17 hours ago
'Might be dead soon': Minnesota killer's last text to friend; police probe shooter's motive
(AP photo)
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.
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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.
