Topline
Authorities arrested a man suspected of killing a Minnesota state lawmaker and shooting another, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced late on Sunday, a day after he described the incident as a “politically motivated assassination.”
This photo made available by the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office shows Vance Luther Boelter, the man ... More
Walz announced the arrest in a press conference late on Sunday and said the FBI and Minnesota state police worked together to carry out the arrest.
Walz also said Minnesota Senator John Hoffman, who was shot by the suspect on Saturday, came out of final surgery and is “moving towards recovery.”
A police official described the effort find and capture the suspect, 57-year-old Vance Boelter, as the “largest manhunt in the state’s history.”
Earlier on Sunday, a vehicle belonging to Boelter was found in Sibley County, Minnesota, about 60 miles from where the attacks took place and east of Boelter’s home in Green Isle, local police said.
“We believe he’s somewhere in the vicinity,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., told NBC News on Sunday, adding Boelter “may be” in Minnesota and that law enforcement issued alerts in South Dakota.
The FBI announced a $50,000 reward “for info leading to the arrest and conviction of Vance L. Boelter,” and released a photo (below) that reportedly shows the suspect at the door of one of the shooting victims, apparently wearing a head-covering mask and police costume, early Saturday morning.
A police alert warned that the “suspect is armed and dangerous and may be impersonating law enforcement,” according to the Minnesota Star Tribune, and Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino posted on X the bureau “is working in collaboration with our local and state partners.”
Boelter’s wife, Jenny, and three relatives were arrested late Saturday at a traffic stop, Mille Lacs County Sheriff Kyle Burton told the Star Tribune, though it’s not immediately clear why they were detained.
“My good friend and colleague, Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were shot and killed this morning in what appears to be a politically motivated assassination,” Walz said at a press conference Saturday.
On Saturday, Walz said Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were “out of surgery,” and their nephew Mat Ollig told the Star Tribune on Sunday they were “both awake now and recovering,” noting a bullet that struck Hoffman “barely missed his heart.”
The FBI released an image of who they believe is Vance Boelter, who appears to be wearing a mask and ... More
Authorities from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety released this photo and public alert ... More
Minnesota police released these images of suspected shooter Vance Boelter.
President Donald Trump issued a statement Saturday on the shootings, saying he had “been briefed on the terrible shooting that took place in Minnesota,” and “such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America.”
Boelter sent a text message to his roommates saying he “may be dead shortly,” one roommate told the Minnesota Star Tribune. Boelter told them he “made some choices, and you guys don’t know anything about this, but I’m going to be gone for a while.” David Carlson, Boelter’s roommate, told the Star Tribune that Boelter was dealing with financial hardships after quitting his job to go to the Democratic Republic of the Congo for business.
At a press briefing at around 4 p.m. EDT on Saturday, state police shared images of the suspect, 57-year-old Vance Boelter, characterizing him as a 6-foot-1 inch white male, about 220 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes, and said he was wearing a light-colored cowboy hat and dark shirt when last seen. Authorities asked the public to call 911 if they see Boelter, but not to approach him, as he’s considered armed and dangerous. Local police told the Minnesota Star Tribune that, early Saturday morning, they noticed an SUV with emergency lights and someone who initially appeared to be a police officer at Hortman’s door, but the person, allegedly Boelter, “immediately fired at officers” after being confronted, and fled back into the house. Mark Bruley, the chief of police in Brooklyn Park, said police searched the vehicle and uncovered a list that identified “many lawmakers and other officials,” including Hortman and Hoffman, according to MinnPost. CNN reports Boelter’s apparent list included 70 names, including “abortion providers,” and “pro-abortion rights advocates.” Police also said they found sheets of paper with “No Kings” written on them, a likely reference to the widespread protests planned for Saturday. CNN also reported Boelter, according to a law enforcement official, works for a Minnesota-based security company named Praetorian Guard Security. He is listed on the company website’s leadership page as director of security patrols, and described as having “on the ground experiences combined with training by both private security firms and by people in the U.S. Military.”
This photo provided by Minnesota State Patrol shows writings in the fake police car law enforcement ... More
Hortman, 55, was a top Democratic leader in the Minnesota Legislature. First elected in 2004, she served as House speaker from 2019 to 2025 and spearheaded key legislation, including universal free school lunches statewide and a red flag gun law—which allows police or family members to petition the courts to have a gun removed from those considered a threat to themselves or others—according to the Minnesota Star Tribune. Hoffman, 60 and also a top Democrat in the legislature, is a member of the state Senate first elected in 2012. He served as chair of the Human Services Committee, according to CBS News, and has also served on committees for energy, environment and health services.