Suspect Vance Boelter disguised himself with latex mask before he ‘shot dead Melissa Hortman & injured 2nd lawmaker'
THE Minnesota shootings suspect wore a fake police uniform and an eerie latex mask when he killed a lawmaker and her husband.
In the early hours of Saturday, suspected gunman Vance Luther Boelter shot and killed Minnesota Rep Melissa Hortman and her husband at their home in Brooklyn Park.
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Boelter has now been identified as a former appointee of Governor Tim Walz.
The FBI released stills from home security footage of the gunman donning a bald-headed mask while disguised as a cop as he knocked on the door of his victims.
He also shot Senator John Hoffman, 60, and his wife Yvette multiple times at their home in Champlin just hours beforehand, leaving them seriously injured.
Hoffman and his wife have both undergone surgery at the Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids and are said to be in a stable condition with officials "cautiously optimistic" of their survival.
As cops launch an extensive manhunt, police have named 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter as a suspect in the shootings.
He should be considered armed and dangerous and the public should not approach him, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has warned.
A $50,000 reward for information leading to his arrest and conviction has been announced by the FBI.
Boelter was last seen in the Twin Cities area wearing a light-colored cowboy hat, a dark long-sleeved shirt and light pants.
He is described as 220lbs and 6 foot 1 and cops believe he is trying to flee the area and may be carrying a dark bag.
The public should call 911 or sent tips to bca.tips@state.mn.us or call 877-996-6222.
Boelter is a former appointee of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, per the Post.
Documents obtained by the outlet show that he was appointed by Walz in 2019 to serve on his Workforce Development Board for four years.
A notice of appointment signed by Walz reads: "Because of the special trust and confidence I have in your integrity, judgment, and ability, I have appointed and commissioned you to have and to hold the office of: Business Member Governor's Workforce Development Board."
In 2016 he was on the Workforce Development Council under the previous Governor Mark Dayton.
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He is listed as living in Green Isle, Minnesota and according to his LinkedIn, works with the Red Lion Group in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Praetorian Guard Security Services.
The gunman posed as a police officer to gain entry to the lawmakers' homes, cops previously revealed.
Walz led a press conference on Saturday to confirm the deaths of Hortman, 55, and her husband Mark in what he called a "politically motivated assassination".
"This was an act of targeted political violence," Walz said.
"Those responsible for this will be held accountable and each and every one of us are committed to making sure a tragedy like this never repeats itself," he added.
FBI announces $50k reward for arrest and conviction
The FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Vance L. Boelter, the suspect in Saturday's targeted shootings of Minnesota lawmakers and their families in Champlin and Brooklyn Park.
Anyone with information about these shootings or Boelter's location should call the Minnesota Department of Public Safety's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) tip line at 877-996-6222 or email bca.tips@state.mn.us. The public is asked to call 911 immediately if they see Boelter. Do not approach him.
The FBI, BCA, Brooklyn Park Police Department and Champlin Police Department along with other local and state law enforcement officials continue searching for Boelter.
Source: Minnesota Department of Public Safety
The Governor has not publicly commented on the reports that the suspect is his former appointee.
Cops were called to the Hortman residence around 3:35 am, less than three hours after the shooting at the Hoffmans' home located just five miles away, around 2 am.
Hortman and her husband were pronounced dead at the scene where officers exchanged fire with the suspect who managed to flee on foot.
A search of the suspects' vehicle, which was found in the driveway of the Hortmans' home, revealed 'No Kings' protest fliers and a manifesto with the details of many officials including Hortman and Hoffman.
The SUV was made to look like a police squad car and the emergency lights were flashing in the driveway when cops arrived at the residence.
Security has been ramped up for other elected officials following the shootings with some of those listed in the manifesto being placed in protective custody.
A motive has not been released by cops, but the shootings come as millions take to the streets as part of the anti-Trump No Kings movement as the President holds a military parade in Washington DC.
"We don't have any direct links, however there were some fliers that said 'No Kings' within the suspect vehicle, and as we know, the events planned throughout the state of Minnesota is a No Kings event," Minnesota State Patrol Col. Christina Bogojevic said.
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Officials have urged the public not to attend protests planned for the area including the Minnesota State Capitol in St Paul.
