Boelter’s wife filed to create a company named Praetorian Guard Security Services LLC with the same Green Isle mailing address listed for the couple. On a website for the business, Boelter’s wife is listed as president and CEO, and he is listed as director of security patrols.
The website says the business provides armed security for property and events and features a photo of an SUV painted in a two-tone black and silver pattern similar to a police vehicle, with a light bar across the roof and “Praetorian” painted across the doors. Another photo shows a man in black tactical gear with a military-style helmet and a ballistic vest with the company’s name across the front.
It is not clear whether the company had any clients.
An online resume lists Boelter as a security contractor who has worked in the Middle East and Africa, in addition to past managerial roles at companies in Minnesota.
Boelter is a former appointee under Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and served a four-year stint on the nonpartisan Governor’s Workforce Development Board. Hoffman also served on the board, though it is not clear if he and Boelter knew each other.
Minnesota voters do not register a party affiliation, but Boelter’s roommate told reporters he was a supporter of President Donald Trump and held anti-abortion views. Records also show Boelter was registered as a Republican while living in Oklahoma.
Boelter was an evangelical who reportedly traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo, where he spoke at a Pentecostal church. At least one sermon he gave there appeared to critique LGBTQ rights. He and his wife also once ran a ministry called Revoformation Ministries.
Boelter is married and a father of five. He shared a registered address with his wife and also rented a room in Minneapolis, where he stayed several days a week. His wife, Jenny Boelter, was found with passports and cash in her car during a traffic stop Saturday. She is not currently in custody.
Boelter was also employed in the funeral industry, primarily removing the bodies of those who died in assisted living facilities. That job appeared to be one he took due to financial difficulties.
