Politics
JUST IN: Minnesota Assassin Identified As Former Walz Appointee
The suspect in the targeted assassination that killed one Minnesota lawmaker, her husband and wounded one other lawmaker along with his wife, has been identified as a former appointee of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
According to a report from The Blaze correspondent Julio Rosas, Vance Luther Boelter has been identified as the suspect who allegedly posed as a police officer before gunning down Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark shortly after 3 a.m. local time. Police responded to Hortman’s home after State Senator John Hoffman and his wife were attacked at their Champlin home roughly eight miles away.
Boelter, 57, was appointed by Walz in 2019 to serve a four-year stint on the Governor’s Workforce Development Board, documents reviewed by the New York Post show. He previously served on the Governor’s Workforce Development Council in 2016 under then-Governor Mark Dayton.
Boelter also formally worked as CEO of the international non-governmental agency (NGO) Red Lion Group, according to documents obtained by Data Republican. “But I couldn’t find any photographs or digital records of its work, only a generic website,” Data Republican posted on X.
Photo: Vance Boelter via Facebook
Officers then conducted a welfare check at Speaker Hortman’s residence in Brooklyn Park at around 3:35 a.m. and saw what appeared to be a police officer and a squad car outside, officials said. When officers approached the vehicle, the suspect opened fire on them and fled the scene.
Officers returned fire, but the suspect managed to get away and is currently on the loose. Police described the suspect as a white male with brown hair, who was dressed in a blue shirt and blue pants with black body armor.
Investigators recovered a stack of “No Kings” fliers in the gunman’s vehicle, a direct reference to the nationwide demonstrations taking place across the country. The demonstrations, which have been organized by the far-left organization Indivisible, follow a week of rising violence against federal agents in Los Angeles, Seattle, Newark and other Democrat-controlled cities.
The gunman also left what has been described as a “manifesto” outlining planned attacks on more than 70 additional lawmakers and political organizations.
Speaker Hortman recently drew the ire of Minnesota Democrats when she joined Republicans in casting a decisive vote to cut health care access for adult illegal immigrants. “I did what leaders do… I stepped up and I got the job done for the people of Minnesota,” the slain lawmaker said of the budget deal.
Authorities are urging the public to refrain from attending planned “No Kings” protests in the state as the manhunt unfolds. Governor Walz was set to speak at an event in downtown Minneapolis, but has since cancelled.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed that the FBI is assisting Minnesota law enforcement agencies with the manhunt. “I have been briefed on the terrible shooting that took place in Minnesota, which appears to be a targeted attack against State Lawmakers. Our Attorney General, Pam Bondi, and the FBI, are investigating the situation, and they will be prosecuting anyone involved to the fullest extent of the law,” President Trump announced in a statement.
“Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America. God Bless the great people of Minnesota, a truly great place!”
