Alleged Minnesota assassin Vance Boelter texted family, ‘Dad went to war last night' hours after killing spree: prosecutors
Alleged Minnesota assassin Vance Boelter texted his family, 'Dad went to war last night' hours after his deadly shooting spree early Saturday, according to federal prosecutors.
The madman — who killed a state representative and her husband and wounded another pol and his wife at their homes — sent the chilling message to wife and other relatives in a group thread around 6:15 a.m. that day, a criminal complaint said.
A mask wearing Vance Boelter is seen before he allegedly fatally shot a Democratic lawmaker.
FBI
e Boelter texted his family, 'Dad went to war last night' hours after his deadly shooting spree early Saturday, according to federal prosecutors.
via REUTERS
'Dad went to war last night … I don't wanna say more because I don't wanna implicate anybody,' Boelter, 57, allegedly wrote.
He also sent an apologetic message to his wife around the same time.
'Words are not gonna explain how sorry I am for this situation … there's gonna be some people coming to the house armed and trigger-happy and I don't want you guys around,' he wrote, according to the documents.
Boelter is facing federal and state charges in the murder of former state House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark and in the non-fatal shooting of state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette.
He appeared in federal court for the first time Monday afternoon and was ordered to be held without bail.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
16 minutes ago
- Fox News
Suspect in shooting of Minnesota lawmaker charged with murder, stalking; faces life in prison or death
MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota lawmaker shooting suspect Vance Luther Boelter, 57, has been hit with new federal charges after officials captured him in Sibley County on Sunday night in what police described as the "largest manhunt" in the state's history. He is charged with two counts of stalking, two counts of murder and two counts of firearm-related crimes in federal court. In addition to the federal charges, Boelter is facing second-degree murder charges filed in Hennepin County, where he is accused of killing former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, early Saturday morning at their Brooklyn Park home in Minneapolis, and of shooting State Sen. John Hoffman, also a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, in their nearby Champlin home in a related attack. The Hennepin County Attorney's Office on Monday announced that it intends to file first-degree murder charges against the suspect. A federal source confirmed to Fox News that Boelter is no longer in Hennepin County or Minneapolis. It's believed that he's being held in Sherburne County, northwest of Minneapolis. Online records showed he arrived there on Monday. Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson described Boelter's alleged actions as "chilling" during a Monday news conference, saying the suspect first arrived at the Hoffmans' home wearing a police-like uniform in a black SUV with emergency lights turned on and a license plate that read "police." HEAR THE DISPATCH CALL: "Boelter wore a black tactical vest and body armor. He carried a flashlight and a Beretta 9 mm handgun," Thompson said. "He also wore a hyperrealistic silicon mask. Sen. Hoffman had a security camera. I've seen the footage from that camera, and it is chilling. Boelter knocked on Sen. Hoffman's front door and repeatedly shouted, 'This is police. Open the door.'" "It's no exaggeration to say this is the stuff of nightmares." When they opened the door, Boelter shined a light in their faces, and the Hoffmans soon realized the suspect was not a police officer. The suspect then shot the Hoffmans and fled the scene, and their daughter called 911, Thompson said. Following the shooting at the Hoffmans' residence, Boelter traveled to the home of another Minnesota state representative in the Maple Grove neighborhood. Read the complaint: Around 2:24 a.m. on Saturday, he knocked on the unnamed state lawmaker's door wearing the same silicon mask and police uniform. He knocked on the representative's door, but no one answered as the lawmaker and his wife were on vacation. Thompson described the security footage as "haunting." "Boelter planned his attack carefully." Around 2:36 a.m. on Saturday, Boelter traveled to another state senator's home in New Hope. Boelter parked on the street in his black SUV. New Hope police dispatched an officer to the state senator's home for a wellness check. Upon arrival, an officer saw Boelter's SUV parked on the block with its lights on, according to the U.S. Attorney. "The New Hope police officer pulled up next to Boelter … rolled down her window and attempted to speak with him. Boelter did not respond," Thompson said. "The New Hope police officer proceeded to the state senator's home, and she waited for law enforcement to arrive. … By the time they did, Boelter had left the scene. Boelter then traveled to the Hortmans' home in Brooklyn Park, where he allegedly shot Melissa and Mark, wearing the same police uniform and mask. Boelter is currently charged with two counts of second-degree murder for the deaths of Victims 1 and 2 – identified as Melissa and Mark Hortman – and two counts of attempted second-degree murder for the shootings of Victims 3 and 4 – identified as John Hoffman and Yvette Hoffman – in Hennepin County. