Massive protests sweep US as Trump revels in military parade on 79th birthday
The parade officially marking the 250th birthday of the US Army happened after "No Kings" demonstrators thronged the streets in cities throughout the US. Video / AFP
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1News
8 hours ago
- 1News
FBI releases photos of fake cop suspect in Minnesota politician's killing
The FBI has released photos of a man whom law enforcement says posed as a police officer and fatally shot a Minnesota politician in her home in what the state governor called 'a politically motivated assassination.' Hundreds of police officers have fanned out across a Minneapolis suburb in pursuit of the suspect. Authorities said the same man also shot and wounded a second lawmaker and was believed to be trying to flee the area. Democratic former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were killed in their Brooklyn Park home. Senator John Hoffman, also a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, were injured at their Champlin address, about 15 kilometres away. Authorities identified the suspect as 57-year-old Vance Boelter, and the FBI issued a reward of up to US$50,000 for information leading to his arrest and conviction. ADVERTISEMENT Authorities displayed a photo of Boelter wearing a tan cowboy hat and asked the public to report sightings. Another photo of the suspect appeared to show him impersonating a police officer in a realistic latex mask, ABC News reports, citing law enforcement sources. Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said investigators obtained video as well. He did not give details on a possible motive. Another photo of the suspect appeared to show him impersonating a police officer in a realistic latex mask (Source: Supplied) Boelter is a former political appointee who served on the same state workforce development board as Hoffman, state records show, though it wasn't clear if or how well they knew each other. The early morning attacks targeting lawmakers in the northern suburbs of Minneapolis prompted warnings to other elected officials around the state and the cancellation of planned 'No Kings' demonstrations against President Donald Trump. ADVERTISEMENT Authorities say the suspect had 'No Kings' flyers in his car and writings mentioning the names of the victims as well as other lawmakers and officials, though they could not say if he had any other specific targets. This combo from photos provided by Minnesota Legislature shows from left, Senator John A. Hoffman and Rep. Melissa Hortman (Source: Associated Press) The shootings happened at a time when political leaders nationwide have been attacked, harassed and intimidated during a time of deep political divisions. 'We must all, in Minnesota and across the country, stand against all forms of political violence,' Governor Tim Walz, a Democrat, said at a news conference. "Those responsible for this will be held accountable.' Law enforcement has recovered several AK-style firearms from the suspect's vehicle, and he's believed to still be armed with a pistol, one of the people familiar with the matter told the AP. Law enforcement officers including local police, sheriffs and the FBI, stage less than a mile from a shooting in Brooklyn Park, Minn. on Saturday, June 14 (Source: Associated Press) ADVERTISEMENT An overnight shooting Police responded to reports of gunfire at the Hoffmans' home shortly after 2 a.m., Champlin police said, and found the lawmaker and his wife, Yvette, with multiple gunshot wounds. After seeing who the victims were, police sent officers to check on Hortman's home, where they encountered what appeared to be a police vehicle and a man dressed as an officer at the door, leaving the house. 'When officers confronted him, the individual immediately fired upon the officers who exchanged gunfire, and the suspect retreated back into the home' and escaped, Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said. Multiple bullet holes could be seen in the front door of Hoffman's home. US President Donald Trump said in a White House statement that the FBI would join in the investigation. 'Our Attorney General, Pam Bondi, and the FBI, are investigating the situation, and they will be prosecuting anyone involved to the fullest extent of the law. ADVERTISEMENT "Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America. God Bless the great people of Minnesota, a truly great place!' Two Democratic lawmakers targeted Hortman, 55, had been the top Democratic leader in the state House since 2017. She led House Democrats in a three-week walkout at the beginning of this year's session in a power struggle with Republicans. Under a power-sharing agreement, she turned the gavel over to the top Republican, Rep Lisa Demuth, and assumed the title speaker emerita. Walz described her as a 'formidable public servant, a fixture and a giant in Minnesota every day, determined to make this state a better place.' 