Man suspected of shooting two Minnesota lawmakers caught, source says
Washington: The man suspected of shooting two Minnesota lawmakers, killing one of them, has been taken into custody, a law enforcement official said.
Vance Boelter was arrested on Sunday evening (Monday AEST). The arrest was confirmed to The Associated Press by a law enforcement official who could not publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.
Melissa Hortman, a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives, and her husband were shot and killed in their home in Brooklyn Park, Minneapolis about 3am on Saturday (Sunday AEST) by a man impersonating a police officer.
Earlier in the night, Senator John Hoffman and his wife were also shot in the nearby suburb of Champlin. They underwent surgery in hospital.
Earlier on Sunday, Drew Evans, superintendent of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said at a news conference that a nationwide warrant was out for the suspect's arrest.
Evans said authorities found a car very early on Sunday that they believed Boelter was using, a few miles from his home in Green Isle, in the farm country about an hour west of Minneapolis. He also said they found evidence in the car that was relevant to the investigation, but did not provide details.
On Sunday evening, US Senator Amy Klobuchar shared a statement from Yvette Hoffman expressing appreciation for the outpouring of public support.
'John is enduring many surgeries right now and is closer every hour to being out of the woods,' Yvette Hoffman said in a text that Klobuchar posted on social media. '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. We have no words. There is never a place for this kind of political hate.'
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The Advertiser
4 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Manhunt ends with arrest over shooting of US Democrats
A massive two-day manhunt has ended with the arrest of Vance Boelter, 57, for allegedly killing a senior Minnesota Democrat and her husband while posing as a police officer, Governor Tim Walz said. Boelter allegedly shot dead Melissa Hortman, the top Democrat in the Minnesota House, and her husband, Mark, in their home on Saturday - a crime Governor Tim Walz characterised as a "politically-motivated assassination." Authorities said Boelter also allegedly shot and wounded another Democrat, state Senator John Hoffman, and his wife Yvette at their home a few miles away. "After a two-day manhunt, two sleepless nights, law enforcement have apprehended Vance Boelter," Walz told a news conference on Sunday. "One man's unthinkable actions have altered the state of Minnesota. "A moment in this country where we watch violence erupt, this cannot be the norm. It cannot be the way that we deal with our political differences. Now is the time for us to recommit to the core values of this country, and each and every one of us can do it." Walz said Hoffman, who had been hit with nine bullets, came out of his final surgery and was moving towards recovery. Officials earlier said the gunman had left behind a different vehicle outside Hortman's house in suburban Minneapolis that resembled a police SUV, including flashing lights, and contained a target list of other politicians and institutions. Boelter has links to evangelical ministries and claimed to be a security expert with experience in the Gaza Strip and Africa, according to online postings and public records reviewed by Reuters. Boelter was charged with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree attempted murder, a Hennepin County criminal complaint showed. Three of those charges are punishable with jail terms of up to 40 years, according to the complaint unsealed on Sunday. Boelter fled on foot early on Saturday when officers confronted him at Hortman's Brooklyn Park home, said authorities who had warned residents to stay indoors for their own safety and unleashed the state's biggest manhunt. When police searched Boelter's SUV after the shootings they discovered three AK-47 assault rifles, a 9-mm handgun, and a list of other public officials including their addresses, the criminal complaint showed. Working on a tip that Boelter was near his home in the city of Green Isle, more than 20 SWAT teams combed the area, aided by surveillance aircraft, officials said. Boelter was armed but surrendered with no shots fired. The killing was the latest episode of high-profile US political violence. Such incidents range from a 2022 attack on former Democratic US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband at their home, to an assassination bid on Donald Trump last year, and an arson attack at Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's house in April. A massive two-day manhunt has ended with the arrest of Vance Boelter, 57, for allegedly killing a senior Minnesota Democrat and her husband while posing as a police officer, Governor Tim Walz said. Boelter allegedly shot dead Melissa Hortman, the top Democrat in the Minnesota House, and her husband, Mark, in their home on Saturday - a crime Governor Tim Walz