What we know about Vance Boelter and the shootings of two Minnesota lawmakers and spouses

Minnesotans woke up Saturday to news of a political assassination in the Twin Cities suburbs.

State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were killed. State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were shot and injured. Both are members of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, and Hortman until recently served as House speaker. Vance Luther Boelter, 57, of Green Isle, Minn., was arrested and charged on Sunday evening and is in custody of U.S. Marshals before his first court appearance in federal court Monday afternoon.

Here’s what to know about the situation:

Hennepin County prosecutors unsealed second-degree murder and attempted murder charges against Boelter on Sunday night, though County Attorney Mary Moriarty said Monday her office will pursue first-degree murder charges.

Joseph Thompson, acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota, said the federal government is also bringing six charges against Boelter, including murder and stalking. Thomspon said the murder charges are “punishable by a term of life imprisonment or even death.”

The state charges detail Boelter’s alleged assault on the Hoffman family, and say police witnessed Boelter shoot Mark Hortman through the front door. Boelter escaped after exchanging gunfire with officers.

Police searched Boelter’s vehicle at the scene and state charging documents say they found three AK-47 assault rifles, a 9 mm handgun, as well as a list of names and addresses of public officials. Police also said they searched the area, finding a ballistic vest, a disassembled 9 mm firearm, mask and gold police-style badge. Boelter bought four of the firearms police found, according to the charging documents.

Thompson said Boelter, wearing a tactical vest and hyper-realistic silicone mask, knocked on the door and repeatedly shouted that he was police. Hoffman and his wife opened the door, and Boelter said a shooting had been reported in the house and asked if they had weapons.

When Boelter lowered a flashlight he shined in their face, the Hoffman’s realized he wasn’t a cop and shouted that Boelter wasn’t an officer, Thompson said. Boelter said “this is a robbery,” and forced himself into the home and shot both repeatedly before fleeing the scene. The Hoffman’s daughter called 911, Thompson said.

Thompson said Boelter then went to the home of a state representative in Maple Grove, where video surveillance showed he rang the doorbell at 2:24 a.m. This lawmaker was on vacation and not home, Thompson said, so Boelter left.

Boelter next traveled to the home of Ann Rest, a DFL state senator from New Hope, according to Thompson. At about 2:36 a.m. New Hope police dispatched an officer to conduct a wellness check at Rest’s home. When the New hope officer arrived at the scene, she saw Boelter’s black SUV parked down the block with lights on, Thompson said. She pulled up, believing Boelter was an officer who had been dispatched and tried to talk to Boelter, Thompson said. He didn’t respond and left when the officer went to Rest’s home.

As an investigation ensued, Brooklyn Park police proactively went to check on Hortman’s home, about five or six miles away, at 3:35 a.m. There, officers found what appeared to be a police vehicle in the driveway with emergency lights on.

He repeatedly fired into the house, and when he entered, he murdered Melissa and Mark Hortman, Thompson said. Boelter escaped despite officers shooting at him, Thompson said.

Bruley, the chief of Brooklyn Park police, said the suspect, who was later identified as Boelter, was driving a vehicle “that looked exactly like an SUV squad car. It was equipped with emergency lights. He was wearing a vest with a Taser, other equipment, a badge.”

“This was not a real police officer, this was a person who was clearly impersonating a police officer, wearing the trust of this badge to manipulate their way into the home,” he said.

As of Sunday morning, the Hoffmans were awake and recovering, according to their nephew, Mat Ollig.

Boelter surrendered by crawling to law enforcement in a field near his home in rural Sibley County on Sunday evening, said state Patrol Lt. Col. Jeremy Geiger. That ended what Brooklyn Park police chief Mark Bruley said was the largest manhunt in Minnesota history.

There were other potential sightings of Boelter. Around 7 p.m., a local resident reported their trail camera captured an image “consistent with Boelter,” said Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher.

Shortly before 8 p.m. Sunday, Wendy Thomas was leaving a friend’s house and saw a man crawling in grass. “‘He’s right there!’” Thomas said she told officers.

Law enforcement, which included 20 different SWAT teams, had descended on the area, and with the help of drones, a State Patrol helicopter, and infrared technology, Boelter eventually obeyed commands to give himself up.

There was not a prolonged negotiation with Boelter, said Drew Evans, Superintendent of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, on Monday.

“Because of the extremely good coordination and what [law enforcement] were doing, I believe [Boelter] was certainly in a position where he just had to give up because he knew he was surrounded by who was there,” Evans told reporters.

After being arrested, Boelter was booked into Hennepin County jail just after 1 a.m. Monday.

During his encounter with Brooklyn Park officers, Boelter wore a fake but convincing police uniform with a badge, officials said.

Bruley said there was “no question” he would be mistaken for an officer.

When the FBI announced a reward of up to $50,000 leading to Boelter’s arrest and conviction, it included photos of him wearing what appears to be a mask as he approached one of the homes.

Gov. Tim Walz said Saturday the shooting appears to be a politically motivated assassination.

A person familiar with the investigation has said the list of targets purported to be written by Vance Boelter included the names of individuals and businesses, including Planned Parenthood locations. Rep. Melissa Hortman’s name was down the list, not at the top. It was not alphabetized, and some names had addresses, while others did not. It was two pages, containing about 50 to 70 names.

Officials also said that flyers for No Kings Day protests were found in the vehicle, prompting law enforcement on Satruday to encourage people not to attend the events.

Drew Evans, the superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said “we will be in a position where we’ll be able to develop the motivation behind these attacks and we’ll be able to provide more information as this unfolds.”

Some on social media have claimed Boelter had longstanding ties to the Minnesota’s DFL governor or was an associate of his.

It’s true that Walz reappointed Boelter in 2019 to a workforce development advisory board, one that Hoffman also served on at the time.

Boelter’s friend and roommate David Carlson told reporters on Saturday that Boelter voted for President Donald Trump and was a “strong supporter” of the president but was “hardly ever talking about politics lately.”

Read a fact check on this claim and others here.

Hortman was the top Democratic leader in the Minnesota House. You can find more information about her here.

Hoffman is a state Senator from Champlin, who chairs the Senate’s Human Services Committee. Hoffman was shot nine times and his wife Yvette was hit eight times when the gunman burst into their Champlin home. Both are recovering. You can find more information about him here.