The hunt for a man believed to have killed a Minnesota lawmaker and seriously wounded another is stretching into its second day, Sunday, June 15. Federal and state law enforcement agencies are continuing to look for Vance Boelter, 57, who allegedly shot and killed former Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband in their home early Saturday, June 14.
Authorities also believe Boelter shot state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife in their home, though the two have since undergone surgery and are in stable condition.
Boelter’s wife detained
Boelter’s wife and three relatives were detained Saturday during a traffic stop at a convenience store in Onamia, Minnesota, roughly 75 miles north of where the shootings occurred, local news outlet KTSP reports. Two eyewitnesses told the outlet that the vehicle contained a weapon, ammunition, cash and passports. However, no arrests have been made.
In a statement to local NBC affiliate, KARE, Mille Lacs County Sheriff Kyle Burton said, “I can confirm that my Office assisted some of our law enforcement partners from Hennepin County in stopping a car in the Onamia area in connection with the investigation. Boelter’s wife was in that car alone with some other relatives.”
Sen. Klobuchar responds to attacks
During an interview Sunday with NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said authorities “believe [Boelter] is somewhere in the vicinity,” meaning the greater Midwest, “and that they are going to find him.” Border Patrol has also been given a readout of Boelter’s description, along with photos, in case he attempts to flee to Canada.
Hortman, who formerly served as speaker of the Minnesota House, was shot and killed along with her husband in their Brooklyn Park home early Saturday morning. Hoffman and his wife were also shot inside their home in Champlin, some eight miles away. The neighboring suburbs are situated north of Minneapolis.
In a joint statement, the Minnesota congressional delegation said, “Today we speak with one voice to express our outrage, grief, and condemnation of this horrible attack on public servants. There is no place in our democracy for politically-motivated violence. We are praying for John and Yvette’s recovery and we grieve the loss of Melissa and Mark with their family, colleagues, and Minnesotans across the state. We are grateful for law enforcement’s swift response to the situation and continued efforts.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has called the attacks a “politically motivated assassination.”
Boelter posed as law enforcement
Boelter allegedly posed as a law enforcement agent while carrying out the attacks and drove an SUV that looked “exactly like an SUV squad car,” Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said. The vehicle was equipped with emergency lights, while Boelter allegedly wore a vest and carried a badge and a Taser.
“No question that if [the suspect] were in this room, you would assume that they are a police officer,” Bruley had said during a press conference Saturday.
Manifesto points to possible motives
Investigators recovered a manifesto from Boelter’s vehicle, as well as numerous flyers and materials related to the “No Kings” protests that were scheduled for Saturday, in opposition to the Trump administration and its policies.
CBS News reports that the manifesto contained a list of more than 50 individuals both inside and outside of Minnesota, including abortion rights advocates and abortion facilities. The list also included prominent progressive lawmakers such as Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn.
“There clearly was some through line with abortion because of the groups that were on the list, and other things that I’ve heard were in this manifesto. So that was one of his motivations,” Klobuchar said.
Boelter’s background, public service
From 2016 to 2023, Boelter served on Minnesota’s Workforce Development Board alongside Hoffman. He was initially appointed to the position by former Gov. Mark Dayton in 2016 and was reappointed by Walz in 2019.
Aside from that public service work, which included a vice chair position on the Board’s employment for people with disabilities division, Boelter’s LinkedIn profile identifies him as the CEO of Red Lion Group based in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He also founded a company with his wife called Praetorian Guard Security Services LLC, which provided armed security details for events and private property.
Boelter, who reportedly received security training from members of the U.S. Military and private firms, has spent time providing security services in regions across the globe, including Africa, North America, Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
However, authorities have not been able to verify the veracity of some of Boelter’s own claims about his employment history.
According to social media posts reviewed by CNN, Boelter is an evangelical Christian who delivered at least one sermon in Africa that criticized American morals on sexual orientation. Aside from that, “He largely shied away from political posts in his publicly available social media feeds,” CNN reports.
He had registered as a Republican in the early 2000s, but claimed “no party preference” when he was reappointed by Walz to the Workforce Development Board in 2019.
Text message to roommates
The Minnesota Star Tribune reports that Boelter lived with roommates in north Minneapolis and that he texted two of them before the attacks. One of his roommates read the text aloud to reporters, which was captured on video.
“I love you guys,” Boelter wrote. “I made some choices, and you guys don’t know anything about this, but 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 don’t want to say anything more and implicate you in any way because you guys don’t know anything about this. But I love you guys and I’m sorry for all the trouble this has caused.”
In a post on Truth Social Saturday, President Donald Trump wrote, “I have been briefed on the terrible shooting that took place in Minnesota, which appears to be a targeted attack against State Lawmakers. Our Attorney General, Pam Bondi, and the FBI, are investigating the situation, and they will be prosecuting anyone involved to the fullest extent of the law. Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America. God Bless the great people of Minnesota, a truly great place!”
The FBI is offering a reward of $50,000 to anyone with information that leads to Boelter’s arrest and conviction.
