BREAKING NEWS: After an intense two-day manhunt involving hundreds of officers, the man accused of murdering a top Democrat lawmaker and injuring another has been captured.
Authorities found chilling evidence that suggests Vance Boelter’s politically motivated rampage might have been just the beginning had he not been arrested near his Minnesota farm.
The 57-year-old suspect was booked into Hennepin County Jail following his capture in Green Isle, Minnesota.
Boelter, who has a background in security and military training, is charged with second-degree murder for the killing of former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and attempted murder of state Senator John Hoffman.
Most disturbing for law enforcement was the discovery of what appears to be a hit list found in Boelter’s abandoned SUV.
Specifically, a found notebook contained names of politicians and abortion rights supporters from multiple states.
This evidence suggests the suspect may have been planning additional attacks had he not been captured.
Democrat Minnesota Governor Tim Walz called the attack a “politically motivated assassination.”
He also emphasized that such violence cannot become normalized in American politics. “It cannot be the way that we deal with our political differences.”
According to investigators, Boelter used particularly disturbing tactics to get close to his victims. He impersonated a law enforcement officer and may have worn a latex mask during the attacks.
His rampage began at the Hoffmans’ home in Champlin, where both Senator Hoffman and his wife were shot but survived, before moving on to Brooklyn Park, where he murdered Hortman and her husband.
The manhunt was one of the largest in Minnesota history, involving SWAT teams and nearly 200 law enforcement officers from multiple agencies.
The FBI offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to Boelter’s arrest before he was spotted on a trail camera and subsequently surrendered.
“The suspect crawled to law enforcement teams and was placed under arrest at that point in time,” said Minnesota State Patrol Lt. Col. Jeremy Geiger
Boelter’s arrest warrants included charges of second-degree murder and fleeing to avoid prosecution.
Both a nationwide warrant and a federal warrant for unlawful flight had been issued.
What makes this case particularly unusual is that Boelter reportedly had no previous threats against the victims and was once on the same state workforce development board as John Hoffman.
After the arrest, Walz reflected on the loss of Hortman, who had served in the Minnesota House for 20 years and was speaker from 2019 to 2025.
“Melissa Hortman was the core of who our values were. It’s not about hatred. It’s not about mean tweets. It’s not about demeaning someone. It’s leading with grace and compassion and vision and compromise and decency. That was taken from us,” Walz said.
Hoffman is recovering after multiple surgeries. Meanwhile, Boelter’s wife was detained but later released after cooperating with investigators.
The motive behind Boelter’s rampage remains under investigation, though the hit list suggests his targets may have been selected for their political positions.
