Suspect in shooting of Minnesota lawmakers to appear in court on murder charges
A composite of a photo released by the FBI allegedly showing Vance Boelter wearing a mask and disguised as a police officer at the door of Assemblywoman Melissa Hortman and husband Mark Hortman, both of whom were shot dead; and the June 16, 2025 mugshot provided by Hennepin County Sheriff's Office via REUTERS
MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota — A man accused of killing a Democratic state lawmaker while posing as a police officer is expected to appear in a Minnesota court on Monday afternoon on state murder charges.
Vance Boelter, 57, is being held in Hennepin County after he was arrested on Sunday following a massive manhunt over the weekend. Boelter is accused of shooting dead Melissa Hortman, the top Democrat in the Minnesota House, and her husband, Mark, in their home on Saturday.
Authorities said Boelter was also suspected of shooting and wounding another Democratic lawmaker, state Senator John Hoffman, and his wife Yvette at their home a few miles away.
Governor Tim Walz has characterized the crimes as a "politically motivated assassination."
"A moment in this country where we watch violence erupt, this cannot be the norm. It cannot be the way that we deal with our political differences," Walz said.
Boelter was charged with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree attempted murder, a criminal complaint showed. He is scheduled to appear in court at 1:30 p.m. local time, jail records showed.
Three of those charges are punishable with jail terms of up to 40 years, according to a Hennepin County criminal complaint unsealed on Sunday.
Boelter had been impersonating a police officer while carrying out the shootings, wearing an officer's uniform and driving a Ford SUV with police-style lights, the complaint said.
Boelter fled on foot early on Saturday when officers confronted him at Hortman's Brooklyn Park home, said authorities who had warned residents to stay indoors for their own safety and unleashed the state's biggest manhunt.
When police searched Boelter's SUV after the shootings, they discovered three AK-47 assault rifles, a 9-mm handgun, and a list of other public officials including their addresses, the criminal complaint showed.
Working on a tip that Boelter was near his home in the city of Green Isle, more than 20 SWAT teams combed the area, aided by surveillance aircraft, officials said. Boelter was armed but surrendered with no shots fired.
The operation to capture Boelter, drawing on the work of hundreds of detectives and a wide range of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, was the largest manhunt in state history, Brooklyn Park police Chief Mark Bruley said during a news conference on Sunday.
The killing was the latest episode of high-profile US political violence.
Such incidents range from a 2022 attack on former Democratic US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband at their home, to an assassination bid on Donald Trump last year, and an arson attack at Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's house in April. — Reuters
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
GMA Network
4 hours ago
- GMA Network
Oil prices fall by $1 per barrel on reports Iran seeks truce with Israel
NEW YORK - Oil prices slipped $1 per barrel on Monday in volatile trading after reports that Iran is seeking an end to hostilities with Israel, raising the possibility of a truce and easing fears of a disruption to crude supplies from the region. Brent crude futures LCOc1 settled $1, or 1.35%, lower to $73.23 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures CLc1 fell $1.21, or 1.66%, to $71.77 per barrel. Iran has asked Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman to press U.S. President Donald Trump to use his influence on Israel for an immediate ceasefire in return for Tehran's flexibility in talks about its nuclear program, two Iranian and three regional sources told Reuters. Earlier, the Wall Street Journal had reported Iran was seeking a truce. Traders pared bets that bombing by both sides could turn into a broader, regional war that would threaten energy infrastructure, Mizuho analyst Robert Yawger said. On Friday, oil prices surged more than 7% after Israel began bombing Iran over claims Tehran was close to securing an atomic bomb. Friday's surge put oil in "overbought territory" in terms of technical indicators, which is typically followed by a downward move, said Rory Johnston, an energy analyst and founder of the Commodity Context newsletter. "As I see it, the initial run up in prices on Thursday/Friday was fueled by a large inflow of speculative cash, which brought us back into overbought spec positioning levels," Johnston said. "When you're in that state, the market is especially vulnerable to sharp liquidations," Johnston added. Both Israel and Iran have traded airstrikes, including on energy infrastructure, but key oil export facilities have not yet been hit. "The Israelis have not touched Kharg Island, so that is the story right now," Mizuho's Yawger said, referring