characterised as a "politically-motivated assassination." Authorities said Boelter also allegedly shot and wounded another Democrat, state Senator John Hoffman, and his wife Yvette at their home a few miles away. "After a two-day manhunt, two sleepless nights, law enforcement have apprehended Vance Boelter," Walz told a news conference on Sunday. "One man's unthinkable actions have altered the state of Minnesota. "A moment in this country where we watch violence erupt, this cannot be the norm. It cannot be the way that we deal with our political differences. Now is the time for us to recommit to the core values of this country, and each and every one of us can do it." Walz said Hoffman, who had been hit with nine bullets, came out of his final surgery and was moving towards recovery. Officials earlier said the gunman had left behind a different vehicle outside Hortman's house in suburban Minneapolis that resembled a police SUV, including flashing lights, and contained a target list of other politicians and institutions. Boelter has links to evangelical ministries and claimed to be a security expert with experience in the Gaza Strip and Africa, according to online postings and public records reviewed by Reuters. Boelter was charged with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree attempted murder, a Hennepin County criminal complaint showed. Three of those charges are punishable with jail terms of up to 40 years, according to the complaint unsealed on Sunday. Boelter fled on foot early on Saturday when officers confronted him at Hortman's Brooklyn Park home, said authorities who had warned residents to stay indoors for their own safety and unleashed the state's biggest manhunt. When police searched Boelter's SUV after the shootings they discovered three AK-47 assault rifles, a 9-mm handgun, and a list of other public officials including their addresses, the criminal complaint showed. Working on a tip that Boelter was near his home in the city of Green Isle, more than 20 SWAT teams combed the area, aided by surveillance aircraft, officials said. Boelter was armed but surrendered with no shots fired. The killing was the latest episode of high-profile US political violence. Such incidents range from a 2022 attack on former Democratic US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband at their home, to an assassination bid on Donald Trump last year, and an arson attack at Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's house in April. A massive two-day manhunt has ended with the arrest of Vance Boelter, 57, for allegedly killing a senior Minnesota Democrat and her husband while posing as a police officer, Governor Tim Walz said. Boelter allegedly shot dead Melissa Hortman, the top Democrat in the Minnesota House, and her husband, Mark, in their home on Saturday - a crime Governor Tim Walz characterised as a "politically-motivated assassination." Authorities said Boelter also allegedly shot and wounded another Democrat, state Senator John Hoffman, and his wife Yvette at their home a few miles away. "After a two-day manhunt, two sleepless nights, law enforcement have apprehended Vance Boelter," Walz told a news conference on Sunday. "One man's unthinkable actions have altered the state of Minnesota. "A moment in this country where we watch violence erupt, this cannot be the norm. It cannot be the way that we deal with our political differences. Now is the time for us to recommit to the core values of this country, and each and every one of us can do it." Walz said Hoffman, who had been hit with nine bullets, came out of his final surgery and was moving towards recovery. Officials earlier said the gunman had left behind a different vehicle outside Hortman's house in suburban Minneapolis that resembled a police SUV, including flashing lights, and contained a target list of other politicians and institutions. Boelter has links to evangelical ministries and claimed to be a security expert with experience in the Gaza Strip and Africa, according to online postings and public records reviewed by Reuters. Boelter was charged with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree attempted murder, a Hennepin County criminal complaint showed. Three of those charges are punishable with jail terms of up to 40 years, according to the complaint unsealed on Sunday. Boelter fled on foot early on Saturday when officers confronted him at Hortman's Brooklyn Park home, said authorities who had warned residents to stay indoors for their own safety and unleashed the state's biggest manhunt. When police searched Boelter's SUV after the shootings they discovered three AK-47 assault rifles, a 9-mm handgun, and a list of other public officials including their addresses, the criminal complaint showed. Working on a tip that Boelter was near his home in the city of Green Isle, more than 20 SWAT teams combed the area, aided by surveillance aircraft, officials said. Boelter was armed but surrendered with no shots fired. The killing was the latest episode of high-profile US political violence. Such incidents range from a 2022 attack on former Democratic