FBI Sets Reward For Help Capturing Vance Boelter, Who Texted: ‘May Be Dead Shortly'
In what Gov. Tim Walz has characterized as a 'politically motivated assassination,' Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband were shot and killed in their home while State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were also shot and are receiving care—and the alleged suspect, Vance Boelter, remains at large as a manhunt continues.
Minn. State Rep. Melissa Hortman on Jan. 3, 2023, in St. Paul, Minn.
Suspect Vance Boelter texted two roommates (David Carlson and Ron Ramsey), one told the Minnesota Star-Tribune, saying he 'may be dead shortly.'
According to the roommate, the text read: 'I love you guys. I made some choices, and you guys don't know anything about this, but I'm going to be gone for a while. 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. I don't want to say anything more and implicate you in any way because you guys don't know anything about this. But I love you guys and I'm sorry for all the trouble this has caused.'
The FBI announced a $50,000 reward 'for info leading to the arrest and conviction of Vance L. Boelter,' the suspect in the Minnesota murders, and released a new photo (below) that reportedly shows the suspect at the door of one of the shooting victims, apparently wearing a head-covering mask and police costume, early Saturday morning.
A police alert warned that the 'suspect is armed and dangerous and may be impersonating law enforcement,' according to the Minnesota Star-Tribune.
Brooklyn Park, where Hortman and her husband lived, said its shelter-in-place order was lifted as of 4:20 p.m. EDT, noting 'there is reason to believe he is no longer in the area.'
'My good friend and colleague, Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were shot and killed this morning in what appears to be a politically motivated assassination,' Walz said at a press conference.
At 10:33 a.m., Walz said Hoffman and his wife 'are out of surgery' and receiving care, and that 'we are cautiously optimistic that they will survive this assassination attempt,' though Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, was not able to provide an update on the senator's status in an afternoon news conference.
President Donald Trump issued a statement on the shootings, saying he had 'been briefed on the terrible shooting that took place in Minnesota,' and 'such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America.'
Deputy FBI director Dan Bongino posted on X the bureau 'is working in collaboration with our local and state partners.'
The FBI released an image of who they believe is Vance Boelter, who appears to be wearing a mask and ... More police outfit while at the front door Saturday morning of one of the shooting victims.
Authorities from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety released this photo and public alert ... More about the suspect in the killing of a state representative.
Minnesota police released these images of suspected shooter Vance Boelter.
At a press briefing at around 4 p.m. EDT, state police shared images of the suspect, 57-year-old Vance Boelter, characterizing him as a 6-foot-1 inch white male, about 220 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes, and said he was wearing a light-colored cowboy hat and dark shirt when last seen. Authorities asked the public to call 911 if they see Boelter, but not to approach him, as he's considered armed and dangerous. Local police told the Minnesota Star Tribune that, early Saturday morning, they noticed an SUV with emergency lights and someone who initially appeared to be a police officer at Hortman's door, but the person, allegedly Boelter, 'immediately fired at officers' after being confronted and fled back into the house. Mark Bruley, the chief of police in Brooklyn Park said the police searched the vehicle and uncovered a list that identified 'many lawmakers and other officials,' including Hortman and Hoffman, according to MinnPost. CNN reports that Boelter's apparent list included 70 names, including 'abortion providers,' and 'pro-abortion rights advocates.' It also included a number of sheets of paper with 'No Kings' written on it, a likely reference to the widespread protests planned for Saturday. CNN also reported that Boelter, according to a law enforcement official, works for a Minnesota-based security company named Praetorian Guard Security, and he is listed on the company website's leadership page as director of security patrols, and described as having 'on the ground experiences combined with training by both private security firms and by people in the U.S. Military.'
This photo provided by Minnesota State Patrol shows writings in the fake police car law enforcement ... More officials believe Vance Boelter allegedly used in the shooting of two Democratic legislators in Minnesota on Saturday.
