Additional Coverage:
- Minnesota lawmaker shooting suspect Vance Boelter arrested alive after manhunt, authorities say (themirror.com)
Manhunt Ends: Shooting Suspect Apprehended
After a tense two-day manhunt, Vance Luther Boelter, the suspect in Saturday’s fatal shooting of a Minnesota lawmaker, is in custody. Boelter, 43, was apprehended Sunday night in a field near Faxon Township in Sibley County.
Law enforcement tracked him into the woods, and according to police radio traffic, a drone located him. Boelter surrendered to officers in a SWAT vehicle without incident.
A shelter-in-place order that had been issued for the area after Boelter’s abandoned car was found has been lifted.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has been briefed on the arrest.
A press conference is scheduled for 10:30 p.m. CT Sunday night.
The FBI had offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to Boelter’s arrest and conviction. Authorities have revealed that Boelter had a list of targets, including U.S.
Rep. Ilhan Omar, Sen.
Tina Smith, Gov. Tim Walz, and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.
State Sen. John Hoffman, wounded in the shooting, is undergoing multiple surgeries, according to his wife, Yvette Hoffman.
The attack also claimed the lives of State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband.
While police confirm Boelter communicated with others during the manhunt, it remains unclear whether he received any assistance. Investigators continue to search Boelter’s Green Isle property for evidence.
Gov. Walz condemned the shootings as “an act of targeted political violence” and ordered flags to be flown at half-staff to honor Rep.
Hortman and her husband. The investigation is ongoing.
The intense search involved local, state, and federal agencies. Earlier Sunday, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans announced a nationwide warrant for Boelter’s arrest.
Evans stated that a car believed to be used by Boelter was found early Sunday a few miles from his Green Isle home, along with evidence relevant to the investigation. He declined to provide further details.
The FBI circulated a Saturday photo of Boelter wearing a tan cowboy hat and requested public assistance in reporting sightings. A cowboy hat was found near the vehicle, and investigators are working to confirm whether it belongs to Boelter.
Law enforcement officers are searching the surrounding area, including nearby homes. Officials speaking anonymously to the Associated Press could not discuss details of the ongoing investigation.
The search focused on rural Sibley County, approximately 50 miles southwest of Minneapolis, where Boelter resided with his wife and five children. An emergency alert warned residents in the area about the located vehicle and advised them to secure their homes and vehicles.