Latest news with #MinnesotaShooting
CBS News
04-07-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Vance Boelter, man charged in Minnesota lawmaker shootings, makes federal court appearance
Suspect in Minnesota lawmaker shooting say he wants "the truth" to come out Suspect in Minnesota lawmaker shooting say he wants "the truth" to come out Suspect in Minnesota lawmaker shooting say he wants "the truth" to come out Vance Boelter, the man accused of shooting two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses, made another federal court appearance Thursday. He waived his right to a probable cause hearing and a detention hearing he had scheduled. The hearing lasted less than 10 minutes. He told the judge he was "looking forward to the truth about the 14th [getting] to the public." "Especially by waiving these two things that gets to get that faster, where the truth can come out," Boelter said. Boelter is accused of killing Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, as well as shooting state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette, who survived. He was charged by the U.S. Attorney's Office with two counts of murder, two counts of stalking and two weapons charges. Boelter may face the death penalty if convicted. He also faces state charges, and could face life without parole if convicted. Interim U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson on Thursday explained the federal case will precede the county's case because of the serious issues involved. "This isn't just a murder case, this is a political assassination. And there is every interest in having the department of justice go first and that is typical in cases like this," explained Thompson. The case will go directly to a grand jury, which is expected to hand down an indictment in mid-July. Boelter, 57, appeared in court last Friday, where his defense was granted a motion to move his detention and preliminary hearing. He told the court he hadn't slept in about two weeks and complained of poor conditions at the Sherburne County Jail in Elk River, Minnesota. The Sherburne County sheriff disputed those claims. Boelter on Thursday again complained about his jail condition at Sherburne County Jail, saying he didn't like that the lights were on all the time. The judge told him the courts have no control over the lights. After his previous hearing, Boelter was to be moved to a segregated area of the jail and taken off suicide watch. Authorities say Boelter impersonated a police officer and shot the lawmakers and their spouses at their respective Twin Cities homes on June 14. He was arrested at his Sibley County home after a 36-hour manhunt that officials said was the largest in state history. Police recovered more than 50 guns from his Green Isle, Minnesota, home and his vehicle.
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Minnesota shooting suspect's wife offers sympathies to lawmakers' families
Jenny Boelter, the wife of the Minnesota shooting suspect, extended her sympathies to the families of the lawmakers and spouses who were slain or seriously wounded in their homes earlier this month. In a statement provided through a legal representative, Boelter said she was 'absolutely shocked' and 'horrified' by the shootings and was cooperating fully with law enforcement. 'On behalf of my children and myself, I want to express our deepest sympathies to the Hortman and Hoffman families. Our condolences are with all who are grieving during this unimaginably difficult time, and we are praying daily for them,' Boelter said in the statement. 'We are absolutely shocked, heartbroken and completely blindsided,' she continued. 'This violence does not at all align with our beliefs as a family. It is a betrayal of everything we hold true as tenets of our Christian faith.' 'We are appalled and horrified by what occurred and our hearts are incredibly heavy for the victims of this unfathomable tragedy,' she added. Former Minnesota state Speaker Melissa Hortman (D) and her husband, Mark, were shot and killed in their home early on June 14. Shortly before that, according to authorities, the same gunman shot and wounded another Democratic lawmaker, state Sen. John Hoffman, and his wife, Yvette, a few miles away in their home. Vance Boelter was charged with a series of state and federal crimes, including murder, in connection to the shootings. He ultimately surrendered to authorities on June 15 after what officials described as the largest search in the state's history. He has not entered a plea and remains in jail, according to The Associated Press. Jenny Boelter stressed in her statement that she and her family have 'fully cooperated with investigators and responded to their every request,' since they first contacted her hours after the shooting. 'On the morning of June 14, 2025, I received a call from law enforcement and immediately drove to meet agents at a nearby gas station. We were not pulled over; we parked and waited until they arrived. When they did, we voluntarily agreed to meet with them, answer their questions, provide all the items they requested, and cooperate with all searches,' the statement read. She thanked law enforcement for apprehending her husband. 'We are grateful for the diligent and professional efforts to the authorities to fully investigate these crimes. We thank law enforcement for apprehending Vance and protecting others from further harm.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Globe and Mail
