Man suspected of shooting 2 Minnesota lawmakers caught, AP sources say
Share this @internewscast.com

A suspect in the fatal shooting of a Minnesota lawmaker and the wounding of another has been apprehended, according to two officials from law enforcement, concluding a tense two-day manhunt that gripped the state.

Authorities arrested Vance Boelter on Sunday evening. This development was confirmed by officials who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity, as they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation publicly. The former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were found dead in their Brooklyn Park residence in the early hours of Saturday, located in the northern part of Minneapolis suburbs. Additionally, Democratic Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were injured at their home in Champlin, about 9 miles (approximately 15 kilometers) away.

Boelter was captured in Minnesota, though officials didn’t immediately say where.

A criminal complaint revealed on Sunday night charges Boelter with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder for the deaths of the Hortmans and the injuries to Hoffman and his spouse.

The Hoffmans were attacked first at their home in Champin early Saturday. After police in nearby Brooklyn Park learned of that shooting, they sent patrol officers to check on the Hortmans’ home.

Brooklyn Park police officers arrived just in time to see Boelter shoot Mark Hortman through the open door of the home, the complaint says. It says they exchanged gunfire with Boelter, who fled inside the home before escaping the scene.

The complaint indicates the shooting at the Hoffmans’ home was called in by their adult daughter.

A massive search

Earlier Drew Evans, superintendent of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said authorities found a car very early Sunday they believed Boelter was using, a few miles from his home in Green Isle, in the farm country about an hour west of Minneapolis. He also said they found evidence in the car that was relevant to the investigation, but did not provide details.

Authorities named Boelter, 57, as a suspect, saying he wore a mask as he posed as a police officer, even allegedly altering a vehicle to make it look like a police car.

Evens confirmed that investigators found a cowboy hat near the vehicle and believe it belonged to Boelter. The superintendent also said authorities interviewed Boelter’s wife and other family members in connection with Saturday’s shootings. He said they were cooperative and were not in custody.

The FBI had issued a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to his arrest and conviction.

More than 100 law enforcement officers including SWAT teams were searching the area, including nearby homes, Evans said. He also said they had received more than 400 tips from the public.

The earlier search happened in rural Sibley County, roughly 50 miles (80 kilometers) southwest of Minneapolis, where Boelter had a home with his wife and five children. Residents in the area received an emergency alert about the located vehicle that warned them to lock their doors and cars.

The shootings come as political leaders nationwide have been attacked, harassed and intimidated amid deep political divisions. Lawmakers said they were disturbed by the attacks as Twin Cities residents mourned.

Brightly colored flowers and small American flags were placed Sunday on the gray marbled stone of the Minnesota State Capitol along with a photo of the Hortmans. People scrawled messages on small notes including, “You were our leader through the hardest of times. Rest in Power.”

Pam Stein came with flowers and kneeled by the memorial. An emotional Stein called Hortman an “absolute powerhouse” and “the real unsung hero of Minnesota government.”

No details on motive

Authorities have not yet given details on a motive.

A list of about 70 names was found in writings recovered from the fake police vehicle that was left at the crime scene, the officials said. The writings and list of names included prominent state and federal lawmakers and community leaders, along with abortion rights advocates and information about healthcare facilities, according to the officials.

Evans clarified that while he described the materials on Saturday as a “manifesto,” the papers were not a political or ideological treatise. He said it was more of a notebook, listing lawmakers and other people, with various thoughts mixed in. He declined to give details.

A Minnesota official told AP lawmakers who had been outspoken in favor of abortion rights were on the list. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing.

The attacks prompted warnings to other state elected officials and the cancellation of planned “No Kings” demonstrations against President Donald Trump, though some went ahead anyway, including one that drew tens of thousands to the State Capitol in St. Paul. Authorities said the suspect had “No Kings” flyers in his car.

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.

Around 6 a.m. Saturday, Boelter texted friends to apologize for his actions, though he didn’t say what he had done.

“I’m going to be gone for a while. May be dead shortly, so I just want to let you know I love you guys both and I wish it hadn’t gone this way. … I’m sorry for all the trouble this has caused,” he wrote in messages viewed by AP.

