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The Herald Scotland
4 hours ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Minnesota lawmakers' shooting updates: Search intensifies for suspect
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who called the attack a "politically motivated assassination," said state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were shot and killed, and State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were shot multiple times and wounded in in Brooklyn Park and Champlin, two neighboring suburban cities 10 to 20 miles outside Minneapolis. Authorities said it appeared Boelter targeted pro-choice legislators, based on writings he left behind. They have not yet released those writings, which one elected official referred to as a "manifesto." Speaking on NBC's Meet the Press, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat who represents Minnesota, said she'd been at a dinner with Hortman just hours previously as elected officials marked the end of the state's legislative session. She said the community remains anxious, especially given the lengths that the suspect went to in order to enter the homes. In one image released by authorities, Boelter appears to be wearing a full-face mask to disguise his appearance. Klobuchar said the suspect appears to be "off balance" and have "no limits" on his actions. "We believe he's somewhere in the vicinity and that they are going to find him," Klobuchar said on Meet the Press. "But right now everyone's on edge here because we know this man will kill in a second." She added: "Clearly this is politically motivated. There clearly was some through-line with abortion because of the groups that were on the list and other things that I've heard that were in this manifesto." The suspect in the attacks had been seen earlier Saturday wearing a light colored cowboy hat, a dark colored long sleeved collared shirt or coat with a dark bag, police said. The FBI offered a reward of up to $50,000 for information that could lead to an arrest. David Carlson, 59, told Reuters that he had been sharing a house in Minneapolis with Boelter, who he had known since the fourth grade, for a little more than a year and last saw him on Friday night. Then about 6 a.m. on Saturday, he received a text from Boelter. "He said that he might be dead soon," said Carlson, who called police. Boelter is a St. Cloud State University graduate, according to SCSU spokesperson Zach Dwyer. Boelter wrote on his LinkedIn page that he was the CEO of a company called "Red Lion Group" and that he has traveled to Congo and several other countries, but those claims have not been confirmed. Boelter is also listed on a website of a company called Praetorian Guard Security Services, which lists him as director of security patrols. The website describes him as involved with "security situations" overseas, including Africa, Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Praetorian Guard Security Services, a residential armed home security company in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area, listed Boelter as director of security patrols for the company, according to its website. The company offered licensed armed security patrols, uniformed security and event security, with the latter service coming soon. "We drive the same make and model of vehicles that many police departments use in the U.S.," the website said. "Currently we drive Ford Explorer Utility Vehicles." In 2019, Walz named Boelter and dozens of others to his Governor's Workforce Development Board, which according to the governor's website assists the governor in "developing, implementing, and modifying the state plan, review of statewide policies and programs, providing recommendations on actions to align and improve the workforce development system and programs," and other state matters. Hoffman and Hortman are both members of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. Hoffman, 60, and his wife, Yvette, have one child and live in Champlin, according to his lawmaker profile. He was first elected in 2012. Hortman and her husband, Mark, have two children and live in Brooklyn Park, according to her profile. She was elected in 2004. The Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) is a political party exclusive to Minnesota that was formed in 1944 when the Minnesota Democratic Party and the Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party merged. Hortman was Speaker-Emerita of the House of Representatives, which is narrowly controlled by Republicans. Hortman served her constituents with compassion and grace, Walz said. "Our state lost a great leader and I lost the dearest of friends, he said. "She woke up every day determined to make this state a better place." According to authorities, police were called to a shooting around 2 a.m. on June 14 at the Hoffmans' home in Champlin. The Hoffmans had been shot and wounded and were transported to a hospital, where they underwent surgery, officials said. Walz said they are "cautiously optimistic" the Hoffmans will survive. Authorities said that while police were responding to the Hoffmans' house, officers in neighboring Brooklyn Park, who were helping on the scene, decided to check on Hortman. When they arrived at Hortman's home, they saw what appeared to be a police vehicle with lights on and encountered a man dressed as an officer coming out of the home. Police exchanged gunfire with the man, who ran back inside and apparently fled out the back door, authorities said. "Political violence is evil. It cannot be tolerated, and neither can those who condone it or make excuses for it," Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in a statement. Contributing: Jeanine Santucci, Eduardo Cuevas; Reuters
Boston Globe
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
What we know about the at-large suspect in Minnesota lawmaker shooting
Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were killed, while state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were critically injured. Boelter, 57, was last seen in Minneapolis on Saturday morning and should be considered armed and dangerous, police said. He is about 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes, and was thought to be working to leave the Twin Cities area. Images of Boelter captured Saturday morning show him wearing a light-colored cowboy hat, dark long-sleeved shirt or jacket, light-colored pants and dark sneakers. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'The public is asked to call 911 immediately if they see Boelter. Do not approach him,' the FBI said. Advertisement Authorities said that they discovered writings in Boelter's car that gave 'indications' of what could have driven him to carry out the attacks, but that it would be premature to give an exact motive. They also found several fliers for the 'No Kings' movement protesting President Donald Trump, which prompted the cancellation of local 'No Kings' demonstrations Saturday. A list discovered in the vehicle named prominent abortion rights advocates in Minnesota, including many Democratic lawmakers who have been outspoken about the issue, according to a person who had seen the list and spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the ongoing investigation. Advertisement The office of Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minnesota) confirmed her name was on the list. The suspected gunman works for a Twin Cities-area armed home security company called Praetorian Guard Security Services, serving as its director of security patrols, according to the company's website. His bio on the site said he had received training from private security firms and from 'people in the U.S. Military' and had 'been involved with security situations in Eastern Europe, Africa, North America and the Middle East, including the West Bank, Southern Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.' Authorities said they were aware of the suspected gunman's potential background in security services. 'Certainly, an individual would have some familiarity, if that's the line of work that they're in, with some of the tactics' used in the shootings, said Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. The gunman was said to have been dressed as a law enforcement officer and opened fire on the actual police officers who were called to Hortman's home after she was shot. A black SUV that was altered to look like a police vehicle - complete with emergency lights and a license plate that read 'POLICE' - was towed away from Hortman's home Saturday. The website for Praetorian Guard Security Services notes that its guards wear 'the best personal protective equipment that money can buy' and drive Ford Explorer SUVs, the same vehicle make and model used by many police departments in the United States. Boelter's wife, Jenny, is listed as the resident agent for the company, according to business filings. Attempts to reach her Saturday were unsuccessful. Advertisement The suspect's online presence indicated he is well traveled and connected to several religious groups. He is listed on federal tax forms as the president of a Minnesota-based nonprofit called You Give Them Something to Eat - an apparent reference to the biblical episode in which Jesus feeds a large crowd with two fish and five loaves of bread. The organization's tax forms report no income or spending. Tax records also appear to show that the suspected gunman and his wife once led another nonprofit known as Revoformation Ministries. An archived version of its website calls the suspect 'Reverend' and says he was ordained in 1993. 'Prior to 9-11, Vance had already made several trips to violent areas in the Gaza Strip and West Bank where suicide bombings were taking place,' the site said. 'He sought out militant Islamists in order to share the gospel and tell them that violence wasn't the answer.' In recent years, the suspected gunman worked in Africa and sought to spread Christianity to 'Islamic militants,' according to his LinkedIn profile and other traces of his activity online. Two years ago, he posted on LinkedIn that he was working in the Democratic Republic of Congo as CEO of a company called Red Lion Group. His post referred to multiple trips to the country, as well as to Washington, where he said he was working with the country's ambassador to the United States. In a video posted to YouTube that shows the suspected gunman preaching to a large church in the Democratic Republic of Congo, he urges the congregants to embrace Christian joy even in difficult times. He shared a story about being at his mother's home in Minnesota when he learned that a friend doing missionary work in Zimbabwe had been murdered there. Advertisement 'Even though that hurt, I knew Jesus, and I knew my friend knew Jesus,' the suspect told the crowd. 'I knew he was in heaven.' In another post, shared around 2019, he encouraged friends and colleagues to vote in unspecified upcoming U.S. elections. 'I have been in several countries where people don't have the ability to vote for who their leaders are. I will just say they were not places that anyone of us would want to live in if we had any choice in the matter,' he wrote. 'For those of you that I'm connected with that are not in the United States, if you believe in prayer, please keep the United States in your prayers. I think the election is going to have more of an impact on the direction of our country than probably any election we have been apart of, or will be apart of for years to come.' The suspect worked for several large food companies during the past 25 years, including Nestlé and Gerber, Johnsonville Sausage and Del Monte, according to his LinkedIn profile. Minnesota governors appointed him at least twice to serve on the Governor's Workforce Development Board, an advisory group on which Hoffman also served. Gov. Mark Dayton (D) appointed the suspect to the board in 2016, and Gov. Tim Walz (D) did the same in 2019. The 2019 nomination said he lived in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, south of St. Paul, while the 2016 appointment said he was living in Shakopee, Minnesota, about 20 miles to the west. Advertisement The suspect sometimes stayed at a house in North Minneapolis, according to the owner of the residence. A Minneapolis City Council member told constituents that police searched the house Saturday. David Carlson, who also lives in the house, said he received text messages from Boelter this weekend saying he would be 'gone for a while.' Carlson said he read the messages to reporters, instead of sending screenshots, because he didn't want the suspect's wife to see the images of the texts on television. 'David and Ron, I love you guys,' the messages said, according to local news reports. 'I made some choices, and you guys don't know anything about this, but 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.' In a brief interview, Carlson called what happened in Minneapolis 'a tragedy.' 'It's a tragedy. That's all I've got to say. Tragedy all around,' he said. Tobi Raji and Dylan Wells in Washington, Holly Bailey in Atlanta and Patrick Marley in Minneapolis contributed to this report.
