A day after an assassination attack rocked the state of Minnesota, more details about the prime suspect have emerged. Officials say that 57-year-old Vance Boelter allegedly shot and wounded state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, at their Champlin, Minnesota residence. (The couple remains hospitalized, and are in stable condition.) The suspect then traveled to nearby Brooklyn Park, police say, where he fatally shot state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. As of publication time, he has yet to be apprehended.
It’s still unclear what motivated Boelter to allegedly attack the Democratic lawmakers and their spouses, in what Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz says was a “politically motivated assassination.” Here’s what we know so far:
Law enforcement officials say Vance Boelter is armed and dangerous
After Hoffman was shot early Saturday morning, police proactively checked on Hortman’s home. There, they found an SUV decked out like a law enforcement vehicle parked outside. “When officers confronted him, the individual immediately fired upon the officers who exchanged gunfire, and the suspect retreated back into the home,” escaping through another entrance, Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said in a press conference. It’s believed he had at least one firearm on his person as he fled on foot.
Ammunition, survival gear, and a lengthy “hit list” were discovered in his vehicle
Police found tactical garb inside the SUV, as well as a bag of ammunition that contained a Father’s Day card addressed to the suspect. Also in the vehicle were several “No Kings” fliers, presumably for the coordinated set of protests planned for Saturday. Most concerning to law enforcement was a manifesto and 70-name list police say was of other targets, many of whom officials say were also Democratic lawmakers who support women’s health rights, as well as providers of women’s health services.
Boelter had worked for a security company, but his recent employment history is murky
From the earliest hours of the investigation, officials said they believed the suspect was likely impersonating a law enforcement officer. Boelter had listed a company called Praetorian Guard Security Services as an employer. According to CNN, “The firm was registered to Boelter’s home address and listed a woman who is apparently his wife as president and CEO.”
He was also a political appointee to Minnesota’s Workforce Development Board in 2016 and again in 2019. According to the New York Times, “he was recently a general manager of a 7-Eleven in Minneapolis and, before that, had worked as the general manager of a gas station in St. Paul;” he’d also claimed to work with local funeral homes to assist with remains removal from crime scenes.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Boelter and his wife, Jenny, also operated a dog breeding business called Praetorian Shilohs. (Shilohs are a giant breed similar to a German Shepherd.)
Boelter is an evangelical Christian
CNN reports that Boelter frequently traveled to Africa on missionary work for his church, including preaching at a Congolese congregation, LaBorne Matadi. In a video from 2023, he reportedly said in a sermon that “There’s people especially in America, they don’t know what sex they are, they don’t know their sexual orientation, they’re confused. The enemy has gotten so far into their mind and their soul.”
Boelter’s living situation appeared to be in flux
Boelter is listed as the owner of a home in Green Isle, a small Minnesota town about 50 miles from Minneapolis. However, he’d recently been renting a room from friend David Carlson, who tells media outlets he’s been close friends with Boelter since fourth grade. According to Carlson, Boelter paid for his next four months of rent in advance on Friday; early Saturday morning, he says Boelter texted him, saying he might soon be dead. “I thought he was going to do self-harm,” Carlson told assembled media. “I didn’t think he was going to do anything like this.”
More Great Stories From Vanity Fair
-
Keira Knightley and Rosamund Pike Share Behind-the-Scenes Stories From Pride & Prejudice
-
Meet the Conservative Political Activist Simone Biles Took to Task
-
In The Gilded Age Season 3, Divorce, Death, and Violence Come Calling
-
How Private-Equity Billionaires Killed the American Dream
-
Donald Trump “Wants to Demonstrate Absolute Power”
-
The Chaos Inside Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s Wedding
-
The Dizzying Rise of MAHA Warrior Calley Means
-
From RFK Jr. to Patrick Schwarzenegger, a Brief Guide to the Kennedy Family
-
The 42 Best Romantic Comedies of All Time
-
From the Archive: OceanGate’s Last Descent
The post Manhunt For Vance Boelter Continues: What We Know About The Suspect in the Minnesota Assassination Plot appeared first on Vanity Fair.
