Latest news with #VanceLutherBoelter
Hindustan Times
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Who is Vance Boelter? Everything we know about the Minnesota shooting suspect
Vance Luther Boelter, the man accused of fatally shooting Democratic Minnesota State House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark Hortman in the early hours of June 14, is now facing a slew of federal and state murder charges. Boelter also shot and seriously wounded Democratic State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, later that same night. A handout photo posted by the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office appears to show Vance Luther Boelter, 57, the suspected gunman in the shooting deaths of a Minnesota Democratic state lawmaker and her husband, in custody, at an unidentified location, released June 15, 2025. (Ramsey County Sheriff's Office via Facebook/Handout via REUTERS) Boelter graduated in the 1990s with a Diploma in Practical Theology in Leadership and Pastoral from Christ For The Nations Institute in Dallas, Texas. After returning to Minnesota, he earned a degree from St. Cloud State University in 1996. He went on to work in the food service industry for companies like Gerber and 7-Eleven. In 2021, Boelter abruptly left his job and moved to the Democratic Republic of Congo, where he began preaching sermons. Back in Minnesota, he worked at funeral homes to finance his travel and launched a number of ventures, including a security business and a fishing operation called 'Red Lion' in Congo. "I was more on the side of, 'Hey buddy, this doesn't sound right, it's irresponsible to quit your job and now you're burning your cash,'" an acquaintance told CNN. 'It just made no sense to me.' Family and "prepper" lifestyle Boelter lived with his wife Jenny Boelter, their five children, and two German shepherds. During the manhunt, Jenny was pulled over during a traffic stop but was not detained "My office assisted law enforcement from Hennepin County on a stop near a convenience store in the city of Onamia. Our role on this stop was perimeter. We did not search or question any of the occupants," Kyle Burton, Mille Lacs County Sheriff, told FOX 9. "I was told by my staff who responded that the shooting suspect's wife was in the car along with several other relatives." According to a newly unsealed FBI affidavit, Boelter and his wife were described as "preppers," a term that refers to people who actively prepare for apocalyptic or catastrophic events by stockpiling supplies and weapons. Rambling letter and hit list The Minnesota Star Tribune reported that Boelter wrote an incoherent letter to the FBI, claiming that Governor Tim Walz had ordered him to assassinate Senator Amy Klobuchar as part of a supposed conspiracy to take her Senate seat. There is no evidence supporting this claim. Authorities also found a manifesto with a 'target list' of about 70 Democratic lawmakers, including Walz, Klobuchar, and Sen. Tina Smith. Federal Charges (Filed in U.S. District Court, Minnesota) Boelter faces six federal charges, including: Stalking (Rep. Melissa Hortman) – Max: Life in prison Stalking (Sen. John Hoffman) – Max: Life in prison Murder with a firearm (Rep. Melissa Hortman) – Max: Life or death penalty Murder with a firearm (Mark Hortman) – Max: Life or death penalty Firearms offense (Sen. John Hoffman shooting) – Max: unspecified, typically severe Firearms offense (Yvette Hoffman shooting) – Max: unspecified, typically severe State Charges (Filed in Hennepin County Court) Boelter also faces four state-level charges: Second-degree murder (Melissa Hortman) – Up to 40 years in prison Second-degree murder (Mark Hortman) – Up to 40 years in prison Second-degree attempted murder (Sen. John Hoffman) – Up to 40 years in prison Second-degree attempted murder (Yvette Hoffman) – Up to 40 years in prison
UPI
21-06-2025
- Politics
- UPI
Minnesota suspect gave wife 'bailout plan,' according to affidavit
Vance Luther Boelter, the man suspected of shooting two Minnesota lawmakers, is pictured. Photo courtesy of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety/ Facebook June 21 (UPI) -- The Minnesota man facing federal and state charges in the shootings of two state legislators and their spouses one week ago gave his wife a "bailout plan" to be used, according to unsealed court documents. Vance Boelter, 57, is in federal custody in the deaths of one couple and injuries of two others in separate incidents on June 14. Jenny Boetler told the investigators they were "preppers," meaning they should "prepare for major or catastrophic events" by stockpiling materials, according to an affidavit filed by an FBI agent and obtained by WCCO-TV and KARE-TV. Boelter told his wife to go to her mother's home in southwestern Wisconsin, the investigator said. After the shootings were reported, law enforcement pulled over Boelter's wife and four children while leaving their home near Lake Mille Lacs. She said they were visiting friends northwest of the metro area. She consented to a search of their car where investigators found two handguns, passports and about $10,000 in cash, according to the affidavit. Her husband posted in a family group text "they needed to get out of the house and people with guns may be showing up." "Dad went to war last night ... I don't wanna say more because I don't wanna implicate anybody," one text from Boelter to members of his family read, according to a federal complaint. Boelter's wife apparently didn't know about her husband's alleged plans to attack the lawmakers, and she has not been charged with any crime. Initially, the family members were in custody for possible deportation but a judge had them released. At roughly 9 a.m., after the shootings, Boelter visited a bank in Robbinsdale and withdrew all $2,200, according to the affidavit. Another person drove Boelter from the bank. "Witness 1" also sold Boelter an electric bike and Buick sedan, which was found during the 43-hour manhunt. Investigators discovered empty rifle cases, gun-cleaning supplies and a bike in a rented storage unit, according to the warrant. Investigators discovered "voluminous writings" in Boelter's home and car, acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson said. The notebooks contained the names of more than 45 Minnesota state and federal public officials, "mostly or all Democrats," according to the complaint. Boelter faces six federal charges -- two counts each for murder, stalking and firearms offenses in district court in St. Paul. The Justice Department could make it a death sentence case. Minnesota doesn't have the death penalty. The state charges are two counts of murder in the second degree and attempted murder in the second degree in Hennepin County in Minneapolis. He is being held on $5 million should federal authorities relinquish custody. State Rep. Melissa Hortman, 55, and her husband, Mark, died at their home. They live about 5 miles from a husband and wife who also were shot. Yvette Hoffman, who was shot eight times, was released from the hospital Thursday night while John, a state senator, suffered nine gunshot wounds and is in serious but stable condition.
