Man suspected of shooting US politicians surrenders to police

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6 hours ago

The man suspected of killing a Minnesota politician and wounding another crawled to officers in surrender on Sunday after police located him in woods near his home, bringing an end to a two-day search.
Vance Boelter was arrested and charged with two counts of murder and two of attempted murder.
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He is accused of posing as a police officer and fatally shooting former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, in their home early on Saturday in the northern Minneapolis suburbs.
Authorities say he also shot Senator John Hoffman, a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette. They were injured at their residence about nine miles (15km) away.
John Hoffman and Melissa Hortman (Minnesota Legislature via AP)
'One man's unthinkable actions have altered the state of Minnesota,' Democratic Governor Tim Walz said at a news conference after Boelter's arrest.
The search for Boelter was the 'largest manhunt in the state's history', Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said.
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It began when Brooklyn Park officers went to check on Ms Hortman's home and saw her husband gunned down before the gunman fled.
Authorities on Sunday located a vehicle Boelter was using abandoned in rural Sibley County, where he lived, and a police officer reported that he believed he saw Boelter running into the woods, Mr Bruley said.
Police set up a large perimeter and called in 20 tactical teams, divvying up the area and searching for him.
During the search, police said they received information confirming someone was in the woods and searched for hours, using a helicopter and officers on foot, until they found Boelter.
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He surrendered to police, crawling out to officers in the woods before he was handcuffed and taken into custody in a field, authorities said.
Drew Evans, superintendent of the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said the violence likely would have continued had Brooklyn Park officers not checked on Ms Hortman's home, causing Boelter to flee.
Bullet holes mark the front door of the house of Minnesota state Senator John Hoffman and his wife in Champlin, Minnesota (Bruce Kluckhohn/AP)
The Hoffmans were attacked first at their home in Champin early on Saturday. A criminal complaint unsealed after Boelter's arrest indicated their adult daughter called 911 just after 2am to say a masked person had come to the door and shot her parents.
After police in nearby Brooklyn Park learned that a politician had been shot, they sent patrol officers to check on the Hortmans' home.
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Brooklyn Park police officers arrived just in time to see Boelter shoot Mark Hortman through the open door of the home, the complaint says.
It says they exchanged gunfire with Boelter, who fled inside the home before escaping from the scene. Melissa Hortman was found dead inside, the complaint said.
Authorities said Boelter posed as a police officer, even allegedly altering a vehicle to make it look like a police car.
Authorities did not give a motive as they announced Boelter's arrest.
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A list of about 70 names was found in writings recovered from the fake police vehicle that was left at the crime scene, said two law enforcement officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss details of the ongoing investigation.
Police on a road where a vehicle suspected to belong to shooting suspect, Vance Boelter, was found on Sunday in Belle Plaine, Minnesota (George Walker IV/AP)
The writings and list of names included prominent state and federal politicians and community leaders, along with abortion rights advocates and information about healthcare facilities, according to the officials.
A Minnesota official told the AP politicians who had been outspoken in favour of abortion rights were on the list. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing.
Boelter is a former political appointee who served on the same state workforce development board as Mr Hoffman, records show, though it was not clear if or how well they knew each other.
Around 6am Saturday, Boelter texted friends to apologise for his actions, though he did not say what he had done.
'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,' he wrote in messages viewed by AP.
The shootings come as political leaders nationwide have been attacked, harassed and intimidated amid deep political divisions. Politicians said they were disturbed by the attacks as Twin Cities residents mourned.
'This cannot be the norm. It cannot be the way that we deal with our political differences,' Mr Walz said on Sunday.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz speaks during a press conference at the State Emergency Operations Centre in Minnesota on Sunday (Kerem Yucel/Minnesota Public Radio via AP)
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,' Ms Hoffman said in a text that Ms 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.'
Flowers and small American flags were placed on Sunday at the Minnesota State Capitol along with a photo of the Hortmans. People wrote messages on small notes including 'You were our leader through the hardest of times. Rest in Power'.