Federal prosecutors have charged Vance Boelter with stalking, murder and firearms offenses in the attacks on the homes of two state lawmakers, which killed Melissa Hortman, a state representative, and her husband.
Joe Thompson, the acting U.S. attorney for Minnesota, said at a news conference that it was “way too speculative” to say what had motivated the suspect “in terms of ideology.” Thompson said that he had “seen nothing like a Unabomber-style manifesto in his writings.”
Federal murder charges allow prosecutors to pursue execution, but Thompson declined to say whether a death penalty would be sought. Several of the charges carry a penalty of life imprisonment.
Thompson was appointed by Trump on June 2, following the resignation of U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger ahead of Trump’s inauguration.
Boelter visited the homes of four Minnesota lawmakers on the morning of Saturday June 14.
Vance Luther Boelter arrived at the home of John and Yvette Hoffman in the early hours of Saturday morning, dressed as a policeman, knocking on the door demanding for them to open the door. When they both opened the door they realized he was not a policeman, and the suspect told them it was a robbery. John Hoffman pushed at the suspect to get him out of the house, but they both were shot repeatedly. Their daughter called 911.
The Hoffmans are expected to fully recover.
After shooting the Hoffmans, Boelter went to another representatives home and rang the doorbell dressed as a policeman. The representative was not home, and the suspect left to go to another representative’s home.
At the third home, a police officer encountered the suspect sitting in his police-like vehicle nearby as she was responding to a wellness check on the representative. She thought he was an officer. Boelter ignored her, and the officer left to continue the wellness check. When other officers arrived, Boelter had left the scene.
Boelter proceeded to the Hortmans’ home.
After the attacks on the homes of two state lawmakers, the suspect used cash to buy an e-bike and a car from a stranger. He later abandoned the car about two miles from his home in Green Isle where he was later captured. He left a written confession inside the car.
Read the Federal complaint below.
“Dad went to war last night,” Vance Boelter texted his wife hours after the shootings.
In another text to his wife, Boelter said, “Words are not gonna explain how sorry I am for this situation,” according to charging documents. He added, “There’s gonna be some people coming to the house armed and trigger-happy and I don’t want you guys around.”