New York Post
21-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Nearly $400,000 in donations pour in for accused Minnesota assassin Vance Boelter's victims: ‘Helping us pick up the broken pieces of our lives'
One week after accused political assassin Vance Luther Boelter's vicious attacks on Minnesota lawmakers, online fundraisers for the victims and their families have racked up nearly $400,000. On Monday – two days after Boelter, 57, allegedly shot state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, in their Champlin home – the Fernbrook Elementary School PTO launched a 'Help the Hoffmans' GoFundMe page, which had raised $184,974 of its $210,000 goal by Friday. The proceeds will contribute to medical expenses and rehabilitation costs, lost income, home security enhancements and necessary living expenses, according to the fundraiser page. Advertisement 3 Yvette Hoffman was released from the hospital Thursday, while Sen. John Hoffman remained in critical but stable condition, a hospital spokesperson told Minnesota news outlets. Gofundme 'We hope by launching this campaign we can alleviate the burden of costs during this challenging time,' it reads. Yvette, who was shot eight times during the early-morning ambush, was released from the hospital Thursday, while the senator, who was shot nine times, remained in critical but stable condition, a hospital spokesperson told Minnesota news outlets. Advertisement In their first words Thursday, the Hoffmans thanked the GoFundMe donors for 'helping us pick up the broken pieces of our lives.' They were 'heartbroken' that Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were killed in the attacks, and noted that their daughter, Hope, once went to school with the Hortmans' daughter, Sophie. 3 The Hortmans' adult children, Sophie and Colin, are 'devastated and heartbroken' by their parents' murders, they said in a statement released this week. Gofundme 'We know that they – along with Colin Hortman – will have each other's support as we all work through the devastating consequences of that horrific night,' the Hoffmans wrote. Advertisement A GoFundMe for the adult Hortman children – which was created Sunday by Melissa's brother, Patrick Haluptzok – had raised $195,137 of its $200,000 goal as of Friday. 'I greatly miss my sister Melissa and brother-in-law Mark and want to help my niece and nephew through this difficult time,' Haluptzok wrote in the fundraiser's description. Sophie and Colin are 'devastated and heartbroken' by their parents' murders, they said in a statement released this week. Advertisement 3 Vance Luther Boelter, 57, faces federal stalking and murder charges for allegedly hunting down the lawmakers and their spouses in the North Star State. FBI 'They were the bright lights at the center of our lives, and we can't believe they are gone. Their love for us was boundless. We miss them so much,' they wrote. Boelter faces federal stalking and murder charges for allegedly hunting down the lawmakers and their spouses in the North Star State. He has not entered a plea in the case. Cops said he had a cache of automatic weapons in his car and a hit list of 45 elected officials and abortion providers in the state.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Dem Assassin Suspect ‘Crawled' to Cops After Being Lured Out of Hiding
The MAGA assassin suspected of targeting Democratic politicians in a shooting spree over the weekend was arrested after an intense manhunt that ended with him crawling to cops. Vance Luther Boelter, 57, was taken into custody near his Green Isle farm in Minnesota's Sibley County, local authorities announced in a press conference. According to a criminal complaint unsealed Sunday night, Boelter is charged with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder. The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office, one of multiple law enforcement agencies involved in the manhunt, released the first photos of Boelter's arrest in a Facebook post. Boelter was apprehended under a state criminal warrant issued over the fatal shooting of Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman, 55, and her husband, Mark, 58, on Saturday morning. Sen. John Hoffman, 60, and his wife, Yvette, were also shot and injured in their Champlin residence about five miles away. Brooklyn Park Police Department Chief Mark Bruley said Boelter was arrested within 43 hours of the incident in what he described as 'the largest manhunt in the state's history,' which involved 20 SWAT teams spread out over a large area. Superintendent Drew Evans from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said authorities were tipped off about Boelter's location, prompting law enforcement to descend on a part of a field where the suspect was believed to be hiding. Boelter 'crawled to law enforcement teams and was placed under arrest,' Minnesota State Patrol's Lt. Col. Jeremy Geiger said. Evans said the suspect was armed but declined to specify the weapon. Boelter was apprehended without the use of force and was being interviewed at an undisclosed law enforcement facility as of Sunday night. The U.S. Attorney's Office is studying whether additional charges against Boelter will be brought at the federal level, Evans said. The superintendent added that they were confident Boelter acted alone and had not uncovered proof that he was part of a broader network, though they will also explore that possibility. