Vance Boelter, suspect in lawmakers’ shootings, remains at large, “armed and dangerous,” officials say

Law enforcement officials are searching for 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter in the shootings of two Minnesota politicians and their spouses early Saturday morning.

Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband were shot and killed in their Brooklyn Park home, while state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were shot and wounded. Both lawmakers were members of the Democratic Party, representing the northwest corner of the Twin Cities.

According to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Boelter stands at 6-foot-1, weighs roughly 220 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen Saturday morning in Minneapolis, wearing a light-colored cowboy hat, dark long-sleeve shirt, light pants and carrying a dark bag.

If anyone sees Boelter, officials urge people not to approach him, and to call 911. He should be considered “armed and dangerous,” Superintendent Drew Evans with the Minnesota BCA said. Evans added that investigators believe Boelter is working to leave the Twin Cities area. 

While Evans said that Boelter and Hortman had both attended public meetings, it is unclear if they actually knew each other.

“We still don’t know if additional people are involved, but this individual is the one that we’re looking as a person of interest right now. But there may be other people with him and we would like to speak to anybody that may have had contact with him at any point in time,” Evans said.

Officials said Brooklyn Park police arrived at Hortman’s home around 3:35 a.m. and found a police SUV with emergency lights on. The suspect then exited Hortman’s home and exchanged gunfire with officers before fleeing on foot. Investigators said they believed the suspect was dressed like a police officer. 

There was an extensive list of possible targets among writings found in Boelter’s vehicle. The list included more than 50 individuals including officials outside of Minnesota, and including abortion rights advocates and abortion facilities. 

There were also fliers in his car referencing a “No Kings” rally. Following the shootings, officials canceled all “No Kings” protests that had been planned in the state for Saturday. 

Anyone with information about Boelter’s whereabouts is asked to call the tipline at 877-996-6222 or email bca.tips@state.mn.us.

This story will be updated.

Pat Milton

contributed to this report.