A manhunt continued Sunday for the man suspected in the targeted fatal shootings of Minnesota House DFL leader Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, early Saturday at their home in Brooklyn Park.
That suspect — 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter — is also believed to have shot and wounded Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, at their home in Champlin.
The FBI was offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Boelter — and said it’s using “every available resource” to find him.
Boelter is considered armed and dangerous. Authorities said he allegedly impersonated a police officer when he went to the lawmakers’ homes, and drove an SUV that looked like a law enforcement vehicle.
That vehicle was abandoned following the shooting at the Hortmans’ home when Boelter was confronted by police, with authorities saying he apparently fled the scene on foot.
A shelter-in-place order was issued for much of Brooklyn Park on Saturday morning as hundreds of law enforcement officers searched for Boelter. It was lifted later in the day, with authorities saying they believed he had left the area.
Officials said he was seen in business surveillance video later Saturday wearing a light-colored cowboy hat, dark-colored, long-sleeved, collared shirt or jacket, light pants and dark bag.
Boelter lived in Green Isle — southwest of the Twin Cities — but also rented a room at a home in north Minneapolis.
KARE 11 reported that one of Boelter’s roommates at that home and a longtime friend, David Carlson, reported receiving a text message from Boelter early Saturday. Boelter allegedly told his friend that he would be gone for a while, and “may be dead shortly.”
Remembering the victims
Flags are at half-staff across Minnesota in honor of Melissa Hortman. Gov. Tim Walz issued that order Saturday afternoon, calling Hortman “a great leader.”
“Melissa Hortman woke up every day determined to make our state a better place,” Walz said in the order. “She served the people of Minnesota with grace, compassion, and tirelessness.”
“She was a bright shining light of a human being,” Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon said. “Minnesotans lost a really important and impactful leader.”
Hortman and her husband had two adult children. Their home in Brooklyn Park is a short drive from the Hoffmans’ home in Champlin.
The Hoffmans were reported in stable condition on Saturday morning. Their nephew Mat Ollig said Yvette Hoffman was awake and alert as of Saturday night; at that time the family was awaiting an update on John Hoffman’s condition.
“Someone came up dressed as a cop, shot my uncle six times. My aunt five times. Bullet narrowly missed my uncle’s heart,” Ollig said. “Their daughter was home at the time, and my aunt threw herself on top of her so she was uninjured, thankfully.”
Ollig described the couple as “true civil servants.”
“They just give everything they can to help other people, and that’s what makes this even more shocking,” he said. “They’re not hyperpartisan. I’m still in shock that this could happen to such nice people in such a nice state.”
Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin — the former longtime chairman of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party — issued a statement following the shootings saying “my heart is broken.”
“Melissa, Mark, John, and Yvette — these are not just names, and this is not just politics. These are people,” Martin said. “They have children, loved ones, neighbors, and friends.”
“Today, we recommit ourselves to fight harder for the values that Melissa and Mark embodied — building a kinder, more just, and loving world. If this murderer thinks we will be silenced, he’s wrong.”
This is a developing story; check back for updates.
