Minnesota Legislator Shootings: Suspect Targeted Four Homes, Charged with Murder
A suspect, Vance Luther Boelter, faces federal homicide charges and potential death penalty for the shooting deaths of Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. Boelter allegedly targeted at least four Minnesota legislators' homes early Saturday, fatally shooting the Hortmans and injuring State Senator John Hoffman and his wife. The suspect, disguised as a police officer with body armor and a realistic mask, is accused of stalking the victims before the attacks
Minnesota shooting suspect targeted Democratic lawmakers in deadly rampage. Federal charges include murder and stalking of multiple state legislators, highlighting a terrifying attack on elected officials
Federal Homicide Charges Filed Against Vance Luther Boelter for Minnesota Legislators' Deaths. Boelter, 57, faces six federal charges, including murder and stalking, related to the shooting deaths of Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and the shooting of State Senator John Hoffman and his wife. The charges carry the death penalty. The Acting U.S. Attorney detailed Boelter's alleged actions, including visits to multiple legislators' homes early Saturday morning
Minnesota lawmaker murders: Suspect Vance Boelter faces federal homicide charges, including the shooting of Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, and the murder of Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. The alleged attack involved stalking both couples and multiple home invasions, with the suspect disguised as a police officer. The death penalty is being considered
Minnesota shooting suspect Vance Boelter targeted at least four lawmakers' homes, authorities reveal. While Boelter fatally shot State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, and injured State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, he visited two other Democratic lawmakers' residences without firing shots. These lawmakers may choose to identify themselves. The suspect, dressed as a police officer, used a 9mm handgun and additional weapons in a series of attacks early Saturday morning. Federal homicide charges, carrying the death penalty, have been filed
Minnesota lawmaker murders: Suspect stalked targets "like prey" in nighttime rampage, says prosecutor. Federal charges, including the death penalty, filed against Vance Luther Boelter for the shooting deaths of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, and the attempted murder of Sen. John Hoffman and his wife. Boelter, disguised as a police officer, targeted Democratic lawmakers in a series of home invasions
Minnesota Legislator Murders: Suspect's Rampage Detailed. A police impersonator, Vance Luther Boelter, launched a deadly shooting spree targeting Democratic lawmakers between 2:00 a.m. and 3:30 a.m. The attack began at the Hoffmans' home and culminated in the murders of Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. Boelter, armed with a handgun and assault rifles, wore a realistic police uniform and tactical gear
Minnesota shooting suspect Vance Boelter, 57, allegedly wore a tactical vest, body armor, and a hyperrealistic silicone mask, impersonating a police officer. He carried a 9mm Beretta handgun and additional assault-style rifles stored in his police-impersonating SUV. This deadly disguise aided his attacks on Minnesota lawmakers
Security camera footage from the Hoffmans' home shows the suspect's approach during the Minnesota legislator shootings
Confrontation at the Hoffmans' home began when the suspect, Vance Boelter, allegedly impersonated a police officer, shouting, "This is the police! Open the door!" This tactic allowed him initial access before his true identity was revealed
Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were shot by a suspect posing as a police officer. The assailant, initially shining a flashlight in their faces, was identified as not being law enforcement when he lowered the light. Realizing the imposter's true identity, the Hoffmans ordered him to leave before he attempted a robbery and opened fire
Minnesota lawmaker shooting: Suspect Vance Boelter, disguised as a police officer, allegedly attempted a robbery at the Hoffman residence, shooting the couple before fleeing. Their daughter immediately called 911. This incident was part of a series of attacks targeting Democratic state legislators
Before fatally shooting Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, suspect Vance Luther Boelter visited at least four Minnesota legislators' homes early Saturday morning. This deadly rampage, detailed by Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson, included shootings at the Hoffmans' home and the Hortmans' residence, and involved the suspect impersonating a police officer. Boelter's alleged actions involved prior stops at two additional homes before ultimately reaching the Hortmans' home
Minnesota Legislator's Maple Grove Home Targeted in Deadly Rampage: While away on vacation, the residents of one Maple Grove home became a target in a series of attacks on Minnesota state legislators
Minnesota Legislator Shootings: Suspect's Actions at New Hope Home
Thompson said that word of the shooting at the Hoffmans’ Champlin, Minnesota, home had put law enforcement on alert. A New Hope Police officer attempted to speak with the suspect in his SUV while waiting for backup at the unnamed lawmaker’s home, but received no response; he departed before the backup arrived.
Officers had also set out to check on the Hortmans in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, arriving around the same time as the suspect.
A chaotic scene then played out, with Boelter allegedly rushing into the home — in sight of police officers — to shoot the couple along with the family dog before fleeing out the back under gunfire. The couple’s daughter called 911.
The Hortmans were rushed to a hospital, but both died of their injuries.
Law enforcement found the suspect’s tactical gear, weapon and mask discarded along his flight path.
The violence sparked the largest manhunt in Minnesota state history, which culminated Sunday when officers arrested Boelter on Sunday in a wooded area in Minnesota after he was spotted on a trail camera by a local resident. He was initially charged with state-level murder counts, which are expected to proceed alongside the federal case.
Boelter was expected to appear in federal court at 1:30 p.m. local time.
An FBI affidavit illuminated Boelter’s alleged movements in the hours after the shootings. He allegedly sent a group text to his family members at 6:18 a.m. Saturday that read, “Dad went to war last night.” Another text found on Boelter’s wife’s phone warned that “trigger-happy” law enforcement officers would probably be coming to look for them; Boelter’s wife and children were found in a car with $10,000 cash, their passports and two handguns.
Boelter himself had allegedly fled on foot to a bus stop where he offered to purchase an e-bike and a Buick sedan from an unnamed witness, having abandoned his SUV at the Hortmans’. He stopped by a bank to take out cash, and was seen on one of the security cameras.
Other evidence linking Boelter to the shootings was apparently found at a home he shares at least part-time with a roommate.
Prosecutors have so far declined to speculate on a motive in the shootings, although they confirmed that hundreds of pages of maps, notebooks and the names of other potential targets had been discovered in the back of the suspect’s SUV.
“Let me say this: There’s been a lot of press coverage and speculation and discussion about a manifesto. I’ve seen nothing like a Unabomber-style manifesto in his writings,” Thompson said.
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“He had many, many notebooks full of plans, lists of names, surveillance,” he went on. “But I have not seen anything involving sort of a political screed or manifesto that would clearly identify what motivated him.”
CORRECTION: The name of one location the shooter visited has been corrected.
Source: Original Article