US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband at their home, to an assassination bid on Donald Trump last year, and an arson attack at Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's house in April. A massive two-day manhunt has ended with the arrest of Vance Boelter, 57, for allegedly killing a senior Minnesota Democrat and her husband while posing as a police officer, Governor Tim Walz said. Boelter allegedly shot dead Melissa Hortman, the top Democrat in the Minnesota House, and her husband, Mark, in their home on Saturday - a crime Governor Tim Walz characterised as a "politically-motivated assassination." Authorities said Boelter also allegedly shot and wounded another Democrat, state Senator John Hoffman, and his wife Yvette at their home a few miles away. "After a two-day manhunt, two sleepless nights, law enforcement have apprehended Vance Boelter," Walz told a news conference on Sunday. "One man's unthinkable actions have altered the state of Minnesota. "A moment in this country where we watch violence erupt, this cannot be the norm. It cannot be the way that we deal with our political differences. Now is the time for us to recommit to the core values of this country, and each and every one of us can do it." Walz said Hoffman, who had been hit with nine bullets, came out of his final surgery and was moving towards recovery. Officials earlier said the gunman had left behind a different vehicle outside Hortman's house in suburban Minneapolis that resembled a police SUV, including flashing lights, and contained a target list of other politicians and institutions. Boelter has links to evangelical ministries and claimed to be a security expert with experience in the Gaza Strip and Africa, according to online postings and public records reviewed by Reuters. Boelter was charged with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree attempted murder, a Hennepin County criminal complaint showed. Three of those charges are punishable with jail terms of up to 40 years, according to the complaint unsealed on Sunday. Boelter fled on foot early on Saturday when officers confronted him at Hortman's Brooklyn Park home, said authorities who had warned residents to stay indoors for their own safety and unleashed the state's biggest manhunt. When police searched Boelter's SUV after the shootings they discovered three AK-47 assault rifles, a 9-mm handgun, and a list of other public officials including their addresses, the criminal complaint showed. Working on a tip that Boelter was near his home in the city of Green Isle, more than 20 SWAT teams combed the area, aided by surveillance aircraft, officials said. Boelter was armed but surrendered with no shots fired. The killing was the latest episode of high-profile US political violence. Such incidents range from a 2022 attack on former Democratic US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband at their home, to an assassination bid on Donald Trump last year, and an arson attack at Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's house in April.
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Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman 'That's what we want and Australia is a trusted partner to promote peace and security in our region,' he told reporters in Calgary. 'We have been so forever. If you look at the role that Australia has played, we'll continue to play an important role in the Pacific.' Mr Albanese pointed to his stop in Fiji as 'a reminder of the fact that Australia is a trusted partner in the Pacific'. 'What that does is to add to security in our region,' he said. 'That is our job. That is what we do and we all want to see that advanced.' The Trump administration has been calling on Canberra to hike defence spending in response to China – a call the Albanese government has firmly pushed back on. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth earlier this month warned Beijing posed an 'imminent' threat. 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ASPI said that while Labor was spending on longer-term projects it was not pumping nearly enough cash into keeping Australia combat-ready in the near term. The report, authored by former Home Affairs deputy secretary Marc Ablong, called for 'defence funding to be increased to reflect the reality of the threats facing Australia'. It said that while the Albanese government 'claims to have made a 'generational investment in Australia's defence', that investment has been put off for another generation', pointing out that the bulk of the billions pledged by Labor would not kick in until after 2029. Originally published as PM murky on Taiwan defence, says Australia committed to 'peace and security' in the Pacific
West Australian
8 hours ago
- West Australian
Man arrested over fatal shooting of US politician and her husband
