Suspected Shooter of Minnesota Lawmakers Potentially Facing Federal Death Penalty: What We Know About Vance L. Boelter

Vance Luther Boelter, the 57-year-old man suspected of shooting two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses at their residences, is facing federal murder charges that could carry the death penalty, authorities announced.

Boelter is being charged on the federal level with stalking both lawmakers, murdering state representative Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, and shooting state senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette, the acting U.S. Attorney for Minnesota, Joe Thompson, said during a press conference on Monday. The murder charges could potentially subject him to the death penalty if he is convicted, Thompson said, though he declined to say whether his office would seek the penalty in the case.

Boelter also faces multiple state charges. Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, told reporters that Boelter was arrested under a state criminal warrant and charged with the murders of Melissa and Mark Hortman as well as the shootings of John and Yvette Hoffman.

Minnesota has abolished the death penalty. The maximum sentence for first-degree murder in the state is life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Boelter did not enter a plea in the federal case when appearing for an initial hearing Monday afternoon. He is next set to appear in federal court on June 27.

Boelter remains in federal custody. At a state court hearing on Monday, the judge set his bail at $5 million, CNN reported.

Boelter’s apprehension on Sunday night ended what Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called a “complex and dangerous manhunt,” which involved local, state, and federal law enforcement officials. At a press conference Sunday night, Walz thanked the authorities involved for spending “Father’s Day away from their families to deliver justice for Melissa and Mark Hortman and their children who spent this Father’s Day alone.”

Hortman and her husband were killed at their residence in Brooklyn Park in the early hours of Saturday morning. A short while before, the Hoffmans had been targeted at their home in nearby Champlin, where they were shot multiple times but survived the attack. Police discovered the couple after responding to a 911 call at around 2 a.m. local time. They have since undergone surgeries and are recovering in the hospital.

After the Hoffmans' shootings, Boelter traveled to the home of another Minnesota state representative and rang the doorbell at around 2:24 a.m., Thompson said, but the lawmaker was on vacation with her family and not home, so Boelter left.

He then went to the home of another state senator, parking on the street around 2:36 a.m., according to Thompson. But the acting U.S. attorney added that following the news of Hoffman's shooting, an officer had been dispatched to that lawmaker's home for a wellness check and attempted to speak with Boelter when she noticed his car. Thompson said Boelter left the scene while the officer was waiting for other law enforcement to arrive and traveled to the Hortmans' house.

“I have been made aware that the shooting suspect was parked near my home early Saturday morning,” state senator Ann Rest, a Democrat, said in a statement on Monday. “I am so grateful for the heroic work of the New Hope Police Department and its officers. Their quick action saved my life.”

Prior to Boelter's apprehension, the FBI had placed him on its Most-Wanted list, describing him as having gray hair and brown eyes with a 6 ft., 1 in. height and weighing about 220 lbs.

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Per the FBI, the suspect was impersonating a police officer when he carried out the assaults. Additional reports suggest he may have been wearing a realistic-looking latex mask.

Minnesota’s Commissioner of Public Safety Bob Jacobson said at the Sunday press conference that Boelter “exploited the trust our uniforms are meant to represent,” adding that the “betrayal is deeply disturbing to those of us who wear the badge with honor and responsibility.”

When officers searched a fake police vehicle, believed to have been used by the suspect, on site near Hortman’s residence, they found a “manifesto,” which named a number of local lawmakers and organizations (including Hoffman and Hortman). This led to fears the suspect may have had additional targets in mind.

Thompson said he has "seen nothing like a Unabomber-style manifesto" in Boelter's writings.

"He had many, many notebooks full of plans, lists of names surveillance efforts that he took to surveil and locate the home addresses and family members relationships with these elected officials," Thompson said. "But I have not seen anything involving some sort of political screed or manifesto that would clearly identify what motivated him. Obviously, his primary motive was to go out and murder people. They were all elected officials. They were all Democrats. Beyond that, I think it's just way too speculative for anyone that's reviewed these materials to know and to say what was motivating him in terms of ideology or specific issues."

Authorities are continuing to investigate whether anyone helped Boelter, according to Thompson, but nothing in the criminal complaint suggests he did.

Walz decried how one man’s “unthinkable actions have altered the state of Minnesota” and promised that Boelter will “serve justice.” Walz also emphasized that “this cannot be the norm. It cannot be the way that we deal with our political differences.”

Here is what we know about Boelter.

How was Boelter caught?

