❓WHAT HAPPENED: A man suspected of killing a Minnesota lawmaker and wounding another surrendered to police after a massive two-day manhunt.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Suspect Vance Luther Boelter, victims Melissa and Mark Hortman, and John and Yvette Hoffman.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The shootings occurred early Saturday in the northern Minneapolis suburbs, with the suspect apprehended Sunday near his home in rural Sibley County.
💬KEY QUOTE: “This cannot be the norm. It cannot be the way that we deal with our political differences.” – Gov. Tim Walz.
🎯IMPACT: The attacks have heightened concerns over political violence and left the state mourning the loss of prominent leaders.
Vance Luther Boelter, the suspect in a series of shootings that left former Minnesota Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman (D) and her husband, Mark, dead, and injured Senator John Hoffman (D) and his wife, Yvette, was arrested Sunday, June 15. The arrest followed an extensive manhunt involving 20 tactical teams, helicopters, and officers on foot.
Authorities say Boelter posed as a police officer, using a vehicle altered to resemble a police car. He allegedly targeted the Hoffmans first, shooting them at their home in Champlin early Saturday. Hours later, he fatally shot the Hortmans at their home in Brooklyn Park as police arrived on the scene, prompting him to flee.
Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley described the operation to capture Boelter as “the largest manhunt in the state’s history.” Officers eventually located Boelter in the woods near his abandoned vehicle. He surrendered without incident, crawling to officers before being taken into custody.
Drew Evans, superintendent of the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, credited officers’ quick response at the Hortman residence with preventing further violence.
The attacks have drawn nationwide attention, with Gov. Tim Walz (D) condemning the violence and calling for unity, saying, “This cannot be the norm. It cannot be the way that we deal with our political differences.”
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D) shared a statement from Yvette Hoffman, who expressed gratitude for public support, adding that both she and her husband are recovering from multiple gunshot wounds. “We are gutted and devastated by the loss of Melissa and Mark,” Hoffman wrote.
The motivation for the attack remains unclear. Officials found “No Kings” fliers in the seat of the suspect’s vehicle, but a list of Democrat lawmakers and pro-abortion activists was also reportedly found. Writings, possibly some sort of manifesto, have also been reported, but investigators have released no details.
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Image via Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office.