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said Monday that those were the charges they could file via complaint on Sunday so they could take Boelter into custody at an early point in their investigation into the suspect's alleged actions. All charges are felonies and each carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum of three years due to the use of a firearm. The Sibley County Sheriff's Office told Fox News that Boelter "verbally" identified himself to authorities searching for him in the area on Sunday evening. Sibley County resident Kevin Effertz, who owns the property where Boelter was arrested, told Fox News Digital on Monday that a friend who stopped by his home Sunday saw something suspicious. "She saw this guy out in the field that was by himself, dressed in black, just with his back towards her," Effertz said. "When she started coming down the driveway, he ducked down, which made her kind of suspicious." The friend then "waved down" a police officer nearby, who told her to go to a safe area. "Within 20 minutes, she called me back and said they already had him," Effertz said. WATCH: Minnesota resident speaks at spot where Boelter was nabbed Authorities uncovered an arsenal in Boelter's possession, documents said. Inside his vehicle, registered to him, police found three AK-47 assault rifles, a 9 mm handgun and a list of names and addresses of other public officials. His bail was set at $5 million. Democrat Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar shared a message from Hoffman's wife on Sunday, saying the state senator was shot nine times and she was shot eight times. "John is enduring many surgeries right now and is closer every hour to being out of the woods," Yvette wrote. "He took [nine] bullet hits. I took [eight] and we are both incredibly lucky to be alive. We are gutted and devastated by the loss of Melissa and Mark. There is never a place for this kind of political hate." Randolph Rice, a former prosecutor and a partner at Rice Law in Baltimore, told Fox News Digital that the federal charges filed against Boelter "significantly changes" with "the legal landscape for the accused, Vance Boelter." "Minnesota abolished the death penalty more than a century ago, so if this case were prosecuted solely at the state level, capital punishment would not be on the table," Randolph said. "However, these federal charges open the door to the possibility of the death penalty if the Department of Justice decides to pursue it. Moreover, the resources and experience of the U.S. Attorney's Office will ensure a thorough and vigorous prosecution."
New York Post
21 minutes ago
- New York Post
California Dems propose legislation to ban face masks for law enforcement officers — and not protesters or criminals
As Republicans have pushed for mask bans to crack down on shadowy protesters and criminals, a pair of Democratic lawmakers in California want to prohibit law enforcement officers from wearing face coverings following the federal crackdown on Los Angeles anti-ICE protests. State Sens. Scott Wiener and Jesse Arreguin, who represent San Francisco and Oakland, respectively, announced on social media that they would be introducing the 'No Secret Police Act' to ban most law enforcement members from covering their faces when interacting with the public. The bill would also require officers to display identifying information on their uniforms, like name tags on their helmets. Advertisement 4 Two Democratic lawmakers announced a bill that would ban law enforcement from wearing face coverings while interacting with the public. Toby Canham for NY Post 4 The legislation was dubbed the 'No Secret Police Act'. AFP via Getty Images 'We're seeing the rise of secret police — masked, no identifying info, even wearing army fatigues — grabbing & disappearing people. It's antithetical to democracy & harms communities. The No Secret Police Act can help end the fear & chaos this behavior creates in communities,' Wiener wrote on X. Advertisement 'The recent federal operations in California have created an environment of profound terror. If we want the public to trust law enforcement, we cannot allow them to behave like secret police in an authoritarian state,' Wiener told The San Francisco Standard. The legislation wouldn't affect SWAT members and officers who need to wear medical masks during certain disasters, including wildfires that frequently rock the Golden State. Certain types of riot gear, like the ones donned by many cops handling the LA protests, would also still be permitted under the bill so long as the officer's face is still visible through the face covering. 4 Officials would still be permitted to wear certain masks during disasters, like gas or medical masks. Toby Canham for NY Post 4 Some states have also moved to ban criminals and protesters from wearing face coverings. AFP via Getty Images Advertisement In Los Angeles, protesters have come prepared to the demonstrations with their own face coverings, ranging from medical masks to protect against tear gas to keffiyehs, a traditional Palestinian scarf commonly worn during anti-Israel protests. Some of the masked protesters were photographed and filmed setting cars on fire or hurling items at officers. The coverings make it harder for cops to identify and track down the violent suspects. In New York City, calls for a mask ban on protesters increased after anti-Israel encampments spurred chaos on many college campuses in the city and across the United States. A NYC council member introduced a bill to forbid full-coverage ski masks from being worn in public. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, meanwhile, belabored on publicly advocating a mask ban statewide for months despite encouraging it behind closed doors. She eventually relented while trying to finalize the state budget in April and included a new law that tacks on an additional fine for anyone who wears a mask while committing a crime.