to the Iranian oil export hub. Yawger said any strikes on Kharg Island would likely send oil prices soaring to $90 a barrel. "It all boils down to how the conflict escalates around energy flows," said Harry Tchilinguirian, group head of research at Onyx Capital Group. "So far, production capacity and export capacity have been spared and there hasn't been any effort on the part of Iran to impair flows through the Strait of Hormuz." Electronic interference with commercial ship navigation systems has surged in recent days around the Strait of Hormuz and the wider Gulf, which is having an impact on vessels sailing through the region, naval forces said on Monday. About a fifth of the world's total oil consumption, or some 18 to 19 million barrels per day of oil, condensate and fuel, passes through the strait. Iran, a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, currently produces around 3.3 million bpd and exports more than 2 million bpd of oil and fuel. The spare capacity of OPEC+ oil producers to pump more to offset any disruption is roughly equivalent to Iran's output, according to analysts and OPEC watchers. — Reuters
GMA Network
11 hours ago
- GMA Network
Suspect in shooting of Minnesota lawmakers to appear in court on murder charges
A composite of a photo released by the FBI allegedly showing Vance Boelter wearing a mask and disguised as a police officer at the door of Assemblywoman Melissa Hortman and husband Mark Hortman, both of whom were shot dead; and the June 16, 2025 mugshot provided by Hennepin County Sheriff's Office via REUTERS MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota — A man accused of killing a Democratic state lawmaker while posing as a police officer is expected to appear in a Minnesota court on Monday afternoon on state murder charges. Vance Boelter, 57, is being held in Hennepin County after he was arrested on Sunday following a massive manhunt over the weekend. Boelter is accused of shooting dead Melissa Hortman, the top Democrat in the Minnesota House, and her husband, Mark, in their home on Saturday. Authorities said Boelter was also suspected of shooting and wounding another Democratic lawmaker, state Senator John Hoffman, and his wife Yvette at their home a few miles away. Governor Tim Walz has characterized the crimes as a "politically motivated assassination." "A moment in this country where we watch violence erupt, this cannot be the norm. It cannot be the way that we deal with our political differences," Walz said. Boelter was charged with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree attempted murder, a criminal complaint showed. He is scheduled to appear in court at 1:30 p.m. local time, jail records showed. Three of those charges are punishable with jail terms of up to 40 years, according to a Hennepin County criminal complaint unsealed on Sunday. Boelter had been impersonating a police officer while carrying out the shootings, wearing an officer's uniform and driving a Ford SUV with police-style lights, the complaint said. Boelter fled on foot early on Saturday when officers confronted him at Hortman's Brooklyn Park home, said authorities who had warned residents to stay indoors for their own safety and unleashed the state's biggest manhunt. When police searched Boelter's SUV after the shootings, they discovered three AK-47 assault rifles, a 9-mm handgun, and a list of other public officials including their addresses, the criminal complaint showed. Working on a tip that Boelter was near his home in the city of Green Isle, more than 20 SWAT teams combed the area, aided by surveillance aircraft, officials said. Boelter was armed but surrendered with no shots fired. The operation to capture Boelter, drawing on the work of hundreds of detectives and a wide range of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, was the largest manhunt in state history, Brooklyn Park police Chief Mark Bruley said during a news conference on Sunday. The killing was the latest episode of high-profile US political violence. Such incidents range from a 2022 attack on former Democratic US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband at their home, to an assassination bid on Donald Trump last year, and an arson attack at Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's house in April. — Reuters
GMA Network
11 hours ago
- GMA Network
Iranian missiles hit Tel Aviv and Haifa, Israel warns of tough response