'She is irreplaceable,' he said. Hortman and her husband had two adult children. ADVERTISEMENT Hoffman, 60, was first elected in 2012 and played a key role as chair of the Senate Human Services Committee, which oversees one of the biggest parts of the state budget. He and his wife have one daughter. State Patrol Col Christina Bogojevic asked people 'out of an abundance of caution' not to attend any of the 'No Kings' protests that were scheduled for across the state on Saturday. Bogojevic said authorities didn't have any direct evidence that the protests would be targeted, but said the suspect had some 'No Kings' flyers in their car. Organisers announced that all of the protests across the state were cancelled. The suspect Boelter was appointed to the workforce development board by then-Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton in 2016 and then reappointed in 2019 by the current governor to a four-year term that expired in 2023, state records show. ADVERTISEMENT State corporate records show Boelter's wife filed to create a company called Praetorian Guard Security Services LLC with the same Green Isle mailing address listed for the couple. On a website for the business, Boelter's wife is listed as the president and CEO while he is listed as the director of security patrols. The company's homepage says it provides armed security for property and events and features a photo of an SUV painted in a two-tone black and silver pattern similar to a police vehicle, with a light bar across the roof and 'Praetorian' painted across the doors. Another photo shows a man in black tactical gear with a military-style helmet and a ballistic vest with the company's name across the front. An online resume says he is a security contractor who has worked oversees in the Middle East and Africa, in addition to past managerial roles at companies in Minnesota. Massive search effort underway Hours after the shootings, hundreds of police and sheriff deputies from departments in the region, some in tactical gear with assault-style weapons were scattered through the town. An alert sent to people's cellphones asked residents to continue sheltering in place as police were still looking for a suspect 'who is armed and dangerous.' ADVERTISEMENT 'Suspect is white male, brown hair, wearing black body armor over blue shirt and blue pants and may misrepresent himself as law enforcement. Do not approach. Call 911,' the alert said. Some roadblocks had been set up in which authorities stopped and checked vehicles. 'This is crazy, someone going after representatives. This is wrong. I'm hoping they'll catch them,' said Brooklyn Park resident Douglas Thompson, 62, adding he wasn't worried and believed authorities would catch the suspect. Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, a Republican from Cold Spring, called the attack 'evil' and said she was 'heartbroken beyond words' by the killings of Hortman and her husband, Mark. "With the law enforcement response ongoing and details still emerging, I will simply ask all Minnesotans to please lift up in prayer the victims of this horrific attack, as well as the law enforcement personnel still working to apprehend the perpetrator,' Demuth said in a statement. Political violence The shootings are the latest in a series of violent attacks against lawmakers across parties in recent years. ADVERTISEMENT In April, a suspect set fire to the home of Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, forcing him and his family to flee the building during the Jewish holiday of Passover. The suspect told law enforcement that he planned to beat Shapiro with a small sledgehammer if he found him, according to court documents. In July 2024, the Republican Trump was grazed on the ear by one of a hail of bullets that killed a Trump supporter. Two months later, a man with a rifle was discovered in some shrubbery near the president's golf course in Florida and arrested by Secret Service agents. Other high-profile attacks in recent years have included a 2022 hammer attack on the husband of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi inside their San Francisco home, and a 2020 plot by anti-government extremists to kidnap Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer at her vacation home and start a civil war. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said Saturday that he has asked Capitol Police to 'immediately increase security' for Minnesota Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, both Democrats. Schumer said he had also asked Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, to hold a briefing for senators on member security. 'Condemning violence is important but it is not enough,' Schumer said in a post on X. 'We must also confront the toxic forces radicalising individuals and we must do more to protect one another, our democracy, and the values that bind us as Americans.' Additional reporting by 1News
1News
11 hours ago
- 1News
What to expect at the US Army's 250th anniversary parade
The tanks are staged and ready to roll. Fencing and barriers are up. Protective metal plating has been laid out on Washington's streets. And more than 6000 troops are poised to march near the National Mall to honour the Army's 250th anniversary on Saturday (local time), which happens to be President Donald Trump's 79th birthday. With preparations well in hand, one big unknown is the weather. Rain is in the forecast, so there is a chance the parade could be interrupted by thunderstorms. White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said Thursday that rain or shine the parade will go on. But it could be delayed if there is lightning. 