The man accused of killing Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, and shooting State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette on Saturday has been arrested and faces both federal and state charges including first degree murder and attempted murder, according to The Associated Press.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz described the attack as “an act of targeted political violence” during a press conference on Sunday, June 15.
Police said Vance Luther Boelter, 57, disguised as a police officer and wearing a realistic latex mask, first attacked the Hoffmans around 2 a.m. at their Champlin, Minnesota, home. Both were shot multiple times. Walz said they are recovering after surgery and that the family remains cautiously optimistic.
Just over an hour later, around 3:35 a.m., police officers went to Hortman’s home in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota to check on her after the first shooting. As they arrived, they encountered Boelter exiting the house in full police-like gear. According to ABC News, he exchanged gunfire with police before escaping on foot.
Officers found a fake police vehicle in Hortman’s driveway and, inside it, a disturbing discovery: a hit list with nearly 70 names. That list included Hortman, Hoffman, Walz, U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, Sen. Tina Smith and Attorney General Keith Ellison, according to law enforcement sources reported by ABC News. The list also named abortion providers and pro-choice advocates. Law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and Capitol Police, have increased security for those named in that hit list.
“Our state lost a dear leader and I lost the dearest of friends,” Walz said during the conference.
He also remembered Hortman as someone who served Minnesota with “great compassion, grace, humor and a sense of service.” He continued, “She was a formidable public servant. A fixture and giant in Minnesota. She woke up every day determined to make this state a better place.”
This attack has sparked national attention. President Donald Trump posted a statement Saturday afternoon on his social media platform, Truth Social, condemning the violence. “I have been briefed on the terrible shooting that took place in Minnesota, which appears to be a targeted attack against State Lawmakers,” he wrote. “Our Attorney General, Pam Bondi, and the FBI are investigating the situation, and they will be prosecuting anyone involved to the fullest extent of the law.”
Former President Joe Biden also addressed the attack in a post on X. “This heinous attack motivated by politics should never happen in America. We must give hate and extremism no safe harbor and we must all unite against political violence as a nation,” he tweeted. “Jill and I are sending strength to everyone affected by this senseless tragedy during an unimaginable time.”
Boelter has a history of working in private security. His company, Praetorian Guard Security Services, is based in the Twin Cities and advertised the use of police-style vehicles. In 2019, he was appointed by Governor Walz to the state’s Workforce Development Board, where he served alongside Senator Hoffman, according to ABC News.
A court hearing is set for Monday afternoon.