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said the Hoffman couple was in recovery after the senator came out of surgery on Sunday. Walz previously called the shooting a 'politically motivated assassination' after authorities found that Boelter had a list of other potential Democratic targets, including the governor himself and House Rep. Ilhan Omar. 'A moment in this country where we watch violence erupt. This cannot be the norm,' Walz said Sunday. 'It cannot be the way that we deal with our political differences. Now is the time for us to recommit to the core values of this country.' Boelter is a father of five who has worked for decades in the food industry. He had served on a state economic board with Hoffman, though it's unclear if they knew each other. Boelter was appointed to the panel twice: once in 2016 by former Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton and later by Walz. Boelter was registered as a Republican when he lived in Oklahoma in the early 2000s, according to public records. Minnesota does not require voters to declare their political affiliation when registering. State reports cited by the Times list Boelter's affiliation as 'none or other' in 2016 and 'no party preference' in 2020. Boelter's roommate and longtime best friend, David Carlson, earlier told NBC affiliate KARE 11 that the suspect voted for Trump and was a strong supporter of the president. Carlson broke down in tears as he read his last text message from Boelter, sent hours before the shootings occurred on Saturday morning. 'I just want to let you know that I love you guys both,' Boelter wrote, according to Carlson. 'I don't want to say anything more and implicate you in any way, because you guys don't know anything about this, but I love you guys, and I'm sorry for all the trouble this has caused.'
18-06-2025
- Politics
Authorities investigating pizzas anonymously sent to lawmakers, US Capitol Police leadership: Sources
Federal authorities are trying to determine who has been anonymously ordering pizzas that are sent to the homes of U.S. lawmakers across the country and to the homes of those who help protect those lawmakers. The mysterious deliveries have authorities worried that they could be intended to send a menacing message, according to congressional sources and others familiar with the matter. Both Democrats and Republicans in the House have received the unsolicited pizza deliveries, according to House Speaker Mike Johnson's office. Pizzas also were sent to current and former leadership of the U.S. Capitol Police, sources said. "These recent pizza deliveries are troubling and yet again, bring to light the heightened threat landscape we are living in," the Capitol Police said in a statement to ABC News. "Violence and threats, of any kind, targeted at elected officials will not be tolerated.' The Capitol Police said they are "working with our federal, state, and local partners to address the matter." Though many of the pizza deliveries arrived this past weekend, as Minnesota authorities were racing to find the man who allegedly shot two state Democratic lawmakers, the deliveries began before the Minnesota attack, a congressional source said. The Minnesota shooting spree left one of the lawmakers and her husband dead. The alleged gunman, Vance Luther Boelter, was captured on Sunday, and federal authorities said he named even more potential targets in writings they say they found, including more than 45 federal and state Democrats from Minnesota. "It's only the most recent example of violent political extremism in this country, and that's a trend that's been increasing in recent years," the acting U.S. attorney in Minnesota, Joe Thompson, said Monday in announcing federal charges against Boelter. As described to ABC News by the congressional source, the recent pizza deliveries are just another potential source of worry. "People are really scared," the congressional source said. Concerns about the pizza deliveries were raised on calls Tuesday with congressional officials and House Sergeant at Arms William McFarland, a congressional source said. The U.S. Capitol Police declined to provide ABC News with more details about the deliveries, citing an effort to "protect ongoing investigations and to minimize the risk of copycats." On Monday, ahead of another briefing to discuss security measures for lawmakers, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., released a video praising the U.S. Capitol Police and the Senate sergeant at arms for 'bending over backwards during very trying times and … doing an excellent job.' Law enforcement officials told ABC News that many public officials have been anonymously sent pizzas in recent years and that the deliveries are thought to be intended to send a potentially threatening message: letting recipients know that the sender knows where they live. Federal Judge Esther Salas, whose son, Daniel Anderl, was murdered at her home in 2020 by a man posing as a delivery driver, recently told ABC News Prime's Linsey Davis that 'hundreds of pizzas are being delivered to the personal homes of judges throughout the country.' 'We had heard about pizzas being delivered to judges' houses, and that says what? 'I know where you live,'' Salas said, adding that recent pizza deliveries were sent to the homes of other judges, and used the name of her murdered son as the sender.
