Who is Vance Boelter? Everything we know about the Minnesota shooting suspect
Boelter graduated in the 1990s with a Diploma in Practical Theology in Leadership and Pastoral from Christ For The Nations Institute in Dallas, Texas. After returning to Minnesota, he earned a degree from St. Cloud State University in 1996. He went on to work in the food service industry for companies like Gerber and 7-Eleven.
In 2021, Boelter abruptly left his job and moved to the Democratic Republic of Congo, where he began preaching sermons. Back in Minnesota, he worked at funeral homes to finance his travel and launched a number of ventures, including a security business and a fishing operation called 'Red Lion' in Congo.
"I was more on the side of, 'Hey buddy, this doesn't sound right, it's irresponsible to quit your job and now you're burning your cash,'" an acquaintance told CNN. 'It just made no sense to me.' Family and "prepper" lifestyle
Boelter lived with his wife Jenny Boelter, their five children, and two German shepherds. During the manhunt, Jenny was pulled over during a traffic stop but was not detained
"My office assisted law enforcement from Hennepin County on a stop near a convenience store in the city of Onamia. Our role on this stop was perimeter. We did not search or question any of the occupants," Kyle Burton, Mille Lacs County Sheriff, told FOX 9. "I was told by my staff who responded that the shooting suspect's wife was in the car along with several other relatives."
According to a newly unsealed FBI affidavit, Boelter and his wife were described as "preppers," a term that refers to people who actively prepare for apocalyptic or catastrophic events by stockpiling supplies and weapons. Rambling letter and hit list
The Minnesota Star Tribune reported that Boelter wrote an incoherent letter to the FBI, claiming that Governor Tim Walz had ordered him to assassinate Senator Amy Klobuchar as part of a supposed conspiracy to take her Senate seat. There is no evidence supporting this claim. Authorities also found a manifesto with a 'target list' of about 70 Democratic lawmakers, including Walz, Klobuchar, and Sen. Tina Smith. Federal Charges (Filed in U.S. District Court, Minnesota)
Boelter faces six federal charges, including:
Stalking (Rep. Melissa Hortman) – Max: Life in prison
Stalking (Sen. John Hoffman) – Max: Life in prison
Murder with a firearm (Rep. Melissa Hortman) – Max: Life or death penalty
Murder with a firearm (Mark Hortman) – Max: Life or death penalty
Firearms offense (Sen. John Hoffman shooting) – Max: unspecified, typically severe
Firearms offense (Yvette Hoffman shooting) – Max: unspecified, typically severe State Charges (Filed in Hennepin County Court)
Boelter also faces four state-level charges:
Second-degree murder (Melissa Hortman) – Up to 40 years in prison
Second-degree murder (Mark Hortman) – Up to 40 years in prison
Second-degree attempted murder (Sen. John Hoffman) – Up to 40 years in prison
Second-degree attempted murder (Yvette Hoffman) – Up to 40 years in prison
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It was bold, risky, and spread across continents, with plans for smuggling arms, stirring mutiny, and striking at the heart of the 1914 and 1917, the neutral United States served as the springboard for the so-called " Hindu-German Conspiracy ", that's what the trial case was called in the US, while for Indian revolutionaries in the US -- mostly Punjabis and Bengalis -- this was not a conspiracy but an elaborate plan to overthrow British rule in Hindu–German Conspiracy didn't appear out of thin air; it was born out of years of simmering resentment and the right moment to strike. For decades, Indians at home and abroad had watched British Raj tighten its grip, stifling political freedoms and draining resources. By the time World War I broke out, many believed that if a revolt was ever going to succeed, it had to be first spark came from a deep well of nationalist anger. Repressive colonial laws, racial discrimination, and economic exploitation had left a generation disillusioned with petitions and peaceful protests. Among the Indian diaspora, especially in North America, the mood was turning from frustration to action. Revolutionary circles were forming, and they were willing to take the fight far beyond came the war — and with it, an opening. Britain's attention was locked on Europe, its troops and resources pulled to the front. To the revolutionaries, this was more than a distraction for the empire; it was a crack in the armour, and they were determined to force it wide involvement sealed the plan. Locked in battle with Britain, Berlin saw a golden chance to strike at its enemy's colonies. German agents began meeting Indian nationalists abroad, offering arms, funds, and safe passage. 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