Minnesota shooting suspect had dozens of potential targets, prosecutors
say
[June 17, 2025]
By STEVE KARNOWSKI, ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and JOHN SEEWER
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The man charged with killing one Minnesota lawmaker
and wounding another in what prosecutors have described as a
meticulously planned attack, had dozens of apparent targets, including
officials in at least three other states.
Vance Boelter allegedly made it to the homes of two other legislators on
the night of the attacks, but one was on vacation and the suspect left
the other house after police arrived, acting U.S. Attorney Joseph
Thompson said Monday.
All of the politicians named in his writing were Democrats, including
more than 45 state and federal officials in Minnesota, Thompson said.
Elected leaders in Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin said they, too, were
mentioned in his writings.
Investigators say Boelter appeared to spend months preparing for the
shootings — the latest in a string of political attacks across the U.S.
In Minnesota, Boelter carried out surveillance missions, took notes on
the homes and people he targeted, and disguised himself as a police
officer just before the shootings, Thompson said.
“It is no exaggeration to say that his crimes are the stuff of
nightmares,” he said.
Boelter surrendered to police Sunday night after they found him in the
woods near his home after a massive two-day search. He is accused of
fatally shooting former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her
husband, Mark, in their home early Saturday in the northern Minneapolis
suburbs.
Authorities say he also shot and wounded Sen. John Hoffman, a Democrat,
and his wife, Yvette, who lived a few miles away.
Federal prosecutors charged Boelter, 57, with murder and stalking, which
could result in a death sentence if convicted. He already faces state
charges, including murder and attempted murder. At a federal court
hearing Monday in St. Paul, Boelter said he could not afford an
attorney. A federal public defender was appointed to represent him, and
he was being held without bail pending a court appearance next week.
Manny Atwal, his lead attorney, declined to comment, saying the office
just got the case.
Notebooks show careful planning
Boelter had many notebooks full of plans, Thompson said. Underscoring
what law enforcement officials said was the premeditated nature of the
attacks, one notebook contained a list of internet-based people search
engines, according to court records.
But authorities have not found any writings that would “clearly identify
what motivated him,” Thompson said. He said it was also too soon to
speculate on any sort of political ideology.
Democratic Rep. Esther Agbaje, whose district includes parts of
Minneapolis, said she stayed with friends and family over the weekend
after learning that her name appeared on the list of targets.
In texts, the suspect said he ‘went to war’
Authorities declined to reveal the names of the other two lawmakers
whose homes were targeted but escaped harm. Democratic Sen. Ann Rest
said she was told the suspect parked near her home early Saturday. She
said in a statement that the “quick action” of law enforcement officers
saved her life.
Boelter sent a text to a family group chat after the shootings that
said: “Dad went to war last night ... I don’t wanna say more because I
don’t wanna implicate anybody,” according to an FBI affidavit.
His wife got another text that said: “Words are not gonna explain how
sorry I am for this situation ... there’s gonna be some people coming to
the house armed and trigger-happy and I don’t want you guys around,” the
affidavit said.
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This booking photo provided by the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office
shows Vance Boelter in Green Isle, Minn., on June 16, 2025.
(Hennepin County Sheriff's Office via AP)
Police later found his wife in a car with her children. Officers found
two handguns, about $10,000 in cash and passports for the wife and her
children, according to the affidavit.
Just hours after the shootings Saturday, Boelter bought an electric bike
and a Buick sedan from someone he met at a bus stop in Minneapolis, the
federal affidavit said. Police found the sedan abandoned on a highway
Sunday morning.
In the car, officers found a cowboy hat Boelter had been seen wearing in
surveillance footage as well as a letter written to the FBI, authorities
said. The letter said it was written by “Dr. Vance Luther Boulter” and
he was “the shooter at large."
The car was found in rural Sibley County, where Boelter owned a home.
Coordinated attacks on legislators
The Hoffmans were attacked first at their home in Champlin. Their adult
daughter called 911 to say a masked person had come to the door and shot
her parents.
Boelter had shown up carrying a flashlight and a 9 mm handgun and
wearing a black tactical vest and a “hyper-realistic” silicone mask,
Thompson said.
He first knocked and shouted: “This is police.” At one point, the
Hoffmans realized he was wearing a mask and Boelter told them “this is a
robbery.” After Sen. Hoffman tried to push Boelter out the door, Boelter
shot him repeatedly and then shot his wife, the prosecutor said.
A statement released Sunday by Yvette Hoffman said her husband underwent
several surgeries after being hit by nine bullets.
After hearing about a lawmaker being shot, officers arrived just in time
to see Boelter shoot Mark Hortman through the open door of the home,
according to the complaint. They exchanged gunfire with Boelter, who
fled into the home before escaping, the complaint said. Melissa Hortman
was found dead inside, according to the document. Their dog also was
shot and had to be euthanized.
Search for motive continues
Writings recovered from the fake police vehicle included the names of
lawmakers and community leaders, along with abortion rights advocates
and information about health care facilities, said two law enforcement
officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity
because they were not authorized to discuss details of the ongoing
investigation.
Friends and former colleagues interviewed by the AP describe Boelter as
a devout Christian who attended an evangelical church and went to
campaign rallies for President Donald Trump.
Boelter also is a former political appointee who served on the same
state workforce development board as Hoffman, records show, though it
was not clear if they knew each other.
___
Durkin Richer reported from Washington and Seewer reported from Toledo,
Ohio. Associated Press writers Michael Biesecker and Eric Tucker in
Washington, John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas, Rio Yamat in Las Vegas and
Margery Beck in Omaha, Nebraska, contributed to this report.
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