By Toba Owojaiye | June 16, 2025
A 57-year-old man identified as Vance Luther Boelter was arrested Sunday after a massive two-day manhunt in connection with the fatal shooting of Democratic state lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, and the wounding of State Senator John Hoffman and his wife. Authorities have called the incident a targeted act of political violence, shaking the foundation of democratic discourse in the state.
Truth Live News gathered that Boelter, who was reportedly dressed as a law enforcement officer and driving a vehicle equipped with emergency lights, was taken into custody without force, according to Minnesota State Patrol Lieutenant Colonel Jeremy Geiger. “There was no use of force by any member of law enforcement,” he stated at a press conference.
The killings began on Friday evening when Senator Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were shot multiple times at their home in Champlin. Senator Hoffman survived after undergoing emergency surgery for nine gunshot wounds. Just 90 minutes later, former state House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were killed in their home near Minneapolis, as law enforcement responded to the earlier attack.
Authorities revealed that Boelter had compiled a chilling “hit list” of nearly 70 individuals, many of them Democratic politicians and abortion-rights advocates, raising immediate concerns about politically motivated domestic terrorism. Anti-abortion flyers and ideological material were also recovered from the suspect’s vehicle.
Governor Tim Walz, visibly emotional while addressing the press, called the shootings “an act of targeted political violence.”
“Peaceful discourse is the foundation of our democracy. We don’t settle our differences with violence or at gunpoint,” Walz said.
Former President Donald Trump and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi both condemned the killings, describing them as “horrific violence” and promising that the perpetrator would be prosecuted to “the fullest extent of the law.”
Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, confirmed that Boelter had evaded initial capture following a brief exchange of gunfire with officers near Hortman’s residence. His subsequent arrest followed Minnesota’s largest coordinated manhunt in recent memory, involving over 20 SWAT teams, aerial surveillance, and local, state, and federal law enforcement cooperation.
Boelter, who has no prior record of violent extremism but had connections to evangelical fringe groups and previously sought employment in law enforcement, left no formal manifesto. However, investigators say the evidence points to a clear ideological motive.
This tragedy arrives amid a rising wave of politically charged violence across the United States. From attacks on lawmakers to threats against election workers and public officials, experts warn of an increasingly volatile political climate where violent rhetoric is no longer idle talk.
“These killings represent a new and dangerous escalation,” said political analyst Dr. Carla Reyes. “When elected officials can be assassinated in their homes simply for their beliefs, democracy itself is under siege.”
With the investigation ongoing, questions loom over the level of security available to public officials, and what preventive measures can be enacted before another ideologically driven tragedy unfolds.
The incident has sparked widespread mourning and outrage across the country. Flags were lowered across Minnesota as tributes poured in for Hortman, remembered as a champion of reproductive rights and progressive causes. Senator Hoffman, now recovering, released a brief statement from his hospital bed thanking the public for their prayers and urging unity.
As the suspect prepares to face charges that could include murder, attempted murder, and terrorism-related offenses, calls are growing for bipartisan efforts to address the root causes of political radicalization and protect the integrity of American democracy.
“This is not just about one man,” said Governor Walz. “It’s about what we’re becoming if we don’t stand together against hate, intimidation, and violence.”
The targeted assassination of Minnesota lawmakers is a grave indictment of the growing political extremism threatening democracy. With a suspect arrested and motives revealed, the nation is left to grapple with the deeper societal fractures that allowed such violence to occur.