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Globe and Mail
Former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman to lie in state as shooting suspect due in court
Former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman will lie in state in the Minnesota Capitol rotunda on Friday while the man charged with killing her and her husband, and wounding a state senator and his wife, is due in court. Hortman, a Democrat, will be the first woman and one of fewer than 20 Minnesotans accorded the honour. She will lie in state with her husband, Mark, and their golden retriever, Gilbert. Her husband was also killed in the June 14 attack, and Gilbert was seriously wounded and had to be euthanized. The public can pay their respects from noon to 5 p.m. Friday. House TV will livestream the viewing. A private funeral is set for 10:30 a.m. Saturday. The service will be livestreamed on the Department of Public Safety's YouTube channel. Minnesota shooting suspect had dozens of potential targets, prosecutors say Tearful mourners pay respects to slain Minnesota politician Melissa Hortman The man accused of killing the Hortmans and wounding another Democratic lawmaker and his wife is due in court at 11 a.m. Friday to face charges for what the chief federal prosecutor for Minnesota has called 'a political assassination.' Vance Boelter, 57, of Green Isle, surrendered near his home the night of June 15 after what authorities have called the largest search in Minnesota history. The hearing, before Magistrate Judge Douglas Micko, is expected to address whether Boelter should remain in custody without bail and affirm that there is probable cause to proceed. He is not expected to enter a plea. Prosecutors need to secure a grand jury indictment before he's arraigned later, which is when a plea is normally entered. According to the federal complaint, police video shows Boelter outside the Hortmans' home and captures the sound of gunfire. And it says security video shows Boelter approaching the front doors of two other lawmakers' homes dressed as a police officer. His lawyers have declined to comment on the charges, which could carry the federal death penalty. The acting U.S. attorney for Minnesota, Joseph Thompson, said last week that no decision has been made. Minnesota abolished its death penalty in 1911. The Death Penalty Information Center says a federal death penalty case hasn't been prosecuted in Minnesota in the modern era, as best as it can tell. Boelter also faces separate murder and attempted murder charges in state court that could carry life without parole, assuming that county prosecutors get their own indictment for first-degree murder. But federal authorities intend to use their power to try Boelter first. Authorities say Boelter shot and wounded Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman, and his wife, Yvette, at their home in Champlin before shooting and killing the Hortmans in their home in the northern Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Park, a few miles away. Federal prosecutors allege Boelter also stopped at the homes of two other Democratic lawmakers. Prosecutors also say he listed dozens of other Democrats as potential targets, including officials in other states. Friends described Boelter as an evangelical Christian with politically conservative views. But prosecutors have declined so far to speculate on a motive. Boelter's wife, Jenny, issued a statement through her own lawyers Thursday saying she and her children are 'absolutely shocked, heartbroken and completely blindsided,' and expressing sympathy for the Hortman and Hoffman families. She is not in custody and has not been charged. 'This violence does not align at all with our beliefs as a family,' her statement said. 'It is a betrayal of everything we hold true as tenets of our Christian faith. We are appalled and horrified by what occurred and our hearts are incredibly heavy for the victims of this unfathomable tragedy.' An FBI agent's affidavit described the Boelters as 'preppers,' people who prepare for major or catastrophic incidents. Investigators seized 48 guns from his home, according to search warrant documents. While the FBI agent's affidavit said law enforcement stopped Boelter's wife as she travelled with her four children north of the Twin Cities in Onamia on the day of the shootings, she said in her statement that she was not pulled over. She said that after she got a call from authorities, she immediately drove to meet them at a nearby gas station and has fully co-operated with investigators. 'We thank law enforcement for apprehending Vance and protecting others from further harm,' she said.
