'Might be dead soon': Minnesota killer's last text to friend; police probe shooter's motive
Police are searching for 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter, the main suspect in a deadly shooting that killed Minnesota state lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, and injured State Senator
John Hoffman
and his wife.
The shooting has shocked the community, and a manhunt is now under way.
According to police, Boelter was last seen Saturday wearing a light-coloured cowboy hat, a dark long-sleeved shirt or coat, and carrying a dark bag. The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for help leading to his arrest.
'Might be dead soon': Boelter's last text to friend Carlson
David Carlson, 59, who shared a house with Boelter in Minneapolis, said he last saw him Friday night. Then early Saturday morning, he got a troubling text from Boelter.
"He said that he might be dead soon," Carlson told Reuters. He then called the police. Carlson, who has known Boelter since fourth grade, said Boelter worked at an eye donation center and stayed at the house because it was near his job.
"His family has got to suffer through this," Carlson added, saying he feels betrayed by Boelter and heartbroken for the victims.
Links to ministries and security work
Boelter had a complex background. State records show he was appointed in 2016 to the Governor's Workforce Development Board, which helps advise the governor on Minnesota's workforce system.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
She Found THIS Chat on Her Husband's Phone and Vanished Overnight
medalmerit
Learn More
Undo
He also claimed to be a Christian minister and security expert with experience in places like the Middle East, Africa, and Eastern Europe. He and his wife ran a security business called Praetorian Guard Security Services LLC, which offered armed guard services. He also said he led an organization called the Red Lion Group in the Democratic Republic of Congo. These claims, however, have not yet been confirmed.
Boelter was also linked to a Christian nonprofit ministry called Revoformation.
He said he became a minister in 1993 and grew up in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota. On the Revoformation website, Boelter claimed he travelled to dangerous areas in Gaza and the West Bank to talk to militants about peace and religion.
"He sought out militant Islamists in order to share the gospel and tell them that violence wasn't the answer," the biography on the website said.
Boelter and politics
Boelter didn't list a political party preference. On LinkedIn six years ago, he encouraged Americans to vote and respect the process.
"If you believe in prayer, please keep the United States in your prayers," he wrote.
Carlson said Boelter voted for Donald Trump and was a Christian who didn't like abortion. But he also said, "He wasn't really angry about politics."
Authorities are still trying to find out if Boelter personally knew the lawmakers.
"We are still exploring that," said Drew Evans, head of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
"There's certainly some overlap with some public meetings, I will say, with Senator Hoffman and the individual. But we don't know the nature of the relationship or if they actually knew each other."
'Manifesto' found in car
After the suspect shot at police on Saturday, he ran off and left behind a vehicle. Inside, officers found a "manifesto" and a list of other lawmakers and officials. Investigators are still reading through the writings to understand why Boelter may have done this.
"It would be premature for me at this point to really say exactly what the motivation might be from these writings," Evans said.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz believes the attack was not random.
"It appears to be a politically motivated assassination," he said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
2 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘Tradition, not bribe': Ex New York mayor's aide defends giving reporter cash in chips bag
A former longtime adviser to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who resigned last year while under FBI scrutiny, handed a reporter a potato chip bag stuffed with cash after a campaign event, Associated Pres s reported citing a local outlet. The incident, first reported by The City, said that Adams' advisor Winnie Greco pressed the bag into one of its reporters, Katie Honan's hands following the opening of Adams' campaign headquarters in Harlem. Inside was a red envelope holding a $100 bill and several $20 bills. Greco's attorney, Steven Brill, insisted the gesture was not a bribe. 'This was not a bag of cash,' Brill wrote in an email, according to the AP. 'In the Chinese culture, money is often given to others in a gesture of friendship and gratitude. And that's all that was done here. Winnie's intention was born purely out of kindness.' Asked why Greco offered the money specifically to Honan, Brill as per AP told: 'She knows the reporter and is fond of her.' Greco texted Honan to meet her inside a Whole Foods after they had both attended the launch of Adams' campaign headquarters in Harlem, The City reported. At first, Honan assumed Greco was simply offering her a snack when she handed over the chip bag and declined, but Greco insisted. Honan later discovered the cash inside, called Greco to say she could not accept it, and offered to return it. Greco suggested they meet again but then stopped responding, according to the report. Later, Greco phoned The City and requested them not to publish the story, saying: 'I try to be a good person,' the outlet reported. She later apologised too, saying she made 'a mistake'. 'I'm so sorry. It's a culture thing. I don't know. I don't understand. I'm so sorry. I feel so bad right now.' In response, Adams' re-election campaign said Greco had been suspended from volunteer work and stressed that the mayor had no knowledge of her actions. 'We are shocked by these reports,' campaign aide Todd Shapiro told AP. 'Mayor Adams had no prior knowledge of this matter. He has always demanded the highest ethical and legal standards, and his sole focus remains on serving the people of New York City with integrity.' Greco, a fundraiser from the Chinese American community, resigned as Adams' director of Asian affairs in October 2024 after federal agents searched two of her properties. She has not been charged with a crime, but was among several close aides who left amid federal scrutiny of Adams' administration.
