A Minnesota newspaper’s claim that police did not enter the home of the assassinated former House speaker for more than an hour after she and her husband were shot is missing crucial details, the Brooklyn Park Police Department says.
According to the FBI, suspected assassin Vance Luther Boelter forced his way into the home of Melissa and Mark Hortman just after 3:30 a.m. on June 14, shooting Mark Hortman on his way in the door and then hunting down Melissa Hortman. Boelter was arrested 43 hours later.
‘Brooklyn Park officers acted swiftly with courage and bravery.’
The Minnesota Star Tribune, in a story published July 26, claims Brooklyn Park officers violated department policy by not entering the Hortman home for more than an hour after Boelter allegedly fired a barrage of bullets at the husband and wife.
The department said the coverage was inaccurate.
“Officers did not violate departmental policy, and in fact, they conducted a rescue of Mark Hortman in the entryway of the home approximately 2 minutes and 12 seconds after the officer-involved shooting,” said the Brooklyn Park Police Department in a July 27 statement. “With the knowledge officers had at the time, they followed training and policy by not entering the home.”
Aware that state Senator John Hoffman and his wife were gunned down in their home by a suspect impersonating a police officer 90 minutes earlier, Brooklyn Park sent officers to the Hortman home to do a welfare check. When they arrived, a man later identified as Boelter was at the front door interacting with Mark Hortman, the FBI said.
According to the FBI, Boelter parked his fake police vehicle in the driveway of the Hortman home. Allegedly wearing a hyper-realistic silicone mask and a wig, the suspect rang the doorbell and shouted, “Police! Welfare check!” Boelter shined his tactical flashlight in Mark Hortman’s face when he answered the door, the affidavit said.
“When Mr. Hortman answered the door, Boelter — shining a flashing [sic] toward Mr. Hortman’s eyes — said there had been reports of shots fired,” the FBI affidavit said. “Mr. Hortman denied knowing anything about a shooting, saying at one point, ‘Good God, I was asleep!’
“Mr. Hortman told Boelter, who was still shining a flashlight toward him and was standing approximately six feet away from the doorway: ‘We can’t see you,’” the FBI said. “Mr. Hortman asked for Boelter’s name and badge number. Boelter did not promptly respond, but moments later he said, ‘Nelson, 286.’”
The shooter turned and fired on the responding officers, who returned fire as the assassin began shooting Mark Hortman and forcing his way inside the home, the FBI said.
‘Just to be safe, why don’t you go up and just check on the Hortmans’ house?’
A short time later, muzzle flashes visible through the front windows indicated the fatal shooting of Melissa Hortman. The FBI said the former speaker turned from the assassin and began running up the stairs, when she was shot multiple times.
Using a drone, officers realized on visual inspection that Mrs. Hortman’s wounds were already fatal, the department suggested.
“Officers utilized a drone to search the home and discovered Melissa Hortman,” the statement said. “Unfortunately, she had sustained injuries incompatible with life. Officers then entered the home to recover Melissa Hortman.”
The department said it was troubled that “non-public data is being shared outside of the investigation,” leading to mistaken conclusions.
“The timeline listed by the Minnesota Star Tribune in a recent article appears to have been generated by individuals without direct knowledge as to the facts and circumstances surrounding the morning of June 14th,” the department statement read. “The fact is, Brooklyn Park officers acted swiftly with courage and bravery in the face of grave danger.”
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension identified the officer who fired at Boelter as Zachary Baumtrog, a nine-year law-enforcement veteran.
Baumtrog and another officer were sent to the Hortman home by Brooklyn Park Police Sgt. Rielly Nordan, who was finishing his shift when he heard of the Hoffman shooting in nearby Champlin, Minn. “And as he’s walking out, he looks at a couple of officers and says, ‘Hey, just to be safe, why don’t you go up and just check on the Hortmans’ house,’” Police Chief Mark Bruley told the Star Tribune in a June 16 story.
According to a timeline assembled by the FBI and other law enforcement agencies, after the assassin gunned down Mrs. Hortman as she fled, he escaped out the rear of the home. Agents found the beloved family golden retriever, Gilbert, also shot, wailing in pain in the back yard. The dog had to be euthanized due to severe wounds.
Almost immediately, Boelter began shedding his gear, including a full-head silicone mask, body armor, and two Beretta handguns — one of which he tossed into a nearby pond, police said.
The suspect left his black SUV parked in the driveway of the Hortman home. The vehicle was outfitted like a police cruiser, including an emergency light bar on the roof.
Inside, police discovered what the Star Tribune described as an “arsenal,” including at least five rifles and handguns along with a large supply of ammunition stored in magazines.
They also found a notebook containing a list of at least 45 names of lawmakers, attorneys, and Planned Parenthood locations. In the pages of notebooks found in the vehicle and at a room Boelter rented in north Minneapolis, the FBI noted two quotations allegedly from Boelter.
One chilling scribbled note read:
If you want to save the country you have to get your hands dirty.
Another entry said:
Doing what most people know needs to be done, but are not willing to do it themselves.
In a few random statements made to news media who made contact with him at the Sherburne County Jail, Boelter has not given a full explanation for his alleged actions or described his motivation in what has become a crime of the century in Minnesota.
He earlier told the New York Post that his pro-life views and support for President Donald J. Trump were not motivations in the crime spree.
Boelter told Alpha News that he had carried out a secret two-year undercover investigation of the sudden and unexpected deaths of 400 Minnesotans. He did not provide more details.
He also mentioned investigating politicians with ties to Communist China, a likely reference to Democrat Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Boelter was indicted by a federal grand jury on six felony counts, including murder, attempted murder, stalking, and firearms offenses. If convicted on the murder charges, Boelter could be sentenced to death.
Boelter’s next court appearance was moved to Aug. 7 from the original date of Sept. 12. He will be arraigned and is expected to plead not guilty to all charges in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis.
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