A nationwide manhunt is underway in the US for 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter, who is suspected of assassinating Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, in what authorities have described as a “politically motivated assassination”. The shootings occurred early Saturday morning at the couple’s home in Brooklyn Park, a suburb of Minneapolis.
Boelter is also accused of shooting Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette at their home about 9 miles away in Champlin. Both Hoffman and his wife survived after surgery and are reported to be in stable condition. The suspect allegedly impersonated a police officer, wearing black body armour and a blue shirt, and was armed with a Taser and police-like equipment.
Law enforcement, including local police, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the FBI, are conducting an extensive search primarily in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, where Boelter is believed to still be located and considered armed and dangerous. Authorities found a manifesto and a list of other political targets in the suspect’s abandoned vehicle at Hortman’s residence.
The FBI has issued a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to Boelter’s arrest and conviction. Officials have urged the public not to approach him if seen and to call 911 immediately. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and other officials have condemned the attacks as targeted political violence, and President Donald Trump and US Attorney General Pam Bondi have vowed to prosecute the perpetrator to the fullest extent of the law.
The search continues as authorities remain on high alert, with the suspect believed to be capable of further violence.
