The man suspected of killing a Minnesota lawmaker and injuring another crawled to cops in surrender Sunday after being found in the woods near his house, capping a mammoth, nearly two-day search that had the entire state on edge.
Vance Boelter was arrested and accused with two murders and two attempted murders. He is accused of impersonating a police officer and fatally shooting former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, in their northern Minneapolis suburb home early Saturday.
Authorities said he also shot Democratic Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. They were hurt at their home about 9 miles (15 kilometres) away.
“One man’s unthinkable actions have altered the state of Minnesota,” Democratic Gov. Tim Walz stated in a press conference following Boelter’s arrest.
The search for Boelter was the “largest manhunt in the state’s history,” according to Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley. It began when Brooklyn Park officers went to check on Hortman’s residence and discovered her husband had been shot before fleeing.
Authorities discovered an abandoned vehicle used by Boelter in rural Sibley County, where he lived, on Sunday, and a police officer reported seeing Boelter rush into the woods, according to Bruley. Police set up a big perimeter and dispatched 20 different tactical teams to search for him.
During the search, police said they received information indicating that someone was in the woods and searched for hours with a helicopter and policemen on foot before finding Boelter. He surrendered to police, creeping out of the trees before being handcuffed and detained in a field, according to authorities.
According to jail documents, Boelter was booked into the Hennepin County Jail at 1:02 a.m. Central Time Monday. The papers include two mug photographs of Boelter wearing an orange prison shirt, one from the front and one from the side.
A targeted strike.
Drew Evans, superintendent of the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said the violence would have likely continued if Brooklyn Park officers had not checked on Hortman’s residence, forcing Boelter to flee.
The Hoffmans were attacked first, at their Champin home, early Saturday. A criminal complaint unsealed following Boelter’s arrest stated that their adult daughter called 911 shortly after 2 a.m. to report that a masked individual had gone to the door and shot her parents.
When police in adjacent Brooklyn Park learnt that a congressman had been shot, they dispatched patrol officers to the Hortmans’ home.
According to the complaint, Brooklyn Park police officers arrived just in time to see Boelter shoot Mark Hortman through the home’s open door. It claims they exchanged gunfire with Boelter, who fled inside the house before fleeing the scene. Melissa Hortman was found dead inside, according to the complaint.
According to authorities, Boelter posed as a police officer, even allegedly changing a vehicle to resemble a police cruiser.
There are no details on the motive.
Authorities did not provide a motive when they announced Boelter’s arrest.
A list of around 70 names was discovered in writings collected from the phoney police vehicle that was abandoned at the crime scene, according to two law enforcement officials who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the ongoing investigation. According to officials, the writings and identities included major state and federal lawmakers, community leaders, abortion rights advocates, and information on healthcare facilities.
A Minnesota official informed the AP that lawmakers who had been vocal in support of abortion rights were on the list. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the inquiry was still underway.
Boelter is a former political appointee who sat on the same state workforce development board as Hoffman, according to documents, though it is unclear whether or not they knew each other.
Boelter texted pals about 6 a.m. Saturday to apologise for his behaviour, but he did not specify what he had done.
“I am going to be gone for a time. “I may be dead soon, so I just wanted to let you know that I love you both and wish it hadn’t turned out this way,” he said in messages seen by AP.
An increase in political violence.
The shootings occur at a time when political figures around the country are being attacked, harassed, and intimidated due to significant political divides. Lawmakers expressed concern about the attacks as Twin Cities citizens mourned.
“This cannot be normal. “It cannot be the way we resolve our political differences,” Walz stated Sunday.
On Sunday evening, US Senator Amy Klobuchar shared a statement from Yvette Hoffman expressing gratitude for the outpouring of public support.
“John is undergoing many surgeries right now and is getting closer every hour to being out of the woods,” Yvette Hoffman wrote in a text message that Klobuchar shared on social media. “He took nine bullet hits. I took eight, and we’re both really lucky to be alive. We are heartbroken and crushed by the loss of Melissa and Mark.”
On Sunday, brightly coloured flowers and miniature American flags were placed on the grey marbled stone of Minnesota’s State Capitol, along with a portrait of the Hortmans. People wrote comments on small notes, such, “You were our leader through the most difficult times. “Rest in Power.”
Pam Stein arrived with flowers and kneeled before the memorial. An emotional Stein described Hortman as a “absolute powerhouse” and “the real unsung hero of Minnesota government.”
Reference: Man suspected of shooting 2 Minnesota lawmakers is in custody after surrendering to police