‘The Stuff of Nightmares’: Boelter Stopped at Homes of Four Lawmakers with Intent To Kill
Federal law enforcement authorities said Vance Boelter, the suspect in the murder of House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park) and her husband, visited the homes of four local lawmakers on Saturday with the intent to kill them.
Authorities declined to name the specific politicians, but said they included a state representative from Maple Grove and a senator from New Hope.
Media outlets have identified Rep. Kristin Bahner (DFL-Maple Grove) and Sen. Ann Rest (DFL-New Hope) as his targets along with Sen. John Hoffman (DFL-Champlin) and Hortman.
“Political assassinations are rare — they strike at the very core of our democracy,” said Joseph Thompson, acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota at a Monday press conference. “But the details of Boelter’s crime are even worse. They are truly chilling. It is no exaggeration to say that his crimes are the stuff of nightmares. Boelter stalked his victims like prey.”
Boelter — who impersonated a police officer during the shootings — has been charged with six federal crimes, including stalking, murder and other firearms offenses.
That’s in addition to the multiple counts of second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder he faces in state court. With Boelter now in custody, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty says she plans to pursue first-degree murder charges in the case.
Boelter is accused of shooting and killing the Hortmans in their Brooklyn Park home. Officials say he also shot Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, in their Champlin home. The pair survived the shooting and are recovering in the hospital.
Law enforcement officials arrested Boelter on Sunday night in what officials describe as the largest manhunt in state history.
According to Thompson, Boelter, 57, is now in federal custody and could face the death penalty if he’s found guilty.
He made his first appearance in federal court at 1:30 p.m. on Monday in St. Paul.
Sen. Hoffman Shooting
According to law enforcement officials, Boelter first visited Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, around 2:06 a.m. on Saturday, June 14.
He drove a mock police vehicle with fraudulent police license plates, according to Thompson.
Wearing a silicone mask, Boelter knocked on Hoffman’s door, repeatedly shouting “this is the police, open the door,” Thomson said.
Both Hoffmans came to the door as Boelter told them someone had reported a shooting in the house.
When Boelter lowered his flashlight, they realized he was not a police officer, according to Thompson.
Boelter then announced he was robbing them, forced entry to the house, and shot both Hoffmans. They were hospitalized and are recovering.
“Our family is so humbled by the love and outpouring we’ve received from everyone,” Yvette wrote in a statement to Sen. Amy Klobuchar. “John is enduring many surgeries right now and is closer every hour to being out of the woods. He took 9 bullet hits. I took 8 and we are both incredibly luck to be alive. We are gutted and devastated by the loss of Melissa and Mark. We have no words. There is never a place for this kind of political hate. Thank you for your friendship always. Minnesotans are at our very best when we stand together.”
Attempts on Rep. Bahner, Sen. Rest
After shooting the Hoffmans, authorities say Boelter visited Bahner’s Maple Grove home, where he was seen on a security camera knocking on the door at 2:24 a.m.
When there was no answer, he drove to the New Hope home of Sen. Ann Rest.
New Hope police were on their way to conduct a wellness check on Rest when they spotted Boelter and his vehicle at 2:36 a.m.
The New Hope officer initially believed Boelter was a fellow officer and attempted to talk with him. He ignored her, so she proceeded to Rest’s home.
When other officers arrived, Boelter had already left the scene.
“I have been made aware that the shooting suspect was parked near my home early Saturday morning,” she said in a statement Monday afternoon. “I am so grateful for the heroic work of the New Hope Police Department and its officers. Their quick action saved my life. I am also thankful for the work of state and local law enforcement to apprehend the suspect before he could take any more lives. While I am thankful the suspect has been apprehended, I grieve for the loss of Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, and I am praying for the recovery of John and Yvette Hoffman.”
A memorial at the Minnesota Capitol honors Melissa Hortman, who was shot and killed with her husband in their Brooklyn Park home. Law enforcement authorities have arrested Vance Boelter for the crime.
Melissa and Mark Hortman Killed
Boelter arrived at the Hortman home at 3:30 a.m. and left the lights flashing on his SUV.
Before he entered the home, two Brooklyn Park police officers arrived to conduct a wellness check.
When the officers exited their car, Boelter fired gunshots at them.
He then fired into the house and entered it, shooting both Melissa and Mark Hortman, Thompson said.
Boelter then fled out the back of the home.
Police searched his vehicle, where they found three AK-47s, a 9 mm handgun, and a hit list with more than 45 state and federal elected officials.
After a nearly two-day manhunt, law enforcement officials arrested Boelter at about 9:30 p.m. Sunday in a field near Green Isle, Minn., a town about 50 miles west of Minneapolis in Sibley County.
Thompson said he has not seen a “Unabomber”-style manifesto in Boelter’s papers.
However, Boelter had conducted months of surveillance and research on his victims before the attacks, Thompson said.