Hindustan Times
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
From hit list to no criminal record: Key facts about Minnesota shooter Vance Luther Boelter
A statewide manhunt is underway for 57-year-old Vance Boelter, wanted in connection with the fatal shooting of Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman and the wounding of State Sen. John Hoffman. According to the Law enforcement. Boelter posed as a police officer to enter Hortman's home before opening fire. Officials stated the attack may have been politically motivated. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz even called it an 'assassination.' As Boelter is considered armed and dangerous, the FBI has posted a $50,000 reward for information that leads to his arrest. A photo shared by investigators shows him wearing a tan cowboy hat and a mask. Here's what we know so far about Vance Boelter: Boelter had links to a private security business that owned vehicles resembling police cruisers. The company, Praetorian Guard Security Services, was tied to his home. A woman believed to be his wife was listed as CEO. Investigators believe the company's gear may have helped him impersonate a police officer. Also Read: Vance Boelter social media: Old LinkedIn post saying 'keep the United States in your prayers' surfaces Boelter identified as an evangelical Christian and gave sermons abroad, including in Africa. In one 2023 video, he criticized US cultural values, especially LGBTQ rights. Authorities recovered a list from Boelter's car. It included politicians and public figures, mostly Democrats and people linked to abortion rights groups like Planned Parenthood. Names included US Rep. Ilhan Omar and Sen. Tina Smith. Boelter served briefly on a state workforce board appointed by the governor in 2019. Sen. Hoffman, who survived the shooting, was also part of that board. It's unclear how well the two knew each other. Boelter didn't post much about politics on social media, but his sermons pointed to strong conservative beliefs. State records show he once registered as a Republican. Boelter has no felony record in Minnesota, only some minor traffic violations. He claimed advanced degrees from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, including a doctorate. On social media, he referred to himself as 'Dr. Boelter.' His property records show he owns land near Green Isle, about 50 miles west of the Twin Cities.
a day ago
- Politics
Manhunt continues for Minnesota shooting suspect Vance Boelter
Around 24 hours after police say a gunman killed a Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband, plus wounded another lawmaker and his wife, suspect Vance Boelter remains on the run, authorities have said. The shootings began around 2 a.m. Saturday, when Minnesota State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were both shot multiple times at their home in Champlin, Minnesota, authorities said. Soon after, State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were shot and killed at their home in Brooklyn Park. Police encountered the gunman leaving Hortman's house at around 3:35 a.m., the officers heading there to check on the lawmaker after responding to the earlier shooting at Hoffman's home. The suspect exchanged gunfire with police and was able to escape and flee on foot, authorities said. The FBI is "using every available resource to locate Vance Boelter," FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. said in a statement. The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to Boelter's arrest. The 57-year-old suspect is alleged to have gained access to the victim's homes while posing as a police officer. Police believe that when the shooter opened fire, he was wearing a latex mask that looked realistic, sources said. Boelter -- a husband and father, according to an online biography -- has touted an extensive background in security and military training, according to an ABC News review of his online presence and professional history. Boelter helped lead the private security firm Praetorian Guard Security Services, which is based in the Twin Cities area, according to the company website. Dozens of Minnesota Democrats were on a target list written by the gunman, according to law enforcement sources. Those on the list included Gov. Tim Walz, U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith and state Attorney General Keith Ellison, according to law enforcement sources familiar with the matter. Police said the list -- which was retrieved from the suspect's vehicle, which looked like a police vehicle and had police lights -- also named Hortman and Hoffman. Both victims are Democrats and Hortman was formerly the Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives. The shooter's list of potential targets also included the names of abortion providers and pro-choice activists, several sources told ABC News. Many of the Democratic lawmakers on the list have been outspoken about pro-choice policy positions, two sources said.
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Hindustan Times
Who is Vance Boelter's wife? Jenny Boetler detained at Minnesota traffic stop with weapon, ammunition and more
The wife of Minnesota shooter Vance Luther Boelter has reportedly been detained and is being questioned after police found a weapon, ammunition, cash and passports in her car during a traffic stop on Saturday morning, June 14. According to local KTSP, Jenny Boetler was found in the car with several relatives near Onamia, Minnesota. The report stated that two cop cruisers were at the scene for two to three hours. While Jenny was held for questioning, she was not arrested. It is unclear if the Boetlers lived with each other, as Vance is believed to live at a residence in Camden, Minnesota. That resident was raided by SWAT teams on Saturday afternoon. Meanwhile, Vance is on the loose and is being sought in connection to several shootings, including that of Sen. John Hoffman and his wife in their Champlin home early Saturday, June 14, leaving them seriously injured. He then went to former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortmon's house, where he allegedly killed her and her husband, police sources told the New York Post. Vance and Jenny appear to head Praetorian Guard Security Services, a Minnesota-based company 'here to set up security options and provide security services right to your doorstep and property to keep what you own safe and secure,' per its website. The site, which lists Jenny as President and CEO, says, 'Jenny brings years of organizational operations and logistical oversight to the team. She has served and continues to serve on numerous boards and has helped organizations reach world class effectiveness.' It adds, 'Jenny is ready to help get your security needs in order for your home and your property so Praetorian Guard Security Services can give you the best coverage available!' On the website, Vance is listed as the Director of Security Patrols.