'No matter what, a historic celebration of our military service members will take place!' Kelly said in a statement. ADVERTISEMENT Daylong festivities celebrating the Army are planned on the National Mall — featuring NFL players, fitness competitions and displays — culminating in the parade, which is estimated to cost $25 million (NZ$41.6 million) to $45 million (NZ$74.9 million). The Army expects as many as 200,000 people to attend. A special reviewing area is being set up for the president, where he will be watching as each formation passes the White House. Here's what to expect at the parade tomorrow: The troops US Army soldiers work on Stryker combat vehicles staged in West Potomac Park ahead of an upcoming military parade commemorating the Army's 250th anniversary and coinciding with Donald Trump's 79th birthday, Wednesday, June 11, 2025, in Washington. (Source: Associated Press) A total of 6,169 soldiers as well as 128 Army tanks, armored personnel carriers and artillery will parade before the president and viewers, while 62 aircraft will pass overhead. The parade will tell the Army's story, starting with the Battle of Lexington — the first battle of the Revolutionary War — and move all the way to present day. ADVERTISEMENT Each conflict will have 150 troops in period costume, followed by a section of hundreds of troops in modern-day dress. For the past several weeks, Army planners have been working out how to get it timed to exactly 90 minutes, Army spokesman Steve Warren said. Planners first tried marching troops five across and 12 deep — but the parade ran long. To get it down to the exact time, each section will have soldiers marching seven across and 10 deep, Warren said. That means, for example, the Civil War gets exactly three minutes and 39 seconds and World War II gets 6 minutes and 22 seconds. The tanks and aircraft A crew member walks past US Army UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters that will participate in an upcoming military parade commemorating the Army's 250th anniversary and coinciding with President Donald Trump's 79th birthday, at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Thursday, June 12, 2025. (Source: Associated Press) Then there are the tanks. For fans, 8 minutes and 23 seconds into the procession, the first World War I Renault tank will make its appearance. Compared with today's tanks, the Renaults are tiny and almost look like a robotic weapon out of The Terminator. But they were groundbreaking for their time, lightweight and enabling movement in that conflict's deadly trench warfare. The first aircraft will fly over starting 13 minutes and 37 seconds into the parade, including two B-25 Mitchell bombers, four P-51 Mustang fighter aircraft and one C-47 Skytrain. The latter was made famous by the three stripes painted on the wings and body to mark it friendly over US battleships on June 6, 1944, as thousands of Skytrain aircraft dropped more than 13,000 paratroopers into France on D-Day. ADVERTISEMENT The procession will move along into the Gulf War, the war on terror and the modern day, showcasing the Army's M1A2 Abrams tanks and other troop carriers, like the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle and Stryker combat vehicle. There will even be six High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS — the mobile rocket launchers that have been highly valued by Ukraine as it has defended itself against Russia's invasion. A massive show of Army airpower will begin 48 minutes in, when a long air parade of UH-60 Black Hawk, AH-64 Apache and CH-47 Chinook helicopters fly overhead as the Army's story swings toward its future warfare. The parade finale The final sections of marching troops represent the Army's future. The band at the US Military Academy at West Point will lead hundreds of future troops, including members of the Texas A&M Army Corps of Cadets, new enlistees just going through Army initial entry training, and cadets from the Virginia Military Institute and The Citadel in South Carolina. The last section includes 250 new recruits or soldiers who are reenlisting. As they reach the president, they will turn toward him and raise their right hand, and Trump will swear them into service. The parade will end with a celebratory jump by the Army's Golden Knights parachute team, which will present Trump with an American flag. ADVERTISEMENT After the parade, a 19-minute fireworks show and concert will round out the celebration. Watching the parade Crews work on setting up an archway on the National Mall, during preparations for an upcoming military parade commemorating the Army's 250th anniversary and coinciding with President Donald Trump's 79th birthday, Thursday, June 12, 2025, in Washington. (Source: Associated Press) Organisers have estimated that hundreds of thousands of people could be in Washington to see the parade live, but there will be plenty of ways to see it from afar as well. The Army has said it will be streaming the parade on its social media channels, and some news outlets, including C-SPAN and Fox News Channel, have announced plans to air the entire event live, as well as other special related programming. Others, including NBC News Now, will air the parade via streaming services. The parade is expected to begin at 6:30pm (10.30am NZ time), and organisers have said it will last 90 minutes.
NZ Herald
11 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Massive protests sweep US as Trump revels in military parade on 79th birthday
The parade officially marking the 250th birthday of the US Army happened after "No Kings" demonstrators thronged the streets in cities throughout the US. Video / AFP