Hortman, 55, was a top Democratic leader in the Minnesota Legislature. First elected in 2004, she served as House speaker from 2019 to 2025 and spearheaded key legislation, including universal free school lunches statewide and a red flag gun law—which allows police or family members to petition the courts to have a gun removed from those considered a threat to themselves or others—according to the Minnesota Star Tribune. Hoffman, 60 and also a top Democrat in the Minnesota House, is a member of the state senate first elected in 2012. He served as chair of the Human Services Committee, according to CBS News, and has also served on committees for energy, environment and health services.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Gunman posing as police officer shoots Minnesota politicians, their spouses in ‘politically motivated assassination'
A pair of Minnesota politicians and their spouses were shot by a gunman who was allegedly disguised as a police officer in an incident that left one lawmaker and her husband dead. A manhunt is now underway for the suspect in the shootings, which were initially described as 'targeted' by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. The shootings occurred in the Minneapolis suburbs of Champlin and Brooklyn Park, according to the governor. He later announced that he operated the State Emergency Operations Center. Local news outlet KSTP was among the first to report that the victim of the Champlin shooting is Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman (MN-34) and the victim of the Brooklyn Park shooting is state Rep. Melissa Hortman. KSTP's report stated that preliminary information indicated multiple people were shot at both locations. Another local outlet, Fox 9, reported shortly after that the other victims are the lawmakers' spouses. Ryan Sabas, the Mayor of Champlin, later confirmed the victims were the two state lawmakers. At a press conference Saturday morning, Gov. Walz confirmed that Rep. Hortman — the Democratic House Speaker Emerita — and her husband died in what he called a 'politically motivated assassination.' Sen. Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were shot multiple times but were both out of surgery, Walz added, elaborating that he was 'optimistic' about their recovery. Residents within a three-mile radius of a local golf course are being asked to shelter in place as police search for the alleged killer, who is said to have been posing as law enforcement, according to multiple local media reports. He is considered by authorities to be armed and dangerous. Authorities say that all Minnesota state lawmakers and their spouses are under protective custody in coordination with the Minnesota Department of Public Safety and local law enforcement jurisdictions. Multiple media reports have identified the suspect in the shootings as 57-year-old Vance Boelter; writings found inside a fake police car recovered at one of the shooting scenes mentioned the names of multiple lawmakers and other officials, AP said, citing Brooklyn Park Police Department Chief Mark Bruley. While the two officials spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity and thus could not publicly confirm the information, NBC News has also identified the suspect as Boelter. This is a developing story. Stay with KTLA for details. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Washington Post
23 minutes ago
- Washington Post
What to know about the Democratic lawmakers shot in Minnesota
Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were fatally shot at their home in Brooklyn Park, near Minneapolis, in the predawn hours Saturday. Hortman was a Democratic leader and served as the speaker of the state House of Representatives until early this year. The attacker also targeted Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman (D) and his wife, Yvette, early Saturday. The two sustained multiple bullet wounds and are in stable condition, according to authorities. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) condemned the bloodshed as an 'act of targeted political violence.' President Donald Trump and leaders from both parties denounced the violence as Minnesota's entire congressional delegation issued a joint statement calling the shootings an attack on public servants. Hortman, 55, was a lawyer and Democrat who spent 20 years in the Minnesota House of Representatives, which she led as speaker for six years, a tenure that ended in January. Hortman got her start in politics working for Al Gore and John F. Kerry. She was first elected to the chamber in 2004, when she defeated incumbent Stephanie Olsen (R). Hortman rose up quickly through the ranks of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, known as the DFL Party, serving as assistant majority leader, minority whip, speaker pro tempore, deputy minority leader and minority leader. She became speaker of the house in 2019, after Democrats took control of the chamber. During her tenure, Hortman advanced several liberal priorities, including legislation that provided universal free school lunches and codified abortion into the state's constitution. In 2020, she backed efforts to pass police reform legislation after the killing of George Floyd and the ensuing unrest. In tributes, colleagues remembered her as deeply committed to education, environment and reproductive rights. 'She was a formidable public servant, a fixture and a giant in Minnesota,' Walz said. Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, who attended law school with Hortman, described her as 'a bright shining light of a person.' Gore said in a tweet that Hortman left 'a lasting impact' on his team during her time working with him in the U.S. Senate. She held a bachelor's degree from Boston University, a law degree from the University of Minnesota and a master's in public administration from the Harvard Kennedy School. Her husband, Mark Hortman, worked as a program manager for nvent Electric, an electric manufacturing company, according to his LinkedIn and social media profiles. They leave behind two children. Hoffman, whose district includes Brooklyn Park and Champlin, was first elected to the state Senate in 2012. He served as minority whip from 2017 until 2021. He is chair of the Senate Human Services Committee, which oversees one of the largest parts of the state budget. Hoffman has backed legislation that extended the state's health-care program to undocumented immigrants, according to the Associated Press. Before being elected to the state legislature, Hoffman served on the Anoka-Hennepin School Board. He ran for state office after he struggled to obtain insurance for a daughter with spina bifida, and he figured others had the same difficulty, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported. He is a former chair of the Governor's Developmental Disabilities Council. Mat Ollig, a nephew of the couple, said in a Facebook post that Hoffman went into politics 'to help people with disabilities get the care they need,' adding that he worked across the aisle 'to push bills that would help Minnesotans.' Ollig wrote that the Hoffmans were both out of surgery and recovering after John Hoffman was shot six times and his wife, Yvette, was shot five times. He also said their daughter, Hope, was present during the attack. 'My aunt threw herself on her daughter, using her body as a shield to save her life,' he wrote.
