What We Know About How the Minnesota Assassination Case May Unfold
Vance Boelter, 57, was arrested on Sunday and accused of shooting and killing State Representative Melissa Hortman, a Democrat, and her husband, Mark, at their home in a suburb of Minneapolis. The gunman, who posed as a police officer, also shot and injured Democratic State Senator John A. Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, at their home nearby, and visited the houses of two other lawmakers that same morning.
The U.S. attorney's office in Minneapolis brought murder charges, which could carry the death penalty. State prosecutors charged him with second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder, charges they said they planned to upgrade to first-degree murder.
What are the other charges?
Mr. Boelter was charged with six federal counts. In addition to two murder charges, he is charged with two felonies for stalking Ms. Hortman and Mr. Hortman, which means he is accused of traveling across state lines or using interstate commerce with the intent to injure, harass, intimidate or place someone under surveillance, causing them fear or distress.
Under the stalking charges, federal prosecutors have accused Mr. Boelter of 'taking deliberate steps to research his victims,' identifying their home addresses and purchasing materials to impersonate a police officer. Mr. Boelter also faces two counts of shooting, one for shooting the Hortmans and another for shooting Mr. Hoffman and his wife, who are both expected to recover.
Federal officials have not indicated whether they intend to pursue the death penalty for the murder charges, but President Trump has encouraged the attorney general to pursue capital punishment when possible.
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