Additional Coverage:
- Minnesota shooting timeline: Suspect Vance Boelter’s last words to family before capture (foxnews.com)
Brooklyn Park, MN – A two-day manhunt concluded Sunday night with the arrest of Vance Luther Boelter, 57, in connection with the shooting deaths of former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. Boelter also allegedly shot and injured State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, in a related incident.
The attacks began early Saturday morning at the Hoffmans’ Champlin residence. According to Senator Amy Klobuchar, Yvette Hoffman relayed that John was shot nine times and she was shot eight.
Both are expected to survive. Gov.
Tim Walz credited the Hoffman family’s quick actions with saving lives.
Court documents and statements from Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H.
Thompson reveal a chilling series of events following the initial attack. Boelter allegedly targeted another state representative’s home in Maple Grove, but the family was away on vacation.
Security footage showed the suspect wearing a silicon mask and a police uniform. He then visited a state senator’s home in New Hope, where a police officer encountered him in his parked SUV but he did not respond.
Officers, alerted by the earlier shooting, were dispatched to the Hortmans’ Brooklyn Park home. They arrived to witness Boelter, still disguised, shoot one of the victims.
A shootout ensued, and Boelter fled the scene. Inside his abandoned vehicle, authorities discovered an arsenal of weapons, including three AK-47s, a handgun, and a list of public officials’ names and addresses.
Boelter contacted his family via text message, expressing remorse and warning them of armed authorities. He then sold an e-bike and his Buick to an acquaintance in Minneapolis before withdrawing $2,000 from a bank.
The intense manhunt, involving over 20 SWAT teams and described as the largest in state history, culminated in Boelter’s arrest in a field near his Green Isle home Sunday evening. A tip from a local resident led to his apprehension.
Boelter is currently facing state and federal charges, including murder, stalking, and gun-related offenses. Hennepin County Attorney’s Office has announced its intent to pursue first-degree murder charges, and his bail has been set at $5 million.