A man accused of murdering two Minnesota Democrats in a politically charged rampage stopped at four lawmakers’ homes, all of them Democrats, before being shot at by police and fleeing into the woods, authorities say.
Federal prosecutors on Monday charged 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter with multiple felonies, including murder and attempted murder. Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson didn’t mince words: “This is the stuff of nightmares.”
Boelter has been described as a “fervent Trump supporter” and has expressed strong anti-abortion views. He allegedly wore a fake police uniform, body armor, and a “hyperrealistic silicone mask” as he hunted down his targets in the early hours of Saturday morning. He was armed with a 9mm Beretta and had assault rifles and tactical gear in an SUV tricked out to look like a cop car.
At around 2 a.m., Boelter showed up at the Champlin home of state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, shouting, “This is the police! Open the door!” He pointed a flashlight in their faces, but once they realized he wasn’t law enforcement, they told him to leave. That’s when Boelter told them he was there to rob them, forced his way in, and shot both. The couple’s daughter called 911 as he fled.
Boelter then went to two more lawmakers’ homes — one in Maple Grove, where no one was home, and another in New Hope, where a police officer on scene likely scared him off.
His final stop was Rep. Melissa Hortman’s house in Brooklyn Park. Police arrived at the same time as Boelter, but couldn’t stop him. He stormed inside and fatally shot both Melissa and her husband, Mark, before killing the family dog and running out the back under police gunfire. Their daughter called 911. Both victims died at the hospital.
Police recovered Boelter’s weapons and gear nearby. The manhunt became the largest in Minnesota history and ended Sunday after a local resident’s trail camera caught Boelter in the woods. Officers found him soon after.
Boelter allegedly texted his family hours later: “Dad went to war last night.” His wife and kids were later found in a car with $10,000 in cash, passports, and two guns.
Prosecutors also found notebooks, names of other politicians, and surveillance plans in Boelter’s SUV, Thompson said.
He faces federal charges that could bring the death penalty.
