Vance Boelter Is Suspected of Killing Two and Injuring Two Politicians in Minnesota
On June 14th, Vance Boelter shot two Minnesota politicians, Senator Hoffman and State Representative Hortman, and their spouses, leaving two dead and two wounded. Now, he faces multiple first-degree murder charges as well as federal murder charges that might lead to the death penalty. On top of that, he is also charged with second-degree murder charges from other state prosecutors.
The first shooting happened in the early hours of Saturday, June 14th. At 2 a.m., the police were notified about a shooting near Senator Hoffman’s residence. When the police identified the victims as a politician, they quickly sent officers to check on Rep. Hortman, another politician who lived just 10 miles away. When officers entered the residence at 3:30 a.m., they encountered the suspect who immediately started to open fire. According to The New York Times, “As he moved into the house, officers heard a second round of gunshots, according to the criminal complaint document. The suspect escaped on foot, the authorities said.”
During the shootings, Mr. Boelter acted as a police officer, wearing a rubber mask as well as other tactical gear to blend in. In fact, hours after the attacks, from Rep. Hortman’s driveway that they believed was supposed to impersonate a law enforcement car. In the car, there was also a notebook full of lists of names and addresses of politicians and their family members.
Mr. Boelter, who was suspected, was finally arrested by over 20 SWAT teams after a 43-hour-long manhunt involving hundreds of federal and local agency officials. He was located after being seen “darting” into the woods. When he was found, he “crawled” to the officers and was arrested without any force. According to The New York Times, “The suspect was armed when he was detained, said Drew Evans, the superintendent of the state’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.”
For his charges, Mr. Boelter is accused of fatally shooting Minnesota’s State Representative, Melissa Hortman, and her husband in their house. Additionally, he is also accused of shooting and injuring Minnesota’s State Senator, John A. Hoffman, and his wife. The suspect also visited two other houses of other politicians between the attacks.
Mr. Boelter, 57, once worked at the state Workforce Development Board with Sen. Hoffman, one of the victims. It is unknown if they knew each other, but it is certain that they both attended the same meeting back in 2022. He also worked in multiple vastly different jobs, from working as a general manager at a 7-Eleven to being the chief executive of a company that’s dedicated to giving jobs to people in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Additionally, he has a wife and five children.
Sen. Hoffman and his wife, who both survived the attempted murder, were shot a total of 17 times and are both still recovering. On June 27th, there will be a preliminary hearing for Mr. Boelter, which will ultimately decide if there will be a trial for his actions.
