Man Accused of Killing Minnesota Lawmaker Pleads Guilty

On June 11, 2026 Vance Boelter confessed to multiple attacks against Minnesota state legislators in federal court. Boelter was found guilty of murdering state representative Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark Hortman, and stalking other officials. U.S. Attorneys said they will seek life in prison for Boelter, not the death penalty. The guilty plea was part of the federal court case about the attacks.

On June 14, 2025 Melissa and Mark Hortman were shot and killed at their home near Minneapolis. On the same night State Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette were shot and seriously injured at their townhome in a nearby town. The attacks shocked many people across Minnesota and got a lot of public attention. Police spent more than a day searching for Boelter before finding him. Several law enforcement agencies helped with the search, which received a lot of attention from citizens.

During the hearing to enter his guilty plea, Boelter admitted that he had been planning the attacks on members of the state legislature for months, federal officials said. According to prosecutors, he had followed and researched each victim before carrying out his plan. Prosecutors also said he went to the homes of two Democratic state lawmakers before targeting the Hortmans. Evidence found in his apartment suggested he had been planning these attacks for a long time, investigators said, which helped show what they believe was a planned attack.

The incident sparked attention across the country and led to new concerns about political violence.

“Our officials were attacked, but our democratic system was attacked too,” U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger told reporters shortly after the plea.

According to Reuters, many officials quickly condemned the shootings and said they were a threat to democracy. Some officials also said the attacks changed the way they think about safety and security for elected leaders and their families.

After the shootings, security for lawmakers increased. Some personal information was removed from government websites and extra safety measures were put in place for public officials. Police investigators also continued looking through evidence to better understand the motive for the attacks. The victims’ families attended Boelter’s court hearing. “The entry of the plea can provide a sense of justice but the trauma to my wife Yvette and I will live with us for the rest of our lives,” John and Yvette Hoffman said. Even though the case is getting closer to being finished, many people in Minnesota are still thinking about what happened and how it affected the community.