The suspect in the fatal shooting of a Minnesota politician and her husband, as well as the wounding of another politician and his wife, has been captured. Vance Boelter is in custody after a manhunt that lasted more than a day, law enforcement said on Saturday night local time. 'The face of evil. After relentless and determined police work, the killer is now in custody,' the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office said on Facebook. Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt was in tears as she confirmed Boelter's arrest in a phone call with NBC News. She said there was 'so much relief,' and confirmed that the suspect was taken into custody peacefully at 9.12pm, with no injuries to him or the officers involved. Boelter is accused of fatally shooting state Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, as well as injuring Senator John Hoffman and his wife in a second shooting. Officials say the suspected gunman impersonated law enforcement, wearing a vest, a blue long-sleeve shirt, and what appeared to be a badge to gain access to the legislators' homes. Hortman, of Brooklyn Park, and her husband, Mark, were killed in 'what appeared to be a politically motivated assassination,' Governor Tim Walz said at an earlier news conference. Hoffman, of Champlin, and his wife, Yvette, were severely injured. They remain hospitalised, and their conditions were not immediately available. Both lawmakers were members of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party. Their homes are located about eight miles (13km) apart, in the suburbs north of Minneapolis. 'This was an act of targeted political violence,' Walz said. 'Peaceful discourse is the foundation of our democracy. We don't settle our differences with violence or at gunpoint.' In a video circulating online, Boelter introduces himself as a married father of five from Green Isle, Minnesota, who works for two funeral homes—Wulff Funeral Home and Metro First Call—handling what he called 'removals.' 'Fun fact about myself: I've been in the food industry about 30 years, and that led to an opportunity. I was invited to the Democratic Republic of Congo,' he said in the video, adding that he worked with Del Monte Foods and Minnesota-based chicken producer Gold'n Plump. In a 2022 video posted to Facebook and verified by NBC News, Minnesota Africans United featured a person introduced as Vance Boelter during a discussion about trade and investment opportunities in the DRC. As a keynote presenter, Boelter said he was calling from the Congo and spoke about partnering with farmers and fishermen to help stimulate the country's food supply system. Boelter had a notebook with an alleged list of potential targets, authorities said, but he had not made threats against anyone on the list, as far as investigators know. The list featured Hortman and the injured Hoffman near the very top, according to Democratic Party executive Ron Harris. It also included other state elected officials and individuals known for supporting abortion rights, sources familiar with the investigation said. Investigators have not found evidence that Boelter previously threatened anyone on the list, said Drew Evans, superintendent of the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. 'So far, we have not located any prior threats by this individual toward anybody on that list,' Evans said. 'That will obviously be part of a deeper dive to really understand the motivation of this individual and any related connections—whether they might be here or in other parts of the United States.' Authorities believe Boelter acted alone, although they are not definitively ruling out the possibility that he may have had help. NBC News previously obtained several photos believed to show Boelter at the home of at least one victim. Two of the photos depict a man at a front door wearing a long-sleeve shirt and what appears to be a vest similar to those worn by law enforcement. One of the photos appears to match an image released by the FBI on X, showing a man at the door in a closer, less pixelated shot. It appears the man may have been wearing a mask or bald cap, based on visible creases on his face. The shootings are the latest in a string of seemingly lone-wolf politically motivated attacks. Last year, there were two assassination attempts on former President Donald Trump during his 2024 campaign. The first occurred at a rally in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, in July, when 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks was shot dead by a Secret Service sharpshooter after attempting to kill Trump. In a separate incident, Ryan Routh, 59, was charged with attempted assassination after being found camping with a firearm near Trump's golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, in September. He has pleaded not guilty and faces trial later this year. In other acts of violence, in January a soldier detonated a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump hotel in Las Vegas. In April, a suspect set fire to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's home over his position on Israel and Palestinians. In May, two Israeli embassy staffers were shot dead outside Washington, DC's Capital Jewish Museum. Also in May, a car bombing outside a California fertility clinic killed one person, inspired by anti-natalist ideologies.
