A former appointee of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is wanted in connection with the killing of a state legislator and the shooting of another, law enforcement sources said. Vance Luther Boelter is accused of posing as a police officer when he shot Senator John Hoffman and his wife at their home in Champlin early Saturday, leaving them seriously injured.
He then allegedly moved on to the home of former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman, where he is believed to have killed both her and her husband, sources told The New York Post. Boelter, 57 was appointed by Walz in 2019 to a four-year term on the Governor’s Workforce Development Board.
Waltz’s Employee Killers Lawmakers
Boelter had also been a member of the Governor’s Workforce Development Council in 2016 during the administration of then-Governor Mark Dayton, according to official records. Police said that the suspect had flyers in his vehicle reading “No Kings,” a possible reference to protests scheduled for Saturday against the Trump Administration.
Authorities also found a “manifesto” and a list of other political figures. Officers briefly confronted the gunman at Hortman’s home, but he slipped away.
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Authorities have launched a manhunt for Boelter, who was last seen wearing black body armor over blue shirt and blue trousers.
“We’re here today because an unspeakable tragedy has unfolded,” Walz said, adding, “State Representative Melissa Hortman, a Democrat, was assassinated, and her husband, Mark, was also killed.”
John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were shot multiple times while inside their home in Champlin. Walz said that both have undergone surgery but are still in critical condition.
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Officials said at a Saturday morning press briefing that no arrests had been made, but several “persons of interest” had been taken in for questioning.
The first shooting happened shortly after 2 a.m. at Hoffman’s home in Champlin, about 20 miles from Minneapolis. A man and a woman were shot multiple times, though their current conditions remain unclear, according to KSTP.
The second attack took place around 4 a.m., roughly eight miles to the south, at Representative Hortman’s home in Brooklyn Park. One man was shot several times, but his medical status has not been confirmed, The Sun reported.
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Following the shooting at Hortman’s house, officials said police engaged one of the suspects in the street, leading to a shootout.
Drew Evans, head of the state’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said that the suspect managed to slip away during the exchange of gunfire and is still on the run.
Still on the Run
Officials suspect that both incidents are connected. Walz has spoken out on social media, denouncing the “targeted attacks” and announcing that the State Emergency Operations Center is being activated as authorities intensify their search for the suspect.
“I’ve been briefed this morning on an ongoing situation involving targeted shootings in Champlin and Brooklyn Park,” Walz wrote on X.
“I’ve activated the State Emergency Operations Center. Local law enforcement in Champlin and Brooklyn Park have the full resources of the State of Minnesota behind them. We are monitoring the situation closely and will share more information soon,” the Governor wrote.
Brooklyn Park Police issued a shelter-in-place alert around 5:30 a.m. which was later extended to cover a three-mile area surrounding the Edinburgh Golf Course.
A second emergency alert was sent out around 7 a.m., urging residents not to open their doors unless two officers were present and to call 911 to confirm the identity of any law enforcement personnel.
