Politics

Suspect in Shootings of Minnesota Lawmakers Appears in Federal Court

JUN 16 2025·Updated JUN 17 2025

Story

Above: Mugshot of Vance Boelter. Image credit: Hennepin County Sheriff's Office/BBC

The Facts

The man suspected of opening fire at two Minnesota lawmakers and their partners, killing one legislator and her husband, made his first appearance in federal court on Monday, after he was detained and charged late on Sunday.
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Vance Boelter, 57, is charged with six federal counts, including two counts of murder, two counts of firearms offenses and two counts of stalking. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty on Monday said her office also plans to pursue first-degree murder charges in district court. Charges of second-degree murder and attempted murder were filed on Saturday.
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Police responded to a 911 call at around 2 a.m. on Saturday that reported a shooting at the residence of State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette in the city of Champlin, Minnesota. Both suffered multiple gunshot wounds but survived.
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The attack prompted police to send officers to the home of former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, in Brooklyn Park.
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According to the complaint filed by the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, officers arrived just in time to witness Boelter shoot Mark Hortman through the open door, adding that they then exchanged gunfire with the suspect before he fled inside the house and escaped the scene. It further added that Melissa and Mark Hortman were found dead inside.
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A two-day manhunt ensued — described as the largest in the history of the state by local officials — before Boelter was apprehended in a rural area of Sibley County, southwest of Minneapolis, on Sunday evening. Police accused Boelter of being disguised as a police officer when carrying out the attacks. On Monday, Federal officials revealed that Boelter also visited the homes of two other lawmakers the morning of the attacks, "with the intent to kill them."
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Sources Split

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The Spin

Narrative A

The victims of these shootings were not just civil servants who dedicated their lives to the community, but were also caring parents, family members and neighbors. The actions of the suspect will not stop others from fighting for a more caring and loving community that they strived for.

MPR News

Narrative B

These were unspeakable acts of violence that have forever altered the state of Minnesota. It cannot become the norm that political differences are settled with violence and it is time for everyone in the country to recommit to the values that made America a bastion of democracy.

Reuters