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
After day of nationwide protests, Trump's military parade rolls through D.C
By Phil Stewart, Jeff Mason, Brad Brooks and Karl Plume WASHINGTON/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO (Reuters) -President Donald Trump's long-sought military parade rolled though the streets of downtown Washington on Saturday, but the celebration of the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary was marred by a day of violence and discord. In the hours before the parade began, hundreds of thousands of Americans marched and rallied in streets in cities from New York to Chicago to Los Angeles, protesting Trump's actions while in office, in the largest such actions since his return to power in January. Earlier in the day, a gunman assassinated a Democratic lawmaker and wounded another in Minnesota and remained at large. Meanwhile, Israel and Iran exchanged further attacks early on Sunday, stoking fears of a mushrooming conflict between the two nations. All of it followed a week of tension in Los Angeles, where protests over federal immigration raids resulted in Trump calling in National Guard troops and U.S. Marines to help keep the peace, over the objections of the state's Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom. The parade, which fell on Trump's 79th birthday, kicked off earlier than expected with thunderstorms forecast in the Washington area. Tanks, armored personnel carriers and artillery rumbled down the parade route along storied Constitution Avenue, an unusual sight in the U.S. where such displays of military might are rare. "Every other country celebrates their victories, it's about time America did too," Trump told the crowd following the parade. Thousands of spectators lined up along the route. Trump watched the proceedings from an elevated viewing stand behind bulletproof glass. Some of the president's opponents also managed to find a spot along the parade route, holding signs in protest. Other demonstrators were kept separate from the parade crowd by local police. The U.S. Army has brought nearly 7,000 troops into Washington, along with 150 vehicles, including more than 25 M1 Abrams tanks, 28 Stryker armored vehicles, four Paladin self-propelled artillery vehicles, and artillery pieces including the M777 and M119. ARMY'S HISTORY The parade traced the history of the Army from its founding during the Revolutionary War through modern day. Trump frequently stood and saluted troops as they marched by. Members of Trump's cabinet including Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio looked on. Trump had first expressed interest in a military parade in Washington early in his first 2017-2021 term in office. In 1991, tanks and thousands of troops paraded through Washington to celebrate the ousting of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's forces from Kuwait in the Gulf War. The celebrations were expected to cost the U.S. Army between $25 million and $45 million, U.S. officials have told Reuters. That includes the parade itself as well as the cost of moving equipment and housing and feeding the troops. Critics have called the parade an authoritarian display of power that is wasteful, especially given Trump has said he wants to slash costs throughout the federal government. Bryan Henrie, a Trump supporter, flew in from Texas to celebrate the Army's anniversary and did not see any issues with tanks rolling down the streets of Washington. 'I don't see a controversy. I will celebrate safety and stability any day over anarchy,' 61-year-old Henrie said. 'SHAME! SHAME!' Earlier in the day, thousands marched in Washington and other cities in protest of Trump's policies. The demonstrations were largely peaceful, and marked the largest outpouring of opposition to Trump's presidency since he returned to power in January. In Los Angeles, however, the situation remained tense. About an hour before a downtown curfew, police officers mounted on horses were aggressively pushing back demonstrators, using gas, flash bangs and other less lethal munitions, causing large groups to panic and flee. Protesters were firing what police called commercial-grade fireworks against officers, along with rocks and bottles. Some demonstrators wore gas masks and helmets and vowed to stay in the area for many more hours. A crowd earlier had confronted soldiers guarding a federal building, yelling 'Shame! Shame!' and 'Marines, get out of LA!' Anti-Trump groups planned nearly 2,000 demonstrations across the country to coincide with the parade. Many took place under the theme "No Kings," asserting that no individual is above the law. Thousands of people of all ages turned out in and around Bryant Park in Midtown Manhattan, many carrying homemade signs that played off the 'No Kings' theme. 'No crown for a clown,' said one. Actor Mark Ruffalo was among the demonstrators, wearing a hat that read "immigrant." 'We're seeing dehumanizing language towards LGBT people, towards people with autism, towards people with other disabilities, racial minorities, undocumented people,' said Cooper Smith, 20, from upstate New York. 'Somebody's got to show that most Americans are against this.' Protesters in downtown Chicago stood off against police on Saturday, with some waving upside-down American flags and chanting: 'Who do you protect? Who do you serve?' and 'No justice, no peace." Members of the far-right Proud Boys, ardent Trump supporters, appeared at an Atlanta "No Kings" protest, wearing the group's distinctive black and yellow colors. About 400 protesters, organized by a group called marched through Washington and gathered for a rally in a park opposite the White House. Trump had warned people against protesting at the parade itself, saying that "they're going to be met with very big force." Sunsara Taylor, a founder of RefuseFascism, told the crowd, 'Today we refuse to accept Donald Trump unleashing the military against the people of this country and in the streets of this country. We say, 'Hell no.''
