Vikings release statement following shootings of Minnesota lawmakers
Vikings release statement following shootings of Minnesota lawmakers
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Minnesota's world was turned upside down early Saturday morning with the news that state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were killed in their home, and State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were shot multiple times in what Gov. Tim Walz called a "politically motivated assassination."
A manhunt for the suspect, identified as 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter, has ensued in the aftermath. Residents of the Brooklyn Park, Minnesota area were sheltering in place while the search continued. That order has since been lifted after police said there was reason to believe the suspect was no longer in the area.
MORE: Suspect identified in Minnesota lawmakers shooting: Updates
Many have come out to denounce the act, including the Minnesota-area sports teams. The Minnesota Vikings released a statement, condemning the actions that took place:
"As Minnesotans and a team that cares deeply about our state, we are shocked and saddened by the targeted overnight attacks that took the lives of State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and seriously injured State Senator Jon Hoffman and his wife, Yvette.
"Our organization has worked closely with both legislators and appreciated their duties as civil servants. Speaker Emerita Hortman was a friend of the Vikings for more than 15 years and a tremendous state leader who worked tirelessly to make Minnesota a better place for all residents. She was a mother, a wife and a friend who genuinely cared about people and relationships. Our prayers are with the Hortman family as they grieve this tragedy and with all government officials who are mourning the loss of a colleague and friend. We hope for fast and full recoveries for Senator Hoffman and Yvette and safety for all members of law enforcement who continue to search for those responsible.
"These senseless acts should have no place in our communities, our state or our society. We must all unequivocally condemn political violence, reject hateful division, and deliberately work toward mutual respect, compassion and unity."
Police are still looking for the suspected shooter.
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New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
Live Updates: Manhunt for Minnesota Assassin Enters 2nd Day as State Mourns Victims
The police have said that the suspect in Saturday's attacks, Vance Boelter, 57, disguised himself as a police officer before going to the homes of two state lawmakers in the Minneapolis suburbs. The man suspected of shooting two Democratic state lawmakers in Minnesota early on Saturday had served on a state board with one of the victims, records show. The suspect identified by the authorities, Vance Boelter, 57, was appointed several times by Minnesota governors to the Workforce Development Board, where he served with State Senator John A. Hoffman, who was shot and survived. Mr. Boelter and Senator Hoffman attended a virtual meeting together in 2022 for a discussion about the job market in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, minutes from the meeting show. Drew Evans, the superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said investigators did not yet know how well the two knew each other, if at all. Mr. Boelter was appointed to the board in 2016 by Mark Dayton, a Democrat who was then the governor. More recently, he was appointed by Gov. Tim Walz, also a Democrat. The board has 41 members who are appointed by the governor, and its goal is to improve business development in the state. A state report in 2016 listed Mr. Boelter's political affiliation as 'none or other,' and another report in 2020 listed him as having 'no party preference.' Voters do not declare political affiliation when they register in Minnesota. The police have said that the suspect in the attacks disguised himself as a police officer and went to the homes of two state lawmakers in the Minneapolis suburbs. He shot and wounded Senator Hoffman, and his wife, Yvette, and fatally shot State Representative Melissa Hortman, and her husband, Mark. He remains on the run. U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Democrat of Minnesota, said in an interview that the gunman had a list that included her name and the names of other lawmakers, all of whom were Democrats. The list included about 70 potential targets, a federal law enforcement official said, including doctors, community and business leaders, and locations for Planned Parenthood and other health care centers. Some of the targets were in neighboring states. Image A State Patrol helicopter flies near a home where a search warrant was executed in Minneapolis on Saturday. Credit... Tim Gruber for The New York Times David Carlson lives at an address in Minneapolis where the police executed a search warrant for Mr. Boelter and said he has been one of his best friends since fourth grade. Mr. Boelter's listed address is in Green Isle, Minn., about an hour's drive away. Mr. Carlson said that Mr. Boelter also rented a room in the same home as him, and stayed there several days a week. Mr. Boelter worked at a funeral home, owned guns and had voted for President Trump last year, he said. Mr. Carlson read a text message that he had received from Mr. Boelter early on Saturday morning, in which he wrote that he might be dead soon. The message did not describe any details of the attacks, Mr. Carlson said. On Friday, Mr. Boelter had given Mr. Carlson four months' worth of advance rent payments — which was about $220 a month — for a small room in the shared house. He had said he needed some rest and so Mr. Carlson left him alone. Mr. Carlson said Mr. Boelter is a Christian who strongly opposed abortion. He had never mentioned either of the lawmakers who were shot, Mr. Carlson said, and had generally avoided talking about politics. He said Mr. Boelter had been experiencing financial and mental health challenges. Mr. Boelter and his wife run a private security company in Minnesota, according to its website. The company, Praetorian Guard Security Services, lists Mr. Boelter as the director of security patrols and his wife as the president. The firm's website describes using Ford Explorer S.U.V.s, 'the same make and model of vehicles that many police departments use.' On Saturday afternoon, the police towed a Ford Explorer from outside Representative Hortman's home. The firm says it offers only armed security. 'If you are looking for unarmed guards, please work with another service to meet your needs better,' the website says. Image The police towing a Ford Explorer that they said the suspect used from near Representative Melissa Hortman's home in Brooklyn Park, Minn., on Saturday. Credit... Tim Gruber for The New York Times Mr. Boelter's public professional history is varied. State reports and his LinkedIn profile indicate that he was recently a general manager of a 7-Eleven in Minneapolis and, before that, had worked as the general manager of a gas station in St. Paul. A report in 2017 listed him as an executive at an energy company. More recently, he had said on LinkedIn that he was the chief executive of a company called Red Lion Group, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, dedicated to creating 'good jobs for local people,' according to its website. Mr. Boelter has delivered several sermons at a church in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In a video of one that was posted online, he appeared to criticize gay and transgender people. 