Suspected Minnesota lawmaker assassin Vance Boelter captured

MINNEAPOLIS – Vance Boelter, the suspect accused of shooting two Minnesota state lawmakers, killing one and her husband, was captured on Sunday, multiple law enforcement sources confirmed to Fox News.

Boelter, 57, was captured in Sibley County after a two-day manhunt.

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. 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.”

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Boelter is accused of killing Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, early Saturday morning at their Brooklyn Park home in Minneapolis. He is also accused of shooting State Sen. John Hoffman, also a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, in their nearby Champlin home.

The Hennepin County District Court issued a criminal complaint charging Boelter with four felony counts of second-degree murder with intent (not premeditated).

The complaint charges Boelter with two counts of second-degree murder for the deaths of Victims 1 and 2, and two counts of attempted second-degree murder for the shootings of Victims 3 and 4. 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.

The complaint alleges that Boelter acted with intent to kill, using a firearm, in attacks against four individuals, including two who were elected officials.

Police documents that at approximately 2:05 a.m., Champlin Police responded to a 911 call reporting a masked individual had shot two people at a residence.
Officers discovered Victims 3 and 4, both of whom had been shot but survived. 

Surveillance footage captured a man dressed in police-style tactical gear, later identified as Boelter, approaching the home in a Ford SUV equipped with police-style lights. The footage, authorities allege, showed Boelter announcing himself as a police officer before entering the residence and shooting the victims.

Roughly 90 minutes later, Brooklyn Park Police, having learned that a legislator was involved in the earlier shooting, were dispatched to another legislator’s home as a precaution, documents say.

Upon arrival around 3:35 a.m., officers witnessed Boelter shoot Victim 2 through the open front door. Officers discovered both Victims 1 and 2 deceased from gunshot wounds.

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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.

Additional evidence, including a ballistic vest, a mask, and a police-style badge, was recovered nearby.

His bail was set at $5 million. 

“There is information that led us to do the searches…in Sibley County,” Evans said, adding later that Boelter’s vehicle and a hat that appeared to belong to the suspect were located in that area.

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

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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.”

Officials said Boelter had signs in his vehicle that read “No Kings.” Cities across the United States had “No Kings” protests — expressing disapproval of the Trump administration’s ICE raids — scheduled for Saturday afternoon.