State and federal law enforcement officials are searching for Vance Luther Boelter, a 57-year-old securities expert and suspect in the murder of former Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman. Boelter allegedly killed Hortman and her husband in their home early Saturday morning, June 14, in what Gov. Tim Walz described as a “politically motivated assassination.”
Boelter also allegedly shot state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife in their home, though the two have since undergone surgery and are in stable condition.
Hortman and Hoffman both belong to the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.
During a press conference around 3 p.m. local time, Superintendent Drew Evans of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said that authorities are still looking for Boelter, and that they don’t know if he acted alone or if others are involved.
Evans said that investigators have obtained surveillance footage tracking some of Boelter’s movements Saturday morning, but that authorities currently believe he is attempting to flee the Twin Cities area.
Evans added that aside from some public meetings, investigators aren’t aware of any definitive links between Boelter, Hoffman and Hortman.
From 2016 to 2023, Boelter served on Minnesota’s Workforce Development Board. He was initially appointed to the position by former Gov. Mark Dayton. Walz subsequently reappointed him to the position.
Aside from that public service work, which included a vice chair position on the Board’s employment for people with disabilities division, Boelter’s LinkedIn profile identifies him as the CEO of Red Lion Group based in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
According to Fox News, Boelter, who reportedly received security training from members of the U.S. Military and private firms, has spent time providing security services in regions across the globe, including Africa, North America, Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
Investigators recovered a manifesto from Boelter’s vehicle, as well as numerous flyers and materials related to the “No Kings” protests that were scheduled for Saturday, in opposition to the Trump administration and its policies.
However, Evans said that while there are some indications of a potential motive in the manifesto, it would be “premature to say exactly what the motivation was.”
CBS News reports that the manifesto contained a list of more than 50 individuals both inside and outside of Minnesota, including abortion rights advocates and abortion facilities.
Hortman, who formerly served as speaker of the Minnesota House, was shot and killed along with her husband in their Brooklyn Park home early Saturday morning. Hoffman and his wife were also shot inside their home in Champlin, some eight miles away. The neighboring suburbs are situated north of Minneapolis.
Boelter allegedly posed as a law enforcement agent while carrying out the attacks and drove an SUV that looked “exactly like an SUV squad car,” Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said. The vehicle was equipped with emergency lights, while Boelter allegedly wore a vest and carried a badge and a Taser.
“No question that if [the suspect] were in this room, you would assume that they are a police officer,” Bruley said during an earlier press conference.