23 minutes ago
40 hours of violence and fear as gunman stalks Minnesota politicians
MINNEAPOLIS -- Violence and fear swept through towns in an arc around Minneapolis for more than 40 hours over the weekend as a man seemingly intent on sowing political devastation killed one Minnesota state lawmaker and left another bleeding from nine bullet wounds. The attacks sparked the largest manhunt in Minnesota history, with heavily armed officers in full combat gear riding armored vehicles through suburban streets and country roads, ending in the arrest of Vance Boelter, a 57-year-old father of five and sometime Christian pastor known for his deeply conservative beliefs — but whose friends never saw him as an extremist. From a state that has long prided itself on political civility, the attacks rippled across the country as frightened political leaders worried that America's divides could cost them their lives. 'This was a political assassination, which is not the word we use very often in the United States, let alone in Minnesota' acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson told reporters Monday. 'It's a chilling attack on our democracy, on our way of life.' The black SUV's emergency lights were flashing when it pulled up to the brick split-level home in the quiet, middle-class Minneapolis suburb. The maple tree in the front yard was lush with summer leaves. The man got out of the car wearing tactical clothing, body armor and what looked like a police badge. He was carrying a 9 mm Beretta pistol. He knocked loudly and repeatedly shouted, 'This is the police, open the door.' Later, even law enforcement officials said they would have believed he was a police officer. The couple who lived at the Champlin home, Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, opened the door to a flashlight shining in their faces. There had been a report of a shooting in the house, Boelter told them. But when he eventually lowered the flashlight, Yvette Hoffman could see he was wearing a realistic mask that covered his entire head. In the confrontation that followed, he shot both repeatedly. The next morning, nine bullet holes could be seen in their front door. Police responded within minutes, after a 911 call from the Hoffman's adult daughter, who also lives in the house. The legislator and his wife were rushed to a nearby hospital. A little more than 10 miles (16 kilometers) away, security camera footage showed Boelter, still in his mask and tactical clothing, holding a flashlight as he rang the doorbell at the home of someone who authorities have so far only identified as 'Public Official 1.' 'This is the police. Open the door,' he said loudly. 'We have a warrant.' Boelter was traveling with a list of about 70 names, including prominent state and federal lawmakers, community leaders and abortion-rights advocates, according to two law enforcement officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss details of the ongoing investigation. The federal affidavit says the list was composed of 'mostly or all Democrats.' No one was at the Maple Grove home. Boelter soon left. But he had plenty of other targets. Boelter had carefully planned his attacks in advance, making notes about targets' families and conducting surveillance on their homes, Thompson said. 'Boelter stalked his victims like prey,' he said. Roughly 5 miles (8 kilometers) away, in another suburb just north of Minneapolis, Boelter drove to the home of Democratic state Sen. Ann Rest. By then, law enforcement was starting to worry about local legislators and New Hope police dispatched an officer to do a safety check at Rest's home. That officer found what she thought was a police vehicle already doing a check, parked down the street from the house. When the officer tried to speak to Boelter, he stared straight ahead and didn't respond. The officer then drove to Rest's home, and after seeing no trouble waited for backup and returned to where Boelter had been parked. But by then he was gone. An off-duty sergeant with the Brooklyn Park police was leaving the station when he heard about the shooting at Hoffman's house. ''Hey, drive by Melissa Hortman's house and just check on the house, would you?' he told a pair of officers, the city's police chief, Mark Bruley, told reporters. Hortman, 55, the former house speaker, had long been one of the state's leading Democrats. Boelter, his phony police car parked out front with its lights flashing, was standing at the front door of the large brick home when the real Brooklyn Park officers arrived. 'Moments after their arrival on scene, Boelter fired several gunshots as he moved forward, entering the Hortmans' home,' the federal affidavit states. Moments later, he fired a second set of shots. The officers moved to the house and found a gravely injured Mark Hortman in the doorway. Inside the house, they found Melissa Hortman. She had also been badly shot. Both soon died. Left behind, though, was Boelter's car, with the list of targets and at least five weapons. Nearby, police found the mask Boelter had worn along with the pistol he'd carried. Law enforcement believed he was on foot. 