'There's people, especially in America, they don't know what sex they are,' he said. 'They don't know their sexual orientation, they're confused. The enemy has gotten so far into their mind and their soul.' In the sermon, he said he had given his life to Jesus as a teenager and had been blessed with five children. In a video posted online, seemingly for an educational course, Mr. Boelter said he had picked up work at funeral homes to help pay his bills. It was not clear when the video was uploaded, but Mr. Boelter said he worked six days a week for two funeral homes in the Minneapolis area. At one, he said, he sometimes helped to remove bodies from crime scenes and would work with police officers and death investigators. A spokesman for Des Moines Area Community College, in Iowa, said Mr. Boelter took classes in the school's mortuary science program, an online program, in 2023 and 2024. The website for Mr. Boelter's security company makes expansive claims about his work experience, which could not immediately be verified, including that he had been 'involved with security situations' in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and that he had worked for 'the largest U.S. oil refining company, the world's largest food company based in Switzerland and the world's largest convenience retailer based in Japan.' Image Sweeping the neighborhood near the home of Ms. Hortman in Brooklyn Park, Minn., on Saturday. Credit... Tim Gruber for The New York Times I.R.S. tax forms show that Mr. Boelter and his wife once led a Christian nonprofit called Revoformation Ministries. An archived version of the group's website described Mr. Boelter as becoming an ordained minister in 1993. Mr. Boelter, the site said, had traveled previously to violent areas 'in the Gaza Strip and West Bank,' the site said, and had 'sought out militant Islamists in order to share the gospel and tell them that violence wasn't the answer.' In November 2018, Mr. Boelter urged his followers on LinkedIn to vote in that year's election, saying he had been to countries where people could not elect their leaders and that were 'not places that anyone of us would want to live in.' 'I am very big on just telling people to be a part of the process and vote your values,' he wrote, 'and be part of this adventure we are all a part of living in the United States of America.' 'I think the election is going to have more of an impact on the direction of our country than probably any election we have been apart of, or will be apart of for years to come,' he continued. One of the victims on Saturday's attacks, Ms. Hortman, ran successfully for re-election that year. Julie Bosman , Kevin Draper , Adam Goldman , Bernard Mokam and Jay Senter contributed reporting. Jack Begg and Kitty Bennett contributed research.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
FBI Releases Chilling Photo of Minnesota Suspect Vance Boelter in Rubber Mask
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has released a chilling new photo of Minnesota shooting suspect Vance Boelter, who authorities believe shot two Democratic lawmakers and their spouses, two fatally. Two news outlets reported that Boelter was wearing a rubber or latex mask. The photo shows Boelter wearing the fake police uniform that authorities earlier described, authorities say; Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said in a press conference that Boelter, 57, was impersonating a police officer and also was driving a police-like SUV with lights when police believe he opened fire. According to ABC, the third photo in the wanted poster released by the FBI shows Boelter as he approached one of the victim's doors. Police believe Boelter shot and killed Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark at their home after shooting and wounding state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette. Fox 9 reported that Boelter was wearing an "old man rubber mask" when he knocked on the doors so he didn't "even look like himself." ABC News also reported that Boelter was "wearing a latex mask that looked realistic." Another photo released by the FBI shows Boelter in a cowboy hat. "The FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Vance L. Boelter, the suspect in Saturday's targeted shootings of Minnesota lawmakers and their families in Champlin and Brooklyn Park," the FBI wrote. Authorities found his gear in a swamp, including a bullet proof vest, Fox 9 reported. "How he's getting around right now is a mystery," the Fox 9 reporter said on air. He was also seen outside the home of another lawmaker, Fox 9 wrote. His LinkedIn page and website said Boelter was affiliated with a private security firm Praetorian Guard Security Services, as well as a company called Red Lion Group. He was appointed to the Minnesota Governor's Workforce Development Board by Gov. Tim Walz and former Gov. Mark Dayton, press releases and ABC News reported. According to ABC News, "dozens of Minnesota Democrats were on a target list written by the gunman," including Walz, U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith and state Attorney General Keith Ellison. "The shooter's list of potential targets also included the names of abortion providers and pro-choice activists," ABC News reported. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that 11 Wisconsin Democratic lawmakers were also on the list. They included eight women and three men, all Democrats, the Journal Sentinel Releases Chilling Photo of Minnesota Suspect Vance Boelter in Rubber Mask first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 15, 2025
Washington Post
3 hours ago
- Washington Post
Live updates: Manhunt continues for suspect in shootings of Minnesota lawmakers
A sprawling manhunt continued into early Sunday for Vance Luther Boelter, the suspect in the shootings of two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses on Saturday. Gov. Tim Walz (D) said the attacks appeared to be 'an act of targeted political violence.' Melissa Hortman, a top Democrat in the Minnesota House of Representatives, and her husband, Mark, were killed in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, while Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were injured in a separate attack in the Minneapolis suburb of Champlin. A $50,000 FBI reward has been offered for information on Boelter, 57, a White man with security experience. Officers found a list featuring Democrats supporting abortion rights and other liberal causes in a vehicle used by the suspect. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) said that state flags will fly at half-staff to honor and remember veteran state Rep. Melissa Hortman (D), who was killed along with her husband in a shooting that Walz had earlier described as an 'act of political violence.' 'She woke up every morning determined to make Minnesota a better place, and she will be greatly missed,' he wrote on X.