Time of India
5 minutes ago
- Time of India
India's oil purchase from US increasing, we're not biggest buyer of Russian oil: EAM Jaishankar
External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar on Thursday said that India's oil purchase from the US has been consistently increasing, as the August 27 deadline set by the Donald Trump administration to impose additional 25 per cent tariffs on India for buying Russian energy inches closer. During a press briefing here, EAM Jaishankar said that India is not the biggest purchaser of Russian oil. "That is China. We are not the biggest purchasers of LNG; that is the European Union. We are not the country which has the biggest trade surge with Russia after 2022; I think there are some countries to the South," the EAM emphasised. He further stated that "We are a country where the Americans have said for the last few years that we should do everything to stabilise the world energy market, including buying oil from Russia". "Incidentally, we also buy oil from the US, and that amount has increased," EAM Jaishankar told the media. The EAM said it is not only about oil, but India and Russia are "going forward" in looking at nuclear energy, greater market access, fertilisers, and labour mobility - something which he is "really very satisfied with". According to official figures, India's oil and gas imports from the US have jumped by as much as 51 per cent from January to June this year. The country's liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports from the US also nearly doubled to $2.46 billion in the financial year 2024-25 from $1.41 billion in 2023-24. India has increased purchases of oil from the US, with Indian Oil Corporation , the country's largest oil company, placing orders of around 2 million barrels of oil in August for October delivery. Indian Oil Corporation has bought another cargo of US crude in August for delivery in October. India also bought 2 million barrels per day of Russian oil in August against orders placed in June and July to replace purchases from Iraq due to geopolitical tensions in the region. The increase in Russian flow was at the cost of purchases from Iraq and Saudi Arabia, according to Kpler data. Meanwhile, Deputy Ambassador of the Russian Federation to India, Roman Babushkin, on Wednesday reaffirmed that crude oil exports to India will remain steady despite the evolving global sanctions and trade pressures. The Deputy Ambassador highlighted that trade between the two countries has grown nearly sevenfold in recent years, with Russia supplying around 250 million tonnes of oil annually to India, offering an average discount of five per cent subject to negotiation.
Hindustan Times
5 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Xi Jinping pushes for mega-dam, rail links to boost infrastructure in Tibet
Chinese President Xi Jinping called on the country to advance key infrastructure projects in Tibet such as its massive 1.2 trillion yuan ($167 billion) mega-dam to spur development in the region. Xi's visit indicates Beijing attaches high importance to the region's development as the president is personally leading a central government delegation to Tibet for the first time.(AP File Photo) Major projects such as the Yarlung Tsangpo hydropower project and the Sichuan-Tibet railway must be advanced with 'strength, order and efficiency,' the official Xinhua News Agency reported, citing Xi's remarks during a visit to the regional capital Lhasa on Wednesday. The Chinese leader also urged the region to develop agriculture and clean energy with promotion of the integration of cultural and tourism industries, the state media said. With 60 times the cement of the Hoover Dam and more steel than 116 Empire State Buildings, the Yarlung Tsangpo project is set to become one of the biggest infrastructure projects in history. Construction started last month and could take at least a decade to complete. It's a legacy-defining gamble for Xi as he tries to sustainably revive a slowing economy, tighten control over a restive region and project power far beyond the country's borders. Xi's visit indicates Beijing attaches high importance to the region's development as the president is personally leading a central government delegation to Tibet for the first time, according to Xinhua. The leader is scheduled to attend an event on Thursday in Lhasa to mark the 60th anniversary of the region's founding. Xi on Wednesday said maintaining political stability, social order, ethnic solidarity and religious harmony are keys for Tibet's development, while efforts should be made to further strengthen the sense of community for the Chinese nation, according to the Xinhua report. Beijing has faced criticism for its policies in Tibet, which has been subject to intense social, security and religious restrictions, much like its northern neighbor Xinjiang.