Organizers have confirmed that the events have officially been canceled but many are still gathering to demonstrate.
President Donald Trump called the shootings "horrific" and vowed that those responsible will face "the fullest extent of the law".
BADGE BETRAYAL
Law enforcement was first notified of a shooting around 2 am where Hoffman and Yvette were found with multiple gunshot wounds and given life-saving measures by attending officers.
Due to the political nature of the shooting, officers immediately went to the speaker's home to check in on her and while doing so, calls of the second shooting were made.
Attending officers from Brooklyn Park Police saw the fake cop car in the drive way and the suspect posing as a police officer at the door.
"When our officers confronted him, the individual immediately fired upon the officers who exchanged gunfire and the suspect retreated back into the home," Brooklyn Park Police chief Mark Bruley told reporters.
"It was not a real officer this is somebody who clearly had been impersonating a police officer using the trust of this badge and this uniform to manipulate their way into the home."
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Bob Jacobson, the commissioner of Public Safety for Minnesota called it a "dark day" and said the targeting of elected officials was "cowardly".
"The suspect exploited the trust of our uniforms and what our uniforms are meant to represent," he told reporters.
"That betrayal is deeply disturbing to those of use who wear the badge with honor and responsibility."
Hundreds of police officers, SWAT teams, and the FBI are involved in the search for Boelter as a shelter-in-place order remains active within a three mile radius of Edinburgh Golf Course.
The order for Champlin has since been lifted but with the manhunt now going past the 12-hour mark, the search area is widening.
"I've activated the State Emergency Operations Center," Walz said on X.
"Local law enforcement in Champlin and Brooklyn Park have the full resources of the State of Minnesota behind them."
Residents were initally told to look out for a white male with brown hair, wearing black body armor over a blue shirt and blue pants and to call 911 immediately.
They also warned that the suspect may still pretending to be law enforcement and that any real police officers in the area will arrive in pairs as the search continues.
Hortman, 55, represented District 34 B and was minority leader between 2017 and 2019 before becoming speaking from 2019 to 2025.
She and her husband Mark Hortman and the pair are survived by their two children.
Senator Hoffman was elected to Senate in 2012 and is serving his fourth term representing District 34 which includes Champlin and Brooklyn Park.
He has a wife and daughter who live in Champlin.
Governor Tim Walz full statement
Today Minnesota lost a great leader, and I lost a friend.
A formidable public servant and a fixture of the state Capitol, Melissa Hortman woke up every day determined to make our state a better place.
She served the people of Minnesota with grace, compassion, and tirelessness.
Minnesota's thoughts are with her loved ones, and my prayers are with Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette, who were shot and wounded and are being treated.
We are not a country that settles our differences at gunpoint.
We have demonstrated again and again in our state that it is possible to peacefully disagree, that our state is strengthened by civil public debate.
We must stand united against all forms of violence - and I call on everyone to join me in that commitment.
To the responding officers, thank you for your bravery and your swift action.
A state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigation is underway, and we will spare no resource in bringing those responsible to justice.
We will not let fear win.
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Article continues below State patrol colonel Christina Bogojevic asked people 'out of an abundance of caution' not to attend any of the 'No Kings' protests that were scheduled across the state on Saturday. Ms Bogojevic said authorities did not have any direct evidence that the protests would be targeted, but said the suspect had some 'No Kings' flyers in their car. Organisers announced that all of the protests across the state were cancelled. Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman (Image: Minnesota State Legislature/AFP via Getty Images ) Hours after the shootings, hundreds of police and sheriff deputies from departments in the region, some in tactical gear with assault style weapons were scattered through the town. They were also occasional police roadblocks where cars are stopped and checked. Mr Walz said Ms Hortman and Mr Hoffman were deliberately targeted. 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Minnesota House speaker Lisa Demuth, a Republican from Cold Spring, called the attack 'evil' and said she was 'heartbroken beyond words' by the killings of Ms Hortman and her husband, Mark. Article continues below 'With the law enforcement response ongoing and details still emerging, I will simply ask all Minnesotans to please lift up in prayer the victims of this horrific attack, as well as the law enforcement personnel still working to apprehend the perpetrator,' Ms Demuth said in a statement. The shootings happened at a time when political leaders nationwide have been attacked, harassed and intimidated during a time of deep political divisions.
