Massive Search Intensifies for Suspect in Deadly Minnesota Lawmaker Attack

Authorities are engaged in an intensive search for Vance Luther Boelter, the suspect in a brazen attack that left one Minnesota lawmaker and her husband dead, and another state senator and his wife wounded. The shootings, which occurred early Saturday morning at the victims' homes in suburban Minneapolis, have sent shockwaves through the state's political landscape.

Boelter, 57, is accused of impersonating a law enforcement officer to gain entry into the residences of State Representative Melissa Hortman and State Senator John Hoffman. Governor Tim Walz has condemned the attacks as a "politically motivated assassination."

The victims, Hortman and her husband Mark, were fatally shot in their Brooklyn Park home. Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, sustained multiple gunshot wounds in Champlin and are currently receiving medical treatment.

Investigators are piecing together a timeline of events leading up to the shootings. Boelter was last seen wearing a light-colored cowboy hat and a dark, long-sleeved shirt or coat. He was also carrying a dark bag. The FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to his arrest.

A former roommate, David Carlson, reported receiving a troubling text message from Boelter hours before the attacks, stating he "might be dead soon." Carlson promptly alerted the authorities.

Boelter's background is now under intense scrutiny. He is a graduate of St. Cloud State University and claimed to be the CEO of a company called "Red Lion Group." He is also associated with Praetorian Guard Security Services, a company that lists him as a director of security patrols with experience in "security situations" overseas.

Adding another layer of complexity, Boelter was previously appointed by Governor Walz to the Governor's Workforce Development Board in 2019. This board advises the governor on workforce development policies and programs.

The victims, Hoffman and Hortman, are both members of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL). Hoffman, 60, has served in the state senate since 2012. Hortman, who was Speaker-Emerita of the House of Representatives, was first elected in 2004. Governor Walz mourned Hortman as a dedicated public servant and a close friend.