'Dad went to war last night,' said a message Boelter sent on a family group text, which his wife eventually shared with authorities. Police had found her by tracking her cellphone. They found her in a car with her children, along with two handguns, about $10,000 in cash and passports, the affidavit said. Boelter had apparently urged her to leave. 'Words are not going to explain how sorry I am,' he said in another message. 'there's gonna be some people coming to the house armed and trigger-happy and I don't want you guys around.' He also reached out to two roommates with whom he sometimes stayed in Minneapolis. 'May be dead shortly, so I just want to let you know I love you guys both and I wish it hadn't gone this way,' Boelter wrote, according to Paul Schroeder, who has known Boelter for years. Friends said Boelter had been struggling financially in recent years. In 2023, he began working for a transport service for a funeral home, mostly picking up bodies from assisted-living facilities. That job ended about four months ago. Within hours of the Hortman shooting, hundreds of police officers, sheriff deputies and FBI agents were roaming the streets near the scene. Cellphones in the area pinged an alert, urging people near the Hortmans' neighborhood to take shelter. 'Police are still looking for a suspect in multiple targeted shootings who is armed and dangerous," the alert said, giving a description of Boelter. 'Do not approach.' A series of roadblocks was also set up, with law enforcement searching every vehicle as it left, fearing Boelter could try to escape by hiding in a car. Carrying two duffel bags, Boelter approached a man he didn't know at a Minneapolis bus stop roughly 7 miles (11 kilometers) from the Hortmans' home and asked to purchase his electric bike. After taking the bus together to the man's home, Boelter agreed to buy the bike and the man's Buick sedan. They then drove the Buick to a bank branch in nearby Robbinsdale, where Boelter, who can be seen in security footage wearing a cowboy hat, withdrew $2,200, emptying his bank account. He paid the man $900. Law enforcement received a report of someone riding an e-bike on a country road outside the small town of Green Isle, about an hour from downtown Minneapolis. The cyclist was not found, but Boelter's family lives not far away, in a sprawling 3,800-square-foot house they bought in 2023 for more than $500,000. The Buick was found, abandoned, near where the cyclist had been spotted. Worried about explosives, law enforcement initially used a robot to check the car. Inside, they found the cowboy hat that Boelter appeared to be wearing in the bank. There was also a handwritten letter addressed to the FBI in which Boelter said he was 'the shooter at large in Minnesota involved in the 2 shootings.' Law enforcement set up a large perimeter near Green Isle after a police officer thought he'd seen Boelter running into the woods. Twenty tactical teams were called in for an intensive search. For hours, heavily armed men, some with dogs, walked the roads and fields of rural Sibley County. A helicopter was called in to help. Boelter was spotted shortly before nightfall, and officers surrounded him. He soon surrendered, crawling to officers who handcuffed him and took him into custody. Boelter now faces a series of state charges, including murder and attempted murder. Federal prosecutors announced they had charged him with murder and stalking, which could result in a death sentence if he is convicted. At a federal court hearing Monday in St. Paul, Boelter said he could not afford an attorney. A federal defender was appointed to represent him. He was ordered held without bail ahead of a court appearance next week. Across the U.S., local and state politicians rushed to scrub home addresses from websites and began debating whether security should now be provided for politicians like state senators. U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar shared a text from Yvette Hoffman, whose recovery came quicker than her husband's. 'John is enduring many surgeries right now and is closer every hour to being out of the woods,' Yvette Hoffman said Saturday in a text that Klobuchar posted on social media. 'He took 9 bullet hits. I took 8 and we are both incredibly lucky to be alive. We are gutted and devastated by the loss of Melissa and Mark.' ___ Associated Press reporters Alanna Durkin Richer, Michael Biesecker, Mike Balsamo and Eric Tucker in Washington; Jim Mustian in New York; John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio; John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas; Rio Yamat in Las Vegas; Giovanna Dell'Orto in Champlin; Obed Lamy in St. Paul and Margery Beck in Omaha, Nebraska, contributed to this report. ___
