Minnesota lawmaker shooting suspect hit with federal murder, stalking charges, facing life in prison or death

MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota lawmaker shooting suspect Vance Luther Boelter, 57, has been hit with new federal charges after officials captured him in Sibley County on Sunday night in what police described as the “largest manhunt” in the state’s history.

He is charged with two counts of stalking, two counts of murder and two counts of firearm-related crimes in federal court.

In addition to the federal charges, Boelter is facing second-degree murder charges filed in Heppein County, where he is accused of killing former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, early Saturday morning at their Brooklyn Park home in Minneapolis, and shooting State Sen. John Hoffman, also a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, in their nearby Champlin home in a related attack. 

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office on Monday announced that it intends to file first-degree murder charges against the suspect.

Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson described Boelter’s alleged actions as “chilling” during a Monday news conference, saying the suspect first arrived at the Hoffmans’ home wearing a police-like uniform in a black SUV with emergency lights turned on and a license plate that read “police.”

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“Boelter wore a black tactical vest and body armor. He carried a flashlight and a Beretta 9 mm handgun,” Thompson said. He also wore a hyper-realistic silicon mask. Senator Hoffman had a security camera. I’ve seen the footage from that camera, and it is chilling. Boelter knocked on Senator Hoffman’s front door, and repeatedly shouted, ‘This is police. Open the door.'”

“It’s no exaggeration to say this is the stuff of nightmares.”

— Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson 

When they opened the door, Boelter shined a light in their faces, and the Hoffmans soon realized the suspect was not a police officer. The suspect then shot the Hoffmans and fled the scene, and their daughter called 911, Thompson said.

Following the shooting at the Hoffmans’ residence, Boelter traveled to the home of another Minnesota State Representative in the Maple Grove neighborhood. Around 2:24 a.m. Saturday, he knocked on the unnamed state lawmaker’s door wearing the same silicon mask and police uniform. He knocked on the representative’s door, but no one answered, as the lawmaker and his wife were on vacation. Thompson described security footage as “haunting.”

“Boelter planned his attack carefully.”

— Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson 

Around 2:36 a.m. Saturday, Boelter traveled to another state senator’s home in New Hope, Minnesota. Boelter parked on the street in his black SUV. New Hope police dispatched an officer to the state senator’s home to conduct a wellness check. Upon arrival, an officer located Boelter’s SUV parked on the block with its lights on, according to the U.S. Attorney.

“The New Hope police officer pulled up next to Boelter…rolled down her window and attempted to speak with him. Boelter did not respond,” Thompson said. “The New Hope police officer proceeded to the state senator’s home, and she waited for law enforcement to arrive. … By the time they did, Boelter had left the scene.

Boelter then traveled to the Hortmans’ home in Brooklyn Park, where he allegedly shot Melissa and Mark, wearing the same police uniform and mask.

The suspect allegedly had the names of 45 elected officials on a target list.

Boelter is currently charged with two counts of second-degree murder for the deaths of Victims 1 and 2 — identified as Melissa and Mark Hortman — and two counts of attempted second-degree murder for the shootings of Victims 3 and 4 — identified as John Hoffman and Yvette Hoffman.

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said Monday that those were the charges they could file via complaint on Sunday so they could take Boelter into custody at an early point in their investigation into the suspect’s alleged actions.

All charges are felonies, and each carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum of three years due to the use of a firearm.

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The Sibley County Sheriff’s Office told Fox News that Boelter “verbally” identified himself to authorities searching for him in the area on Sunday evening.

“The face of evil,” the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office said in a Sunday evening Facebook post, along with a photo of Boelter’s capture. “After relentless and determined police work, the killer is now in custody,” the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post. “Thanks to the dedication of multiple agencies working together along with support from the community, justice is one step closer.”

Authorities uncovered a disturbing arsenal in Boelter’s possession, documents said. Inside his vehicle, registered to him, police found three AK-47 assault rifles, a 9mm handgun, and a list of names and addresses of other public officials.

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His bail was set at $5 million. 

Authorities have said the suspect targeted lawmakers in a planned attack, showing up at their homes wearing a police-like uniform and a mask.

Democratic Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar shared a message from Hoffman’s wife on Sunday, saying the state senator was shot nine times and she eight.

“John is enduring many surgeries right now and is closer every hour to being out of the woods,” Yvette wrote. “He took [nine] bullet hits. I took [eight] and we are both incredibly lucky to be alive. We are gutted and devastated by the loss of Melissa and Mark. There is never a place for this kind of political hate.”