FBI Offers Reward in the Search for Suspect in Double Homicide of Minnesota Politicians
Vance Boelter is wanted for the murder of Melissa Hortman and the serious wounding of John Hoffman in a suburban Minneapolis incident.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has announced a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the capture of Vance Boelter, accused of the fatal shooting of Democratic State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, as well as inflicting serious injuries on State Senator John Hoffman and his wife.
The incidents occurred in two suburbs of Minneapolis on Saturday.
Boelter, a 57-year-old white male, is considered armed and dangerous and was last seen wearing a light cowboy hat on Saturday morning.
Law enforcement has deployed hundreds of officers in a search across the region.
According to reports, Boelter allegedly went to the homes of Hoffman and Hortman early Saturday.
A police photograph shared with the public shows him in what appears to be a police uniform and a latex mask, ringing the doorbell of a house.
He is listed as the Patrol Director at Praetorian Guards Security Services, a private security firm.
David Carlson, Boelter's housemate, reported receiving a text message from him prior to the attacks, indicating he would be absent for a while and that he might die soon.
Following an exchange of gunfire with police near Hortman’s residence, Boelter fled on foot, leaving a manifesto in his car as well as a list of political officials targeted, including the two victims and other state figures.
On Sunday, authorities discovered another vehicle linked to Boelter approximately 90 minutes away from Minneapolis in a rural area.
The search for him continues.
In a related context, former President Donald Trump, who survived an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania last July, condemned the shootings while also criticizing Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a Democratic candidate for the vice presidency.
When asked if he intended to speak with Walz about the attacks, Trump responded, "It’s terrible.
I think he’s a very bad governor, someone completely incompetent.
But I could call him, as I could call other people."
Governor Walz has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of what he described as seemingly an act of targeted political violence in an increasingly fractured nation.
Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota, expressed her concern for the safety of all public officials following what she termed a politically motivated attack.
She mentioned a link to abortion due to the presence of abortion clinics among the officials listed in the suspect's vehicle.
Hortman, aged 55 and a mother of two, had been a staunch advocate for abortion rights during her tenure as Speaker of the House in Minnesota.
Klobuchar emphasized the need to reduce political tensions in light of the attack.
In a further statement, Republican Senator Rand Paul, who himself was attacked by a neighbor in 2017, remarked that mourning over a political figure, whether Democrat or Republican, draws people closer together.
The incidents occurred in two suburbs of Minneapolis on Saturday.
Boelter, a 57-year-old white male, is considered armed and dangerous and was last seen wearing a light cowboy hat on Saturday morning.
Law enforcement has deployed hundreds of officers in a search across the region.
According to reports, Boelter allegedly went to the homes of Hoffman and Hortman early Saturday.
A police photograph shared with the public shows him in what appears to be a police uniform and a latex mask, ringing the doorbell of a house.
He is listed as the Patrol Director at Praetorian Guards Security Services, a private security firm.
David Carlson, Boelter's housemate, reported receiving a text message from him prior to the attacks, indicating he would be absent for a while and that he might die soon.
Following an exchange of gunfire with police near Hortman’s residence, Boelter fled on foot, leaving a manifesto in his car as well as a list of political officials targeted, including the two victims and other state figures.
On Sunday, authorities discovered another vehicle linked to Boelter approximately 90 minutes away from Minneapolis in a rural area.
The search for him continues.
In a related context, former President Donald Trump, who survived an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania last July, condemned the shootings while also criticizing Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a Democratic candidate for the vice presidency.
When asked if he intended to speak with Walz about the attacks, Trump responded, "It’s terrible.
I think he’s a very bad governor, someone completely incompetent.
But I could call him, as I could call other people."
Governor Walz has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of what he described as seemingly an act of targeted political violence in an increasingly fractured nation.
Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota, expressed her concern for the safety of all public officials following what she termed a politically motivated attack.
She mentioned a link to abortion due to the presence of abortion clinics among the officials listed in the suspect's vehicle.
Hortman, aged 55 and a mother of two, had been a staunch advocate for abortion rights during her tenure as Speaker of the House in Minnesota.
Klobuchar emphasized the need to reduce political tensions in light of the attack.
In a further statement, Republican Senator Rand Paul, who himself was attacked by a neighbor in 2017, remarked that mourning over a political figure, whether Democrat or Republican, draws people closer together.