Daily Mail
22-06-2025
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Minnesota shooting survivor Yvette Hoffman reveals how gunman lined her family up execution-style to 'slaughter' them
The wife of the Minnesota senator who survived the horrific shooting last week said she, her husband, and their daughter were lined up execution-style by the alleged gunman to 'slaughter' them. Yvette Hoffman and her husband, Democratic State Senator John Hoffman, were left injured after alleged assassin Vance Boelter, 57, fired several shots at them inside their home in Champlin, Minnesota around 2am June 14. Their adult daughter Hope, who Yvette shielded with her own body while bullets rang out, witnessed her parents get shot and was the one who called 911 to report the brutal crime, Yvette said in a startling new Facebook post. Yvette, an educational support professional at a local elementary school, went on to slam police for not pressing more charges against Boelter - specifically the 'attempted murder' of her daughter. 'Our daughter Hope was lined up with John and myself execution style. We were all together in our entryway in a row with our hands up,' she wrote. 'She may not have gotten shot because of all the commotion but she was front and center WITH us. After we were incapacitated, she knew to go lock the door and call police and inform them senator Hoffman and mom were shot. Where are the attempted murder charges regarding my daughter? Where?' Boelter has only been charged with two counts of second-degree murder for the slayings of Democratic State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, and two of attempted murder for Yvette and John. The enraged mother went on to mention that Hope even had to stress that her father was a senator several times to the 911 dispatcher that dreadful morning. 'If Hope hadn't intentionally said SENATOR Hoffman the 4 times I remember her saying it to 911 dispatchers. More people would have been slaughtered,' Yvette said. Yvette shared startling new details about the horrific scene in a Facebook post Sunday Roughly 90 minutes after the Hoffmans were targeted, the gunman made his way to the Hortman's Brooklyn Park home - about eight miles from the first incident. According to Yvette, Hope was 'the reason officers knew to go to Hortman,' she wrote. They were tragically killed after Boelter allegedly opened fire on them in their home around 3am. Police encountered the gunman fleeing Hortman's residence around 3.35am and exchanged gunfire with him. Officers then let the suspect slip through the cracks as he escaped the scene on foot, according to authorities. Shortly after the unspeakable slayings, Boelter, a former appointee of Governor Walz, was sought by authorities. He surrendered to officers on June 15 after they located him in the woods near his home, bringing an end to a massive, nearly two-day search that put the entire state on edge. He was arrested and booked into Hennepin County custody on state charges. Acting US Attorney Joseph Thompson announced six new federal charges against Boelter for murder, stalking, and shooting offenses - while revealing that he went to two other lawmakers' homes with the intent to kill them that day. He is accused of posing as a police officer during the shootings. Boelter is also said to have worn a terrifying Halloween-style face mask during the attacks. Both Yvette and the senator were left injured. She was released Friday while her husband remains in the hospital in serious but stable condition. John was shot nine times while his bride was shot eight times. A bullet narrowly missed his heart, KARE 11 reported. Jenny Boelter, the alleged gunman's wife, was stopped by authorities at a convenience store while driving a car with the couple's children inside and found with a weapon, ammunition, cash and passports just hours after the shootings. She had their youngest children in the car along with $10,000 in cash, their passports and two handguns, according to federal court filings. Jenny, the president of the couple's private security firm, consented to a voluntary search of her electronic devices but wasn't arrested during the 10am traffic stop. According to an FBI affidavit obtained by WCCO, Boelter's wife told the investigator they were 'preppers,' meaning they 'prepare for major or catastrophic incidents.' Jenny Boelter (pictured), the alleged gunman's wife, was stopped by authorities at a convenience store while driving a car with the couple's children inside and found with a weapon, ammunition, cash and passports just hours after the shootings She said her husband gave her a 'bailout plan' with instructions to go to her mother's home in southwestern Wisconsin, which she initiated after receiving a text from her husband that 'they needed to get out of the house and people with guns may be showing up to the house.' The affidavit also stated that Boelter was driven