Minnesota Man Charged in Assassination of State Lawmaker 

BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. — The man suspected of carrying out the shooting spree Saturday morning that left one Minnesota lawmaker dead and another gravely wounded has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder.

Vance Boelter was arrested late Sunday night after an extensive two-day manhunt that tested the nerves of Minnesotans across the state.

Boelter surrendered to law enforcement officers near Green Isle, Minnesota, a community in which he had a home with his wife and children.

Though police engaged Boelter in a gun battle at the site of the second shooting, he eluded authorities until a local resident spotted him on a trail camera in a wooded area outside Minneapolis.

SWAT teams then used drones to find and track him as he crawled through the underbrush in the woods.

Boelter, who ran a private security company and a religious nonprofit with his wife, is charged with murdering Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, Saturday morning after he showed up at the front door of their home impersonating a police officer.

He is also charged with attempting to murder state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, at their home.

According to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Hortmans’ daughter called 911 immediately after her parents were slain, and police officers decided to proactively check the nearby Hoffman residence.

They arrived in time to see Boelter shoot Hofffman through an open door and exchanged gunfire with him before he escaped.

Drew Evans, the head of the state’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, later told reporters that had that interaction not occurred the murder spree would likely have continued.

That sentiment was echoed by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz during a press conference, in which he praised the daughter’s “heroic actions” and said she likely saved “countless lives.”

According to law enforcement officials, the suspect had a notebook that mentioned about 70 potential targets, some in neighboring states, that included politicians, civic and business leaders, and Planned Parenthood centers.

Law enforcement officials said they are now looking into whether anyone assisted Boelter, though there has been no indication of that so far.

In the immediate aftermath of the shootings, state Department of Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobson said Saturday was “a dark day for Minnesota and for democracy.

“Our hearts go out to the victims, their families, their colleagues and to the communities they serve with dedication and integrity,” Jacobson said.

He went on to say the fact the gunman posed as a police officer was a “deeply disturbing betrayal“ to those “who wear the badge with honor.”

President Donald Trump said in a post to his Truth Social social media platform that he had been briefed “on the terrible shooting” and that Attorney General Pam Bondi and the FBI “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,” the president said.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., who, like Trump, was the target of an assassin’s bullet, said “there can be no tolerance of political violence and it must be stopped.”

He also asked his constituents to join him in praying for the families of the victims.

The Minnesota State Patrol urged people not to attend political protests on Saturday “out of an abundance of caution.”

Among the items found in the car was a pile of papers, including at least one that bore the words “No Kings.”

Several planned protests in Minnesota were in fact cancelled Saturday, though thousands of people still gathered outside the State Capitol in St. Paul.

Hortman had served in the state legislature for about 20 years, serving as speaker for a six-year period that ended earlier this year.

During her tenure as speaker she helped Democrats enshrine several policy priorities in state law including bills protecting women’s abortion rights and legalizing cannabis.

Hoffman, now in his fourth term as a state senator, currently chairs the Senate’s Human Services Committee and is known for his efforts to reach across the aisle and try to achieve a bipartisan consensus whenever possible.

Throughout the day on Saturday, lawmakers reacted with shock, sadness and anger over the shootings.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said the murders were “an attack on everything we stand for as a democracy.”

In Arizona, Republicans in the state Senate also condemned the killings.

“We are horrified by the cold-blooded assassinations of Rep. Hortman, her husband, and the brutal attack on Sen. Hoffman and his wife. Such acts of political violence are an assault on our democracy,” said Senate Majority Leader Janae Shamp, in a written statement. “Arizona stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Minnesota, praying for the recovery of Sen. Hoffman and his wife. No public servant should face violence for their legislative views, especially when working across party lines to address critical issues.”

“”Targeting elected officials and their families for their legislative decisions is a horrible act of violence that will not be tolerated,” agreed Arizona Senate Majority Whip Frank Carroll. “What happened in Minnesota today resembles foreign interests and organized crime, attempting to influence the government. We unequivocally condemn this violence and call on Arizonans to reject hatred and division.

“These violent acts remind us of the dangers public servants face in today’s polarized world. We mourn for Minnesota and demand an end to violence as means of political expression. We need to protect those who serve,” Carroll said.

Debbie Cox Bultan, CEO of the NewDEAL, a center-left network of state and local elected leaders from across the nation, said Saturday that she was “heartbroken by the tragic, devastating news coming out of Minnesota.”

“Political violence has no place in American democracy, and NewDEAL condemns both violent acts and rhetoric. We call on all elected officials to denounce violence in all its forms and to be accountable for sending the message that it will never be excused,” Bultan said.

“As an organization that supports state and local elected officials, we are also acutely aware of the extreme threats and vitriol that these leaders have been experiencing in recent years. These individuals, like Rep. Hortman and Sen. Hoffman, work every day to represent and deliver for their constituents, and they deserve our gratitude and respect, no matter their party,” she said.

National Governors Association chair, Gov. Jared Polis, of Colorado, and vice chair, Gov. Kervin Stitt, of Oklahoma, released a joint statement in which they condemned political violence “in all forms.”

“These attacks are not just assaults on individuals, they are attacks on our communities, and the very foundation of our democracy,” they said. “Public servants should never fear for their lives for serving our communities.

“We stand united in urging federal, state, and local officials to swiftly investigate and bring those responsible to justice,” Polis and Stitt continued. “We also call on all Americans to reject political hatred and violence, and to recommit to the values of civility, respect, and peaceful democratic discourse.

“Now more than ever, we must come together as one nation to ensure that our public square remains a place of debate, not danger,” they said.

Dan can be reached at [email protected] and on X @DanMcCue