UPDATE: Authorities apprehended 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter in Sibley County following a 48-hour manhunt. He is accused of murdering Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, at their Minneapolis-area home in Brooklyn Park and wounding State Senator John Hoffman, a fellow Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, in a connected assault at their Champlin residence.

On June 14, 2025, a quiet Minnesota morning shattered when Vance Luther Boelter, a 57-year-old security expert with a shadowy past, allegedly gunned down Democratic state Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, in their Brooklyn Park home, while wounding state Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, in nearby Champlin.

Described by Governor Tim Walz as a “politically motivated assassination,” the attacks, executed by a suspect impersonating a police officer, have sparked a massive manhunt and left the Twin Cities reeling.

Boelter’s chilling manifesto and target list, found in his abandoned SUV, reveal a calculated plot that threatens dozens more, exposing a dangerous intersection of political rage and tactical precision.

“This was a deliberate and violent attack on public servants and their families,” said FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr., urging the public to report sightings of Boelter, considered “armed and dangerous.”

Boelter, 6-foot-1 with brown hair, was last seen in Minneapolis wearing a tan cowboy hat and dark long-sleeve shirt, carrying a dark bag.

Security footage shows him in tactical gear and a realistic latex mask, posing as a cop with a badge and stun gun, driving a police-like SUV.

“The suspect exploited the trust of our uniforms, what our uniforms are meant to represent,” Minnesota Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobson said, calling the betrayal “deeply disturbing.”

The attacks began at 2 a.m., when Boelter allegedly shot the Hoffmans at their Champlin home.

“We’re cautiously optimistic they will survive this assassination attempt,” Walz said, noting both were out of surgery.

Around 3:35 a.m., Brooklyn Park police, alerted by a “very intuitive” sergeant checking on Hortman, found her dead at her residence, her husband later dying in hospital.

Boelter exchanged gunfire with officers before fleeing through a back door, abandoning his SUV packed with “No Kings” protest flyers and a manifesto listing over 70 targets, including Walz, U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar, and abortion rights advocates.

“This was an act of targeted political violence,” Walz declared. “Peaceful discourse is the foundation of our democracy.”

Boelter’s background raises red flags.

CEO of Red Lion Group in the Democratic Republic of Congo and director of Praetorian Guard Security Services, a firm his wife founded, he boasts extensive security experience in Gaza, Eastern Europe, and Africa, trained by U.S. military personnel.

“I have been doing projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo for the last three years,” he wrote on LinkedIn, signaling he was open to work.

Appointed by Governors Mark Dayton and Walz to the Workforce Development Board from 2016 to 2023, Boelter served alongside Hoffman, though their relationship remains unclear.

“There is certainly some overlap with some public meetings,” said Minnesota BCA Superintendent Drew Evans, but motives are “premature” to confirm.

A chilling text to his roommate, David Carlson, at 6 a.m. hinted at Boelter’s mindset:

“I may be dead shortly, so I just want to let you know that I love you guys both, and I wish it hadn’t gone this way.”

Carlson, who shared a Minneapolis home with Boelter, told NBC affiliate KARE that Boelter supported Trump, though his stance on local politicians was unclear.

The “No Kings” flyers, tied to anti-Trump protests, add confusion, with police clarifying no direct link to the rallies.

“We are asking the public to not attend today’s planned demonstrations,” the Minnesota State Patrol posted on X, canceling a “No Kings” event.

The FBI’s $50,000 reward underscores the urgency, as 75 officers searched Boelter’s Green Isle home in vain.

“We are devastated by the tragic and senseless act of violence,” said Minnesota Africans United, noting Boelter’s 2022 webinar participation. House Speaker Lisa Demuth mourned Hortman:

“She was respected by everyone at the Capitol as a formidable advocate.”

As Minnesota mourns, Boelter’s escape leaves a state on edge, bracing for what his manifesto might unleash next.

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