to a bank in Robbinsdale, Minnesota, by an unnamed person and withdrew all $2,200 he had in a bank account in his name. The driver, listed in court documents as 'Witness 1,' is the same person investigators said sold Boelter an electric bike and a Buick sedan, which were found during the 43-hour manhunt last weekend. If convicted on a federal murder or terrorism charge, Boelter could end up being executed. Minnesota abolished the death penalty for state charges in 1911. He has not entered any pleas. Meanwhile, Boelter's wife has remained in hiding - as the accused assassin's defiant family were tight-lipped concerning her whereabouts, telling a Daily Mail reporter to 'piss off.' Jenny, a mother-of-five, rang pals only to say she was in a 'safe' location but wouldn't reveal where she was. She fled the family's bucolic farmhouse home in Green Isle, Minnesota, the morning of the crimes after Boelter hinted that he had done something monstrous in a 6.18am text. 'Dad went to war last night,' wrote of her 57-year-old husband. 'There's gonna be some people coming to the house armed and trigger happy and I don't want you guys around.' Shortly after his arrest, prosecutors said Boelter went to the homes of four different state representatives with the intention of killing them that morning. There's nothing in his charging documents to suggest Jenny had advanced knowledge of his alleged plot to slaughter dozens of Democrat lawmakers and pro-abortion activists.
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘This isn't funny': Klobuchar criticizes Mike Lee comments about Minnesota shooter
WASHINGTON — Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, is facing backlash over a pair of social media posts he shared over the weekend, including from some of his colleagues in the Senate. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., 'condemned' the language included in Lee's posts that featured photos of Vance Luther Boelter, the key suspect who was arrested in connection to the shooting of two Minnesota lawmakers resulting in the death of one. Boelter has since been arrested on charges of two counts of murder and two of attempted murder. 'I have condemned what Mike Lee did here at home, and I will speak to him about this when I return' to D.C., Klobuchar, who said she was friends with the victims of the shooting, told MSNBC on Monday. 'And what I'm going to tell him is, this isn't funny what happened here.' Later, Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., told CNN she spoke to Lee in person and told him she thought the post was 'brutal and cruel.' She added, 'I wanted him to hear from me directly how painful that was and how brutal that was to see that on what was just a horribly brutal weekend.' Smith said Lee didn't say much in response, adding that he seemed 'kind of surprised to be confronted.' The first post Lee shared to X this weekend featured a surveillance photo reportedly of Boelter in a mask and uniform as a way to disguise himself as a police officer, according to law enforcement. Lee shared the photo with the caption: 'This is what happens when Marxists don't get their way.' Lee later posted the same photo alongside a headshot of Boelter with the caption: 'Nightmare on Waltz Street,' an apparent reference to Gov. Tim Walz, who ran for vice president last year, although the name is misspelled. Lee also reposted another photo of Boelter on X calling Marxism 'a deadly mental illness.' Theories about Boelter's political affiliation began to spread on social media after it was revealed he was twice appointed to a state economic panel by two Democratic governors, including Walz. However, a man who identified himself as a close friend and former roommate of Boelter told local news outlets that Boelter had supported Trump in the 2024 election. The posts prompted anger online, with several accounts calling for Lee to apologize or step down. It's not clear whether Klobuchar would push for any punishment for the Utah senator, but said she would have a conversation with him when the Senate reconvenes on Monday. Timing for that meeting is not clear, and spokespeople for both Klobuchar's and Lee's offices did not respond to requests for comment by the Deseret News. Meanwhile, Lee's official government account had a different response to the Minnesota shooting, posting this statement: 'These hateful attacks have no place in Utah, Minnesota, or anywhere in America. Please join me in condemning this senseless violence, and praying for the victims and their families.' Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have since called for increased security at home, especially after it was revealed Democratic members of Congress were among the 70 names listed in Boelter's writings that was found in his car during the police investigation. Senators are set to be briefed by U.S. Capitol Police on Tuesday morning about the incident.
