Minnesota Senator Shooting: Suspect's Flawed Disguise and Near-Miss Arrest. A poorly-lit suburban street, a loose-fitting silicone mask, and a license plate reading simply "POLICE"—this was the disguise of Vance Boelter, the man accused of shooting Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman. His SUV, stocked with weapons and anti-Trump rally flyers, was spotted near another senator's home just hours after the attack. A lucky encounter with a New Hope police officer nearly led to Boelter's capture, highlighting the close call that potentially saved Senator Ann Rest's life
Early Saturday morning, June 14th, at 2:36 a.m., 30 minutes after shooting Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Vance Boelter paused near Senator Ann Rest's New Hope home. His SUV, displaying a fake "POLICE" license plate and carrying assault rifles and anti-Trump rally flyers, raised suspicion. Boelter's attempted assassination of Senator Rest was thwarted only by a vigilant New Hope police officer
The SUV was stocked with weapons, including AK-47 assault rifles, as well as fliers advertising a local anti-Trump rally scheduled for later Saturday and a written list of names of people he appeared to be targeting. Senator Rest, prosecutors would later say, was among those Boelter set out to kill on June 14.
Undercover police car? Wrong. While parked near Senator Ann Rest's home, Vance Boelter, disguised in a police-marked SUV with flashing lights and weapons, was nearly exposed. A New Hope police officer, investigating the Hoffman shooting, approached Boelter's vehicle but received no response. Her subsequent check on Senator Rest likely saved her life, according to authorities
Responding to the Hoffman shooting, a New Hope police officer investigating Senator Rest's safety mistook Vance Boelter's SUV for an unmarked police vehicle. Boelter's convincing disguise, featuring flashing lights and police decals, fooled the officer despite the "POLICE" license plate and a somewhat ill-fitting silicone mask. The officer's attempt to communicate was met with silence, prompting her to proceed to check on Senator Rest, an action credited with potentially saving Rest's life
A New Hope police officer, investigating the Hoffman shooting, approached a suspicious SUV displaying police markings. Despite her attempts to communicate, the driver—later identified as Vance Boelter—remained unresponsive, staring straight ahead. Uncertain, the officer proceeded to check on Senator Rest's safety, a decision that likely saved the Senator's life
Quick action by a New Hope police officer likely saved Senator Ann Rest's life after a shooting spree, according to Rest and Police Chief Timothy Hoyt. The officer's initiative prevented a potential second attack by suspect Vance Boelter
Unarmed, a New Hope police officer bravely checked on Senator Ann Rest's welfare following the Hoffman shooting, potentially saving her life. Despite a suspicious SUV with flashing lights and police markings nearby, she acted decisively, highlighting her courage and dedication to public safety. Chief Hoyt praised her actions as "the right thing
Boelter's meticulously planned pre-dawn attack in New Hope, Minnesota, is highlighted by a brief but crucial encounter. His convincing police impersonation—complete with body armor, badge, tactical vest, and a marked SUV—initially thwarted law enforcement efforts, underscoring the sophistication of his attempted assassination spree
57-year-old Vance Boelter's 43-hour manhunt: Following a shooting that critically injured Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Boelter's escape sparked Minnesota's largest manhunt, involving state and federal agencies. His ill-fitting disguise and "POLICE"-marked SUV initially fooled an officer, allowing him to evade capture for over a day amidst national unrest surrounding immigration protests and political turmoil
Minnesota man Vance Boelter faces the death penalty for a politically motivated double murder and attempted double homicide. Prosecutors allege Boelter, disguised and armed with assault rifles, targeted Minnesota state senators in a pre-dawn attack. The incident, described by Governor Tim Walz as politically motivated, involved a planned attack on multiple individuals
Minnesota man Vance Boelter, accused of shooting Senator John Hoffman and targeting other state officials, awaits arraignment. Prosecutors investigate the motive and potential accomplices, while Boelter's public defender reviews the case. The suspect's poorly executed disguise and vehicle, equipped with weapons and a hit list, were key to his arrest
Gripping account of the Vance Boelter manhunt, meticulously reconstructed using court records, law enforcement statements, and exclusive interviews with friends, police, lawmakers, and residents. Uncover the details of this shocking Minnesota crime
The Minnesota shooting spree, echoing past mass shootings, raises chilling parallels to previous attacks. Experts like former FBI profiler James Fitzgerald suggest the suspect, Vance Boelter, may have studied the 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting, where a gunman disguised as police killed 22. Boelter's poorly executed police impersonation, coupled with his arsenal of weapons and target list, points to a premeditated attack mirroring the chilling tactics of other mass shooters
Serial killers often study past successes and failures, mimicking tactics to evade capture—even impersonating law enforcement. FBI profiler Jim Fitzgerald, who helped capture the Unabomber, notes this strategy, explaining that posing as a police officer buys valuable time. This was evident in the attempted assassination of Minnesota Senator Ann Rest, where the perpetrator's convincing (though flawed) police disguise almost worked
The violence began at the Hoffman’s brick split-level home in Champlin, a leafy, middle-class suburb of Minneapolis. With his emergency lights flashing, Boelter pulled into the driveway just after 2:00 a.m. and knocked on the door.