Firefighters and rescue personnel work at an impact site following missile attack from Iran on Israel, in Haifa, Israel, June 15, 2025. REUTERS/ Rami Shlush TEL AVIV/DUBAI/WASHINGTON — Iranian missiles struck Israel's Tel Aviv and the port city of Haifa before dawn on Monday, killing at least eight people and destroying homes, prompting Israel's defense minister to warn that Tehran residents would "pay the price and soon." Iran said its parliament was preparing a bill to leave the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), adding that Tehran remains opposed to developing weapons of mass destruction. Passing the bill could take several weeks. Israel is presumed to have a sizable nuclear arsenal but neither confirms nor denies it. It is the only Middle East state that has not signed the NPT. Israel's military, which has gutted Iran's nuclear and military leadership with airstrikes, said on Monday it had killed four senior intelligence officials including the head of the Revolutionary Guards' intelligence unit. Israeli authorities said a total of seven missiles of the fewer than 100 fired by Iran overnight had landed in Israel. A military spokesman also said Israel had achieved aerial superiority over Iran and had destroyed more than a third of Iran's surface-to-surface missile launchers. At least 100 people were wounded in Israel in the overnight blitz, part of a wave of attacks by Tehran in retaliation for Israel's strikes targeting the nuclear and ballistic missile programs of sworn enemy Iran. Iran, facing its worst security breach since the 1979 Islamic revolution, said dozens of alleged saboteurs and "spies" linked to Israel had been arrested since the start of the conflict. Iran's currency has lost at least 10% of its value against the US dollar since the start of Israel's biggest ever attack on its old enemy last Friday. The dangers of further escalation loomed over a meeting of G7 leaders in Canada, with US President Donald Trump expressing hope on Sunday that a deal could be done but no sign of the fighting abating on a fourth day of war. Geopolitical stability in the Middle East has already been undermined by spillover effects of the Gaza war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas. In total, 24 people in Israel have been killed so far in the Iranian missile attacks, all of them civilians. The death toll in Iran has reached at least 224, with civilians accounting for 90% of the casualties, an Iranian health ministry spokesperson said. Iran's state media reported that the Farabi hospital and surrounding areas in the western province of Kermanshah were hit in a missile attack, causing serious material damage. In Israel, search and rescue operations were underway in Haifa where some 30 people were wounded, emergency services said, as dozens of first responders rushed to the strike zones. Fires were seen burning at a power plant near the port. Video footage showed several missiles over Tel Aviv and explosions could be heard there and over Jerusalem. Several residential buildings in a densely populated neighborhood of Tel Aviv were destroyed in a strike that blew out the windows of hotels and homes near the US Embassy branch in the city. The US ambassador said the building sustained minor damage, but there were no injuries to personnel. 'It's terrifying' Guydo Tetelbaun was in his apartment in Tel Aviv when the alerts came in shortly after 4 a.m. (0100 GMT). "As usual, we went into the [shelter] that's right across the street there. And within minutes, the door of the [shelter] blew in," the 31-year-old chef said. "It's terrifying because it's so unknown. This could be the beginning of a long time like this, or it could get worse, or hopefully better, but it's the unknown that's the scariest.' The pre-dawn missiles also struck near Shuk HaCarmel, a popular market in Tel Aviv that typically draws large crowds buying fresh fruit and vegetables. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said the latest attack employed a new method that caused Israel's multi-layered defense systems to target each other and allowed Tehran to successfully hit many targets, without providing further details. The Israeli Defense Force did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the strikes. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement: "The arrogant dictator of Tehran has become a cowardly murderer who targets the civilian home front in Israel to deter the IDF from continuing the attack that is collapsing his capabilities." "The residents of Tehran will pay the price, and soon." Katz later issued a separate statement saying that Israel had no intention of deliberately harming Tehran's residents. Leaders meet Group of Seven leaders gathered in the Canadian Rockies on Sunday with the Israel-Iran conflict expected to be a top priority. Before leaving for the summit on Sunday, Trump was asked what he was doing to de-escalate the situation. "I hope there's going to be a deal. I think it's time for a deal," he told reporters. "Sometimes they have to fight it out." Oil prices edged down on Monday, after surging 7% on Friday, as the military strikes by Israel and Iran over the weekend avoided oil production and export facilities. While investors remain on edge, stock and currency markets in Asia were little moved. Israel has said its military campaign will escalate in the coming days. Trump has lauded Israel's offensive while denying Iranian allegations that the US has taken part and warning Tehran not to widen its retaliation to include US targets. Trump has repeatedly said Iran could end the war by agreeing to tough restrictions on its nuclear program, which Iran says is for peaceful purposes but which Western countries and the IAEA nuclear watchdog say could be used to make an atomic bomb. — Reuters