Two Democrats targeted

On Sunday evening, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar shared a statement from Yvette Hoffman expressing appreciation for the outpouring of public support.

“John is enduring many surgeries right now and is closer every hour to being out of the woods,” Yvette Hoffman said in a text that Klobuchar posted on social media. “He took 9 bullet hits. I took 8 and we are both incredibly lucky to be alive. We are gutted and devastated by the loss of Melissa and Mark.”

On social media, Gov. Tim Walz remembered Hortman on Sunday as, “The most consequential Speaker in state history.”

Hortman, 55, had been the top Democratic leader in the state House since 2017. She led Democrats in a three-week walkout at the beginning of this year’s session in a power struggle with Republicans. Under a power-sharing agreement, she turned the gavel over to Republican Rep. Lisa Demuth and assumed the title speaker emerita.

Hortman used her position as speaker in 2023 to champion expanded protections for abortion rights, including legislation to solidify Minnesota’s status as a refuge for patients from restrictive states who travel to the state to seek abortions — and to protect providers who serve them.

The couple had an adult son and an adult daughter.

Hoffman, 60, was first elected in 2012 and was chair of the Senate Human Services Committee, which oversees one of the biggest parts of the state budget. He and his wife have one adult daughter.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
NYC museum visitor, 34, jumps to his death at the Whitney

34-Year-Old Man Tragically Leaps to His Death at NYC’s Whitney Museum

A 34-year-old man jumped to his death from the Whitney Museum in…
James Craig verdict: Colorado dentist convicted of murder in poisoning death of his wife

Colorado Dentist James Craig Found Guilty in Wife’s Poisoning Death

CENTENNIAL, Colo. — A jury convicted a Colorado dentist of first-degree murder…
Midwest biofuels plant explosion, building collapse leaves 3 dead, including 2 children

Explosion at Midwest Biofuels Plant and Building Collapse Results in 3 Fatalities, Including 2 Children

At least three people are dead, including two children, after a dramatic…
'Worrisome': Even Leftists Are Getting Freaked Out by Cory Booker's Melodramatic Antics

‘Concerning’: Even Progressives Are Uneasy with Cory Booker’s Theatrical Behavior

The reference he made was an attempt to portray himself as a…
Nebraska plant explosion killed 2 girls and an employee, and the fire is still burning

Nebraska Plant Explosion Results in Death of 2 Girls and an Employee, with the Fire Ongoing

FREMONT, Neb. (AP) — Officials confirmed the deaths of two girls and…
Couple killed at Arkansas' Devil's Den State Park 'died heroes protecting their little girls,' family says

Arkansas Man Faces Capital Murder Charges for Killing Parents in Front of Daughters at Devil’s Den State Park

The Arkansas Department of Public Safety announced an arrest on Wednesday connected…
Virginia city councilman doused with gasoline and set on fire in horrific workplace attack, suspect arrested

Virginia Councilman Set Ablaze in Workplace Attack; Suspect in Custody

A member of the city council in Virginia was urgently taken to…
Former Fidelity employee in Jacksonville indicted in $2 million fraud scheme

Ex-Fidelity Worker in Jacksonville Charged with Participating in $2 Million Fraud Plan

The FBI in Jacksonville is now seeking additional victims who believe they…
Sister of murdered Bradford County father speaks on preventable tragedy

Sister Speaks Out on Avoidable Tragedy of Bradford County Father’s Death

Christopher Jones’ family urges awareness about domestic violence after his shooting by…
Code Red: The Left’s Latest Land Grab Is Bigger Than You Think

Urgent Alert: The Latest Land Acquisition by the Left Is More Extensive Than It Appears

They call it “revitalization.” But it’s not. It’s a coordinated land grab.…
Brawl in Ukrainian parliament during anti-corruption bill vote.

Chaos Erupts in Ukrainian Parliament: Anti-Corruption Bill Approved Following Major Protests Against Zelensky Since War Prompted Reversal

A BRAWL has erupted in Ukraine’s parliament as Volodymyr Zelensky U-turned on…
Portrait of a young Marine in uniform.

Family Claims Deceased Son’s Brain Was Returned in a Leaking Box, Leaving Car with Foul Odor

TWO funeral homes have been accused of packaging a dead man’s brain…