Police are searching for the suspect behind the shootings targeting Democratic lawmakers. According to Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley, writings found in a fake police vehicle at one of the scenes mentioned several lawmakers and other officials.
Sources familiar with the case identified the suspect as 57-year-old Vance Boelter. They spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity, as they were not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly.
According to documents cited by the New York Post, Boelter, 57, was appointed by Governor Walz in 2019 to a four-year term on the Governor’s Workforce Development Board. He had earlier served on the Governor’s Workforce Development Council in 2016 during the administration of then-Governor Mark Dayton.
“When we did a search of the vehicle, there was a manifesto that identified many lawmakers and other officials. We immediately made alerts to the state. We took action on alerting them and providing security where necessary,” said Bruley.
Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband were shot and killed in their Brooklyn Park home, while state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were wounded in a separate shooting at their home in Champlin, about five miles away per CBS News.
Governor Tim Walz said Saturday that the shootings were politically motivated, calling the deaths of Hortman and her husband “a political assassination.”
Hortman was 55 and represented House District 34B. Hoffman, 60, represents Senate District 34. Both were Democrats. The FBI is helping with the investigation.
“Hortman was someone who served the people of Minnesota with grace, compassion, humor, and a sense of service,” Walz said. “She was a formidable public servant. A fixture and a giant in Minnesota.”
Walz mentioned that Hoffman and his wife were both shot multiple times.
“We are cautiously optimistic they will survive this assassination attempt,” Walz said.
A shelter-in-place order is in effect Saturday within a three-mile radius of Brooklyn Park’s Edinburgh Golf Course as authorities search for a suspect.
The man is described as a white male with brown hair, wearing a blue shirt, blue pants, and a black tactical vest. Officials say he is falsely posing as a law enforcement officer.
Residents are being warned not to open their doors unless two police officers are present. If only one officer shows up, call 911 immediately. Police will know if any officers were sent to your home.
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According to CBS News, Champlin police were the first to respond to Senator Hoffman’s home, with Brooklyn Park police helping. A Brooklyn Park police sergeant then decided to check on other lawmakers in the area.
Around 3:30 a.m., officers arrived at Representative Hortman’s home and saw what looked like a police SUV with its emergency lights on. The suspect came out of the house and exchanged gunfire with officers before running away on foot.
