The man suspected of killing a top Minnesota state lawmaker has been identified as Vance Boelter, law enforcement sources told the Associated Press.
The suspect, presumed to be Boelter, left behind a target list with more than 70 names, including top Minnesota Democrats like Gov. Tim Walz, Rep. Ilhan Omar, and abortion providers and advocates, according to CNN and ABC News.
Boelter, 57, was appointed to Minnesota’s Governor’s Workforce Development Board by Walz in 2019, according to a document available online. The board advises the governor on Minnesota’s workforce.
ADVERTISEMENT
Boelter is listed as director of security patrols for Praetorian Guard Security Services, a Minnesota company that offers “residential security patrols” by guards who are “armed” and “uniformed,” according to its site.
The site shows Boelter alongside the company’s president and CEO on a leadership page.
His biography on the site says that he “has been involved with security situations in Eastern Europe, Africa, North America and the Middle East, including the West Bank, Southern Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.”
“He brings a great security aspect forged by both many on the ground experiences combined with training by both private security firms and by people in the U.S. Military,” it says.
The bio promises that Boelter has the necessary experience to “keep your family and property safe.”
Based on public records, Boelter appears to have daughters named Faith, Hope, and Grace. Two of the daughters seem to be married, based on Minnesota wedding sites that match their names. And Instagram pages apparently belonging to two of the daughters feature bible quotes in their bios.
Postings by family members suggest that some of Boelter’s five children–four daughters and a son—were homeschooled.
Boelter is suspected of killing Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, at their home in a Minneapolis suburb. The suspect also shot state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette Hoffman, at their home, but the couple is still alive. Both lawmakers were Democrats.
The police have not announced any arrests.
The target list, whose existence was confirmed by law enforcement earlier on Saturday, contained the names of many major Minnesota Democrats, including Walz, Omar, Sen. Tina Smith, and Attorney General Keith Ellison, law enforcement sources told ABC.
The item was recovered from the suspect’s car after he fled a shootout with police, Brooklyn Park police chief Mark Bruley said during a press conference.
Bruley said that the target list featured the names of “many lawmakers and other officials,” including the two who were shot, but did not go into further specifics.
The suspect was cornered by police at the Hortman home, which they checked after discovering that Hoffman was shot. He exchanged gunfire with police but was able to escape out the back of the house on foot.
The man—described as white with brown hair—appeared to be impersonating a police officer. He was wearing a vest, taser, and badge, Bruley said. “No question, if they were in this room, you would assume they were a police officer.”
The suspect’s car, which was in the Hortmans’ driveway, was also made to look “exactly like a SUV squad car,” including emergency lights, Bruley said.
The car also contained fliers advertising the nationwide “No Kings” protests against Donald Trump, which were scheduled to happen on Saturday, Minnesota State Patrol Col. Christina Bogojevic said at a news conference.
“We are asking the public not to attend today’s planned demonstrations across Minnesota out of an abundance of caution,” she said.
A state official told The New York Times that there was “reason to believe” that the suspect intended to target one of the anti-Trump rallies.
The state patrol posted a photo, apparently of the fliers in the suspect’s car, on social media, again urging the public not to attend the rallies.
Organizers canceled the anti-Trump rallies across the state, according to the Associated Press.
Local police are conducting a “large-scale” manhunt with the help of the FBI. Multiple people have already been questioned, although no one is in custody. Bruley said, though, that “persons of interest” have been identified.
Walz, who also spoke at the press conference, called the shootings “targeted political violence.”
“We must all, in Minnesota and across the country, stand against all forms of political violence,” he said. “Those responsible for this will be held accountable.”
Hortman, 55, was the top Democrat in Minnesota’s House and previously served as speaker. She was first elected in 2004. The wounded lawmaker, Hoffman, 60, has held his office since 2012.
The suspect is considered armed and dangerous.
Police ordered people living in the vicinity of the shootings—which took place in Brooklyn Park and Champlin, Minnesota—to shelter in place. If a police officer approaches their house, locals have been instructed to call 911 to verify that the person is actually an officer.
Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly described Boelter as a Walz “aide.” He was a non-political appointee of the governor.
