Suspect named in targeted shootings of Minnesota lawmakers : NPR

Officials have been appointed suspects in a shooting that said they targeted two lawmakers at their Minnesota home, killed one state representative and husband, and injured a state senator and wife.

Authorities say the suspect is 57-year-old Vance Boelter.

Bolter is not yet in custody. Authorities urged residents to call 911 if they believed they saw him and thought he was armed and dangerous. The FBI offers a reward of up to $50,000 for information that leads to Boelter’s arrest and conviction.

Democrat Melissa Hortman, former Capitol chairperson, and her husband Mark, were shot and killed at their home in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, and killed early Saturday morning by a man impersonating a police officer. Previously, in another incident just a few miles away in Shamplin, Minnesota, Democrat Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were shot and wounded in their home. Hoffman is currently considered to be in stable condition in the hospital. Authorities did not provide any updates on Hoffman’s wife’s status.

Gov. Tim Waltz called the incident a “unspeakable tragedy.”

“This was an act of targeted political violence. Peaceful discourse is the foundation of our democracy. We don’t resolve the differences between violence and muzzle,” Walz said.

President Trump in a post about the True Society I said: “This kind of horrifying violence is not tolerated in the United States.”

In the morning, state officials told nearby residents not to answer their doors for those who had evacuated to their place and dressed the police. Officials told residents to call 911 and confirm with the dispatcher that officers belong there. Local police were also instructed to stay away from residents alone and instead to do so in pairs. The order for shelter in place was then cancelled.

The protest, known as No Kings, was planned nationwide on Saturday and in response to the Trump administration’s plan to retain it A large military parade. “If we consider the targeted shootings of state legislators overnight, we are asking our public not to attend today’s planned demonstrations across Minnesota due to the abundant attention,” Minnesota Patrol said. I said in x.

At a press conference, Minnesota Patrol Col. Christina Bogojevich said Flyers, who read “The King,” was found in the suspect’s car, but added that there was no direct link beyond what authorities know.

Officials said the lawmaker’s home didn’t look like it was broken. After responding to a shooting at Hoffman’s house, police went to Hortman’s house and checked her out. There they come across something that appears to be a door man dressed in blue with black body armor. The man had not been arrested at the time.

In the morning, law enforcement agencies were present in Brooklyn Park, which includes the FBI and state and local police. The manhunt is currently running for hours and involves hundreds of law enforcement agencies. Bolter was last seen in Minneapolis on Saturday morning and wore a brightly coloured cowboy hat. Authorities believe he is actively trying to escape, but he may still be in the area.

The suspect’s motive is still unknown, but state police said they found a list of individuals in Bolter’s car, including other lawmakers. Hortmann and Hoffmann were on that list, officials say.

At a press conference Saturday afternoon, officials also indicated they were investigating allegations that Belter worked for a security company. This claims that it could be refined by individuals in cases of this type, and that Hoffman and Bolter may have crossed the roads in public meetings before.

Records from the state Secretary of State show that Beltar was a member of the Governor’s Workforce Development Committee from 2016 to 2018 and from 2019 to early 2023.

State records show that he is not registered with a political party. Six years ago, Boerter used what looked like his LinkedIn page to encourage others to vote by saying they wanted others to be “part of this adventure” of life in the US.

Speaking to Minnesota public radio, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said he was on the list of individuals found in Volter’s car. Democrat U.S. Sen. Tina Smith also told MPR that her name was on the list. Smith said he didn’t know the other person he was named.

Smith said he was with Hortman and Hoffman for a Democrat dinner just hours before the shooting.

In a statement, Capitol Police said, “We know we are aware of violence targeting state lawmakers in Minnesota. We have worked with federal, state and local partners. We are unable to provide specific details about our security posture for safety reasons.”

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondy said he is closely monitoring the situation in Minnesota and that the FBI is investigating ground with state and local law enforcement agencies. She said the incident “seems to be a targeted attack on state legislators.”

“This horrible violence will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” She said in x.

Separately, Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino said. In the statement of x“The FBI is fully engaged on the ground in Minnesota and is working with local and state partners.”

This year’s Minnesota legislative meeting was marked by a fierce conflict between Republicans and Democrats.

Democrats had completely controlled the state government for the past two years, but Republicans gained a temporary lead in January. House Democrats responded by boycotting the Capitol and denying Republicans the quorum. Eventually, after the court intervened, leaders of party leaders, including Hortman, struck a deal and brought the Democrats back to the Capitol.

This is a broken news story. Some of the things reported by the media may later turn out to be incorrect. It will focus on reports from authorities and other authorities, as well as trusted news agencies and reporters on the ground. We will update as the situation develops.