The man suspected of killing a Minnesota lawmaker and injuring another has been charged with murder following his arrest on Sunday near his home. This arrest came after a nearly two-day search for the suspect, Vance Boelter, who is accused of posing as a police officer and fatally shooting former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, in their home early Saturday in the northern suburbs of Minneapolis.
According to authorities, Boelter also shot and wounded Senator John Hoffman, a Democrat, along with his wife, Yvette, at their residence in a nearby neighborhood. During the investigation, it was revealed that he had visited the homes of two other state legislators but did not encounter them. Officials in other states reported that they were also on Boelter's list of targets.
Federal authorities are currently holding the 57-year-old Boelter without bail after his initial appearance in federal court on charges of murder and stalking. In addition to federal charges, he also faces state murder charges. While Minnesota does not impose the death penalty, federal law permits it. Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson stated during a Monday news conference that it is too early to determine whether his office will seek the death penalty. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty has indicated plans to file first-degree murder charges against Boelter, which carry a potential life sentence without parole.
Thompson emphasized that Boelter meticulously planned his attacks, researching intended victims and surveilling their homes. At this point, authorities have not disclosed a motive for the shootings.
During his spree, Boelter targeted four Democratic lawmakers' homes in the northern Minneapolis suburbs within approximately 90 minutes, starting with Hoffman’s residence and concluding with Hortman’s. Authorities reported that he made a stop at another lawmaker's home, but that individual was not present. Democratic state Senator Ann Rest revealed that Boelter had parked near her home in New Hope. Local police had dispatched an officer to check on Rest, and when the officer encountered Boelter’s SUV, he mistakenly believed him to be an officer as well.
When Boelter refused to engage with the officer, the officer left to proceed to Rest’s house, allowing Boelter to move on to Hortman’s residence. Rest, who has served in the Legislature for 40 years and chairs the Senate tax committee, had been vocal about opposing general tax increases amid budget challenges.
Thompson revealed that authorities discovered a list containing about 45 names of Minnesota state and federal elected officials in writings recovered from a fake police vehicle left at the crime scene. This list included community leaders, abortion-rights advocates, and details about health care facilities. Elected officials in at least three other states were informed that they were also potential targets of Boelter, including Democratic U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Democratic U.S. Representative Greg Landsman of Ohio. In Michigan, Democratic U.S. Representatives Hillary Scholten and Debbie Dingell confirmed their inclusion on Boelter's target list, prompting Scholten to postpone a town hall meeting.
The search for Boelter was described as the “largest manhunt in the state’s history,” according to Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley. The manhunt concluded on Sunday in rural Sibley County, southwest of Minneapolis, where Boelter resided. Authorities spotted an abandoned vehicle he had been using, and a police officer reported seeing Boelter running into the woods, where he eventually surrendered.
Friends and former colleagues have described Boelter as a devout Christian who attended an evangelical church and supported former President Donald Trump. He held conservative political views and had expressed concerns about the state of the U.S. church in a statement made during a visit to Africa two years ago. Surprisingly, his friends indicated that he did not frequently discuss politics and did not appear to hold extreme views. Sibley County Sheriff Patrick Nienaber stated that Boelter had not previously been on their radar, emphasizing that they had no prior interactions with him.
Melissa Hortman was a lifelong resident of the Minneapolis area, rising to become a powerful Democratic leader in the state’s divided Legislature. Elected to the Minnesota House in 2004, she was instrumental in passing liberal initiatives, such as providing free lunches for public school students in 2023. This year, she played a key role in resolving a budget impasse that threatened to shut down the state government.
Senator John Hoffman, who was shot alongside his wife in their Champlin home, is currently recovering from multiple gunshot wounds. Hoffman chairs the Senate committee overseeing human resources spending and previously served on a state workforce development board with Boelter, although it remains unclear if they had a personal relationship.
