Topline
The suspect in the killing of a Minnesota lawmaker and an attack on another is believed to still be in the Midwest, Sen. Amy Klobular, D-Minn., said Sunday, a day after the violence that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called a “politically motivated assassination.”
Minn. State Rep. Melissa Hortman on Jan. 3, 2023, in St. Paul, Minn.
Key Facts
“We believe he’s somewhere in the vicinity,” Klobuchar told NBC News, adding suspect Vance Boelter “may be” in Minnesota and that law enforcement issued alerts in South Dakota.
The FBI announced a $50,000 reward “for info leading to the arrest and conviction of Vance L. Boelter,” and released a photo (below) that reportedly shows the suspect at the door of one of the shooting victims, apparently wearing a head-covering mask and police costume, early Saturday morning.
A police alert warned that the “suspect is armed and dangerous and may be impersonating law enforcement,” according to the Minnesota Star Tribune.
“My good friend and colleague, Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were shot and killed this morning in what appears to be a politically motivated assassination,” Walz said at a press conference Saturday.
At 10:33 a.m. on Saturday, Walz said Hoffman and his wife were “out of surgery” and receiving care, and that “we are cautiously optimistic that they will survive this assassination attempt,” though Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, was not able to provide an update in an afternoon news conference on the senator’s status.
Boelter texted two of his roommates, one told the Minnesota Star Tribune, saying he wrote that he “may be dead shortly.”
According to the roommate, the text read: “I love you guys. I made some choices, and you guys don’t know anything about this, but I’m going to be gone for a while. May be dead shortly, so I just want to let you know I love you guys both and I wish it hadn’t gone this way. 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.”
President Donald Trump issued a statement Saturday on the shootings, saying he had “been briefed on the terrible shooting that took place in Minnesota,” and “such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America.”
Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino posted on X the bureau “is working in collaboration with our local and state partners.”
The FBI released an image of who they believe is Vance Boelter, who appears to be wearing a mask and … More police outfit while at the front door Saturday morning of one of the shooting victims.
Authorities from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety released this photo and public alert … More about the suspect in the killing of a state representative.
Minnesota police released these images of suspected shooter Vance Boelter.
What We Know About The Suspected Shooter Vance Boelter
At a press briefing at around 4 p.m. EDT, state police shared images of the suspect, 57-year-old Vance Boelter, characterizing him as a 6-foot-1 inch white male, about 220 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes, and said he was wearing a light-colored cowboy hat and dark shirt when last seen. Authorities asked the public to call 911 if they see Boelter, but not to approach him, as he’s considered armed and dangerous. Local police told the Minnesota Star Tribune that, early Saturday morning, they noticed an SUV with emergency lights and someone who initially appeared to be a police officer at Hortman’s door, but the person, allegedly Boelter, “immediately fired at officers” after being confronted, and fled back into the house. Mark Bruley, the chief of police in Brooklyn Park, said police searched the vehicle and uncovered a list that identified “many lawmakers and other officials,” including Hortman and Hoffman, according to MinnPost. CNN reports Boelter’s apparent list included 70 names, including “abortion providers,” and “pro-abortion rights advocates.” Police also said they found sheets of paper with “No Kings” written on them, a likely reference to the widespread protests planned for Saturday. CNN also reported Boelter, according to a law enforcement official, works for a Minnesota-based security company named Praetorian Guard Security. He is listed on the company website’s leadership page as director of security patrols, and described as having “on the ground experiences combined with training by both private security firms and by people in the U.S. Military.”
This photo provided by Minnesota State Patrol shows writings in the fake police car law enforcement … More officials believe Vance Boelter allegedly used in the shooting of two Democratic legislators in Minnesota on Saturday.
Key Background
Hortman, 55, was a top Democratic leader in the Minnesota Legislature. First elected in 2004, she served as House speaker from 2019 to 2025 and spearheaded key legislation, including universal free school lunches statewide and a red flag gun law—which allows police or family members to petition the courts to have a gun removed from those considered a threat to themselves or others—according to the Minnesota Star Tribune. Hoffman, 60 and also a top Democrat in the legislature, is a member of the state Senate first elected in 2012. He served as chair of the Human Services Committee, according to CBS News, and has also served on committees for energy, environment and health services.
