Authorities searched a vehicle on a rural road outside Minneapolis on Sunday, June 15, that they believe had been used by the man wanted in the shootings of two Democratic lawmakers, as a state on edge struggled to make sense of the brazen political violence that left one leader dead.
Former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were killed in their Brooklyn Park home early Saturday. Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were injured at their Champlin home, about 15 kilometers away.
Authorities named 57-year-old Vance Boelter as a suspect, saying he wore a mask as he posed as a police officer, even allegedly altering a vehicle to make it look like a police car.
More than 24 hours after authorities first confronted him outside Hortman's home, Boelter was still on the loose after fleeing on foot. The FBI issued a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to his arrest and conviction. They circulated a photo taken Saturday of Boelter wearing a tan cowboy hat and asked the public to report sightings.
Investigators found a cowboy hat near the vehicle and were working to determine whether it belongs to Boelter. Law enforcement officers were searching the area, including nearby homes. The officials could not discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
The search was happening in rural Sibley County, roughly 80 kilometers southwest of Minneapolis, where Boelter had a home with his wife and five children. Residents in the area received an emergency alert about the located vehicle that warned them to lock their doors and cars.
A crowd of officers were seen congregated on a dirt road near the abandoned dark sedan believed to have been used by Boelter. Doors on both sides of the car were splayed open, with discarded items scattered near the vehicle. Some officers broke off and walked into a wooded area off the road. The car was later towed away.
"We believe he’s somewhere in the vicinity and that they are going to find him, US Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota said Sunday on NBC’s "Meet the Press." "But right now, everyone’s on edge here, because we know that this man will kill at a second."
The shootings come as political leaders nationwide have been attacked, harassed and intimidated amid deep political divisions. Lawmakers said they were disturbed by the attacks as Twin Cities residents mourned.