Minnesota shootings latest: Suspect Vance Boelter remains in federal custody on murder charge with bail set at $5m

Independent

4 hours ago

Police have captured Vance Boelter, 57, who is suspected of fatally shooting Minnesota Democratic state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and wounding Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife.
A two-day manhunt for Boelter, described as the largest in Minnesota's history, ended with his arrest late on Sunday.
Boelter has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder and two of attempted murder by the state, while federal charges are for firearm offenses, stalking, and murder, potentially making this a death penalty case.
Authorities found "voluminous" written material in Boelter's car and home, including plans, lists of names, and surveillance efforts targeting elected officials, but no clear manifesto as earlier reports suggested.
Acting US Attorney Joseph Thompson stated that Boelter had a list of 45 Minnesota state and federal elected officials — all Democrats — and had researched them and their families.
Boelter allegedly impersonated a police officer and wore a "hyper-realistic" silicone mask during the shootings, and also went to two other lawmakers ' homes.
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What you need to know
Vance Boelter, 57, is in police custody after a nearly two-day manhunt for allegedly shooting two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses.
Boelter is accused of fatally shooting Democratic state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and wounding Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife.
Authorities located Boelter's vehicle with evidence, and he was later arrested and charged with two counts of second-degree murder and two of attempted murder.
According to U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson, Boelter meticulously planned the attacks, researching his victims and conducting surveillance on their homes; he also had a list of 45 Minnesota state and federal elected officials.
Boelter, described as "very conservative" and opposed to abortion, allegedly impersonated a police officer and wore a silicone mask during the shootings.
Federal charges include stalking, firearm use, and murder, potentially making it a death penalty case.
Boelter appeared briefly in court on Monday, saying he could not afford a private attorney. He is scheduled to return before a judge on June 27.
Oliver O'Connell16 June 2025 14:36
'The View' thinks Mike Lee posts about Minnesota shooting went too far
Tearing into Mike Lee on Monday for his tweets that seemingly blamed the politically motivated shootings of Minnesota lawmakers on 'Marxists' and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the hosts of The View said that if the GOP senator had 'any other job,' he would 'be fired instantly.'
Less than a day after saying he condemned 'political violence' following the fatal shooting at a protest in his home state of Utah, Lee took to his personal X account labeled @BasedMikeLee – where he regularly peddles far-right disinformation – to mock the tragedy and point the finger at Democrats and leftists.
One tweet, for instance, included an image of alleged shooter Vance Boelter in a mask outside one of his targets' homes alongside the caption: 'Nightmare on Waltz Street.' Another post, which Lee had pinned to his profile until Monday, suggested that left-wing ideology was to blame for the murders.
'Marxism is a deadly mental illness,' he wrote. 'This is what happens when Marxists don't get their way.'
Justin Baragona has the story.
Josh Marcus17 June 2025 07:00
Minnesota Senator claims Mike Lee fled and pretended to talk on phone to avoid conversation about posts mocking shootings
Senator Tina Smith of Minnesota continues to hammer Senator Mike Lee of Utah for his posts on X over the weekend speculating about and making light of the recent shooting of Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota.
'I wanted to look him in the eye and tell him what I thought and how it made me and so many Minnesotans feel that he had done this,' Smith said of a confrontation between the pair that took place in the Capitol on Monday.
Smith, in an interview with streamer Brian Tyler Cohen, said she had to 'chase after him a bit' to begin the conversation, and accused Lee of pretending to be on the phone to avoid the head-to-head.
'I don't think this is a man who is frequently confronted by anybody, and I will tell you he seemed a little shocked to have anybody challenging him, let alone one of his colleagues,' Smith added.
Josh Marcus17 June 2025 06:00
ICYMI: Police arrest Minnesota shooting suspect Vance Boelter
The man suspected of killing a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband and wounding another and his wife is in custody following a nearly two-day manhunt that followed a shocking streak of political violence.
Vance Boelter, 57, is accused of fatally shooting Democratic state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, as well as shooting Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife at their respective homes on Saturday in what has been described as a 'politically motivated' attack.
Boelter was armed when he was captured in rural Green Isle, Minnesota late Sunday night. He faces two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree attempted murder.
'The face of evil,' Ramsey County Sheriff's Office wrote in a social media caption alongside a photograph of the suspect surrounded by heavily armed law enforcement officers.
Ariana Baio and Alex Woodward had the story.
Vance Boelter in custody after two-day manhunt in shootings of Minnesota lawmakers
Vance Boelter faces two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree attempted murder
Josh Marcus17 June 2025 05:00
Neighbors describe memories of Minnesota suspect Vance Boelter, and moments before capture
Residents of the town of Green Isle are sharing their recollections of suspected Minnesota gunman Vance Boelter, including the tense moments before he was captured near the rural area.
Wendy Thomas told CBS Minnesota she was stopping into a friend's house to pick up an address book and speaking with her father on the phone on Sunday evening when she spotted the then-fugitive.
