MINNEAPOLIS — A man accused of the fatal shooting of a Minnesota lawmaker and wounding another meticulously orchestrated the crimes, with plans to assault additional targets from his hit list, as stated by a federal prosecutor on Monday. The suspect, Vance Boelter, drove to the residences of two other legislators on the night of the shootings; however, one was on vacation, and the police arrival prompted his early departure from the second home, according to acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson.
The investigation reveals that Boelter had been preparing for months for these violent acts, a grim continuation of recent political attacks witnessed nationwide. His list of potential victims consisted of numerous names including officials across other states. In Minnesota, Boelter conducted surveillance operations, recorded observations about his chosen targets, and disguised himself as a police officer in the lead-up to the shootings, Thompson explained.
His actions, Thompson emphasized, were terrifying in their execution. Boelter surrendered to authorities on Sunday evening, discovered in the woods near his residence after a two-day manhunt. Charged with fatally shooting former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, in their Minneapolis suburban home, he also reportedly injured Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, in a nearby location.
Federal prosecutors have charged Boelter, 57, with crimes including murder and stalking, carrying the potential for a death penalty. He faces state charges like murder and attempted murder too. During a court appearance in St. Paul, Boelter claimed financial inability to hire legal representation, prompting a federal public defender’s appointment while he remains in custody, pending the next week’s court session. His lead attorney, Manny Atwal, withheld comment, noting the case’s recent assignment.
Boelter’s notebooks reveal a chilling level of premeditation, Thompson stated. One notebook detailed people search engines, according to court documents. Despite this, the authorities have not yet identified any writings that clarify his motivations, although Boelter’s targets, all Democrats and elected personnel, hint at possible political motives, yet Thompson declared it premature to speculate on his political ideology.
His writings mentioned over 45 officials in Minnesota, alongside leaders from Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Democratic Representative Esther Agbaje, whose district spans parts of Minneapolis, spent the weekend with friends and family after discovering her name on the target list. She only felt safe returning home once the suspect was apprehended, admitting, “It was only today that you can sort of begin to exhale.”
The authorities haven’t disclosed the identities of the other two targeted legislators. Democratic Senator Ann Rest reported the suspect’s vehicle near her residence Saturday morning and praised law enforcement’s swift response for safeguarding her life.
Boelter sent cryptic texts to a family group chat after the shootings, indicating he ‘went to war’ and warning of imminent danger at their home, urging them to vacate. Subsequently, police encountered his wife in a car with their children, accompanied by firearms, cash, and passports, per the affidavit. Within hours of the shootings, Boelter purchased an e-bike and a Buick sedan—later abandoned—and a cowboy hat matching surveillance footage was found alongside a letter to the FBI declaring himself the ‘shooter at large.’
The abandoned vehicle was located in Sibley County, near Boelter’s residence. A police officer soon spotted him fleeing into the woods, culminating in his capture about a mile from home.
State Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans suggested Boelter’s rampage might have persisted if not for police intervention at Hortman’s residence, forcing Boelter to flee.
The assaults commenced at the Hoffman residence in Champlin, alerted to authorities by their daughter after Boelter, masked and armed, posed as a police officer before resorting to violence on recognizing the mask’s deception. When Senator Hoffman tried resisting, Boelter fired at him and subsequently his wife, both of whom required extensive surgeries for their life-threatening injuries, as Yvette Hoffman remarked in a statement.
In nearby Brooklyn Park, officers proactively visited the Hortman residence after hearing of the legislative shootings, arriving just in time to witness Boelter shoot Mark Hortman, leading to a firearm exchange and Boelter’s subsequent flight, leaving behind tragic casualties including Melissa Hortman and their pet dog.
The ongoing probe into Boelter’s motives continues as law enforcement uncovers lists containing names of political figures, community leaders, and information on healthcare and abortion rights facilities, according to insiders privy to information withheld from public disclosure.
Friends and former colleagues portray Boelter as a devout Christian, invested in evangelical church activities, and a frequent participant at rallies supporting former President Donald Trump. Boelter’s past as a political appointee on a state workforce board shared with Hoffman raises questions about their potential acquaintance.