Mark Bruley, chief of Brooklyn Park Police in Minnesota, described the operation as “the largest manhunt in the state’s history,” with over 20 different SWAT teams involved in a span of 43 hours.

Earlier on Sunday around midday local time, residents of Sibley County, Minn., were sent an emergency alert informing them that Boelter’s vehicle had been found near the state’s Highway 25. Boelter was not present at the scene. Prior to this, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension reported that Boelter was last seen on Saturday morning in Minneapolis, shortly after the shootings, when at around 6 a.m., local time, he stopped by a home near 49th and Fremont, where residents say he had rented a room. Security cameras captured footage of Boelter wearing casual clothing and a cowboy hat.

Officials said the search for Boelter included the use of unmanned aerial vehicles and helicopters, as well as infrared technology.

Bruley said authorities created a perimeter after they were provided information that Boelter was seen in the area of Sibley County, which Evans, the superintendent, described as “rural” and filled with “streams, fields, woods, crops.” Where Boelter “was ultimately taken into custody was in a field,” Evans said, adding that Boelter was armed during his arrest.

Minnesota State Patrol Assistant Chief Lt. Col. Jeremy Geiger said law enforcement did not use force during the arrest and no law enforcement personnel was injured. Boelter “crawled to law enforcement teams,” Geiger said, before his arrest.

Did Boelter know the targeted Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses?

Boelter and Hoffman worked together in some capacity on the Governor’s Workforce Development Board. In a press conference, superintendent Evans was asked about the nature of the relationship between Boelter and Hoffman.

“There's certainly some overlap with some public meetings with Sen. Hoffman and the individual, but we don't know the nature of the relationship or if they actually knew each other,” Evans said.

It's unclear if the suspect had previously crossed paths with state Rep. Hortman or her husband.

What was found in the vehicle thought to belong to Boelter?

When officers arrived on the scene at Hortman’s residence, they spotted a fake police vehicle. When law enforcement searched the SUV, they found a “manifesto” marked with around 70 names of lawmakers and organizations. Hoffman and Hortman were named.

The list reportedly included several different lawmakers across Minnesota, the Midwest, and the Capitol, as well as locations for Planned Parenthood.

The authorities sent extra security to those that they believe are in harm's way when the suspect was still at large.

On Meet the Press, Klobuchar said that more security had been added to her team.

“It was politically-motivated, and there clearly was some through line with abortion because of the groups that were on the list, and other things that I've heard were in this manifesto,” Klobuchar said.

In an interview with NPR, Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith, a Democrat, said she was on the manifesto list and that she is currently working closely with Capitol Police and local law enforcement.

There were also "No Kings" flyers, in reference to the protests that took place across the U.S. on Saturday, found in the vehicle. As a result, police urged the public not to attend the Minnesota "No Kings" demonstration. Despite the organizers canceling the event, large crowds still showed up.

Where does Boelter live and what does he do for work?

Boelter is listed as having a home near Green Isle, Minn. The Police conducted a search of the home on Saturday.

David Carlson, a friend of Boelter, is quoted as telling CNN affiliate KARE that Boelter texted his friends in the lead-up to the shootings.

“I just wanna let you know that I love you guys and I wish it hadn’t gone this way. I don’t wanna say anything more and implicate you in any way, because you guys don’t know anything about this, but I love you guys and I’m sorry for all the trouble this has caused,” the text reportedly said.

According to Carlson, Boelter worked at a funeral home, owned guns, and voted for President Donald Trump last year.

A LinkedIn page that seemingly belongs to Boelter states he has a doctorate in educational leadership and a master’s of science in management from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee. The prefix "Dr." is used across his online profiles.

That LinkedIn profile puts Boelter as the CEO of the Red Lion Group, a self-described security services company.

Boelter also appears to be listed as “director of security patrols” for Praetorian Guard Security Services, which is introduced on the company's website as a security firm that provides residential security patrols, event security services, and uniformed security. The company describes how it drives "the same make and model of vehicles that many police departments use in the U.S.” A woman named Jenny, believed to be Boelter's wife, is listed as the company's president.

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What do we know of Boelter’s religious and political views?

Boelter appears to be an Evangelical Christian, who has delivered testimonials in Africa.

In one video reviewed by TIME, a man that resembles a strong likeness to Boelter can be seen criticizing the LGBTQ+ community, saying: “There’s people, especially in America, they don’t know what sex they are, they don’t know their sexual orientation, they’re confused. The enemy has gotten so far into their mind and their soul.”