“This is the police. Open the door,” Boelter shouted repeatedly, according to an FBI affidavit.
Senator Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, soon determined Boelter was not a real police officer. Boelter shot Senator Hoffman nine times, and then fired on Yvette, who shielded her daughter from being hit.
As Boelter fled the scene, the daughter called 911.
The Hoffmans were on a target list of more than 45 federal and state elected officials in Minnesota, all Democrats, acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson told a briefing on Monday.
Boelter voted for President Donald Trump, was a Christian and did not like abortion, according to his part-time roommate, David Carlson. Carlson said Boelter did not seem angry about politics.
Thompson said Boelter “stalked his victims like prey” but that the writings he left behind did not point to a coherent motive. “His crimes are the stuff of nightmares,” he said.
After the Hoffman’s, the next address plugged into Boelter’s GPS system was a lawmaker about 9 miles away in the Minneapolis suburb of Maple Grove.
Surveillance cameras from the home of State Representative Kristin Bahner show a masked Boelter ringing the doorbell at 2:24 a.m. and shouting “Open the door. This is the police. We have a warrant,” the FBI affidavit says.
Bahner and her family were not at home.
From there, Boelter moved on to New Hope and the close encounter with the officer who had dispatched to Rest’s home. After that, he wasn’t seen by police again until he arrived at the residence of Melissa Hortman, the top Democrat in the state House, in Brooklyn Park.
Sensing that Hortman might be a target, Brooklyn Park police officers had decided to check on her. When they arrived at 3:30 a.m. they saw a black Ford Explorer outside her house, its police-style lights flashing. Boelter was near the front door.
When Boelter saw the officers exit their squad car, he fired at them. He then ran through the front door on the house, where he killed Melissa and Mark Hortman, her husband.
When Boelter left the Hortman’s home, he abandoned his fake-police SUV. Inside the car, police found a 9mm handgun, three AK-47 assault rifles, fliers advertising a local anti-Trump “No Kings” rally and a notebook with names of people who appear to have been targets, according to court documents.
From that point, Boelter was on the run. Little has been revealed about his movements during the period, although police say he visited his part-time residence in north Minneapolis. He also sent texts. In one, to his family’s group chat, Boelter writes, “Dad went to war last night”. In another, to a close friend, Boelter says he may be dead soon.
Police also know that by early morning on Saturday Boelter had met a man at a Minneapolis bus stop who agreed to sell him an e-bike and a Buick sedan for $900. The two drove to a bank where Boelter withdrew $2,200 from his account. A security camera shows Boelter wearing a cowboy hat.
But it took until 10:00 a.m. on Sunday for authorities to close in. Police searching the area near Boelter’s family home in the rural community of Green Isle, discovered the abandoned Buick, along with a cowboy hat and handwritten letter to the FBI in which Boelter admitted to the shootings, prosecutors said.
Law enforcement scrambled to set up a perimeter surrounding the area, SWAT teams and search dogs were deployed, and drones were put in the air.
It was the trail camera of a resident, however, that provided the final clue, capturing an image of Boelter around 7:00 p.m., allowing officers to narrow their search.
Two hours later, the pursuit ended with Boelter crawling to police. He was armed but surrendered without a fight.
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(reporting by Nathan Layne and Tom Polansek in Minneapolis and Joseph Ax in New York; editing by Paul Thomasch and Nick Zieminski)
Source: Original Article