"I was coming down the driveway [and] I said, 'Dad, there is somebody in the front yard,'" said Thomas.
Boelter ducked down by a culvert once he was spotted, she said. Thomas then fled and flagged down a local deputy, helping alert police to his location.
Within two hours Boelter was captured, after police said he tried to evade arrest as officers closed in.
Kevin Effertz knew Boelter, who had a property near Green Isle, and said the alleged gunman appeared to be a regular, non-political person before the shootings, which targeted prominent state Democrats.
"He never had any political views that we talked about. It was always about the weather, what's going on. How's your family," Effertz told CBS Minnesota. "A guy, you shake your hand with him and everything else, and he does this, which is really strange."
Josh Marcus17 June 2025 04:00
Children of slain lawmaker Melissa Hortman
Sophie and Colin Hortman, the children of Minnesota Democratic state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, who were killed in Saturday's shootings, have shared a statement.
Here's what they wrote in the message, which was obtained by the Minnesota StarTribune:
'We are devastated and heartbroken at the loss of our parents, Melissa and Mark. They were the bright lights at the center of our lives, and we can't believe they are gone. Their love for us was boundless. We miss them so much.'
'We want everyone to know that we are both safe and with loved ones. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and support we have received, and we appreciate your respect for our family's privacy as we grieve.'
'Our family would like to thank law enforcement for their swift action that saved others and for the coordination across communities that led to the arrest of the man who murdered our parents. We especially would like to thank the officers who were first on the scene to our parents' home and their heroic attempts to rescue our mom and dad.'
'Our parents touched so many lives, and they leave behind an incredible legacy of dedication to their community that will live on in us, their friends, their colleagues and co-workers, and every single person who knew and loved them.'
If you would like to honor the memory of Mark and Melissa, please consider the following:
Plant a tree.
Visit a local park and make use of their amenities, especially a bike trail.
Pet a dog. A golden retriever is ideal, but any will do.
Tell your loved ones a cheesy dad joke and laugh about it.
Bake something — bread for Mark or a cake for Melissa, and share it with someone.
Try a new hobby and enjoy learning something.
Stand up for what you believe in, especially if that thing is justice and peace.
'Hope and resilience are the enemy of fear. Our parents lived their lives with immense dedication to their fellow humans. This tragedy must become a moment for us to come together. Hold your loved ones a little closer. Love your neighbors. Treat each other with kindness and respect. The best way to honor our parents' memory is to do something, whether big or small, to make our community just a little better for someone else.'
Josh Marcus17 June 2025 03:01
Leader of Minnesota House calls on colleagues to 'set the tone' and show respectful bipartisanship
Lisa Demuth, the Republican Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives, is calling on her colleagues of both parties to 'set the tone' and follow the example of her predecessor, the well-regarded Rep. Melissa Hortman, who was killed in Saturday's shootings.
'We got along really well, and it's because she started building that working relationship over the years,' Demuth told the Minnesota StarTribune on Monday. 'Without that happening, it would have made this year a lot harder.'
'This person is completely a monster,' Demuth added of alleged gunman Vance Boelter. 'No rational agreement or disagreement on any type of policy should ever lead to something like this.'
Josh Marcus17 June 2025 02:30
'Unconscionable': Minnesota senator's staff slams Mike Lee over mocking posts
A senior staff member for Senator Tina Smith of Minnesota slammed Utah Senator Mike Lee over his posts appearing to mock the recent shooting of Democratic state lawmakers in Minnesota, as well as claim without evidence their killings were a Marxist attack.
In an email, obtained by Politico, the staff member called the posts 'unconscionable.'
'Why would you use the awesome power of a United States Senate Office to compound people's grief,' the official wrote. 'Is this how your team measures success? Using the office of [a] US Senator to post not just one but a series of jokes about an assassination — is that a successful day of work on Team Lee?'
17 June 2025 02:00
Trump still hasn't called Minnesota governor, but Vance has
Three days after shootings targeted state lawmakers, President Trump still hasn't reached out to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, the Democrat said on Monday.
Walz, who served as the vice presidential nominee on the Democratic ticket against Trump in 2024, said he wasn't surprised.
'I think I understand where that's at,' Walz told MPR. 'I did speak to Vice President Vance, grateful for that call.'
'I'm always open to you know, people expressing gratitude,' he added. 'Vice President Vance assured us, and he delivered, that the FBI would be there as partners with us to get it done. That was what needed to be done.'
Trump can't resist dig at Tim Walz while discussing Minnesota lawmaker assassinations
Trump had not called govenor more than 24 hours after suspect caught in targeted assassination of Democratic lawmaker and her husband
Josh Marcus17 June 2025 01:45
Minnesota shootings upend balance in evenly split state House
The Minnesota shootings have not only traumatized family members and local leaders alike, but they also have altered what was previously the evenly divided partisan balance of the state's House of Representatives.
With the killing of Melissa Hortman, the House's top Democrat, Republicans now have a one-vote majority.
The governor will likely call a special election for Hortman's seat before the next legislative session begins in February.
Democrats say this isn't an immediate concern, though.