Suspected political assassin Vance Luther Boelter was captured Sunday following an intense manhunt for the gunman accused of murdering a Minnesota state lawmaker and wounding another, state officials announced.
Boelter, a 57-year-old former appointee by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, was sought by police for allegedly shooting Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, and fatally shooting former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband.
“After a two-day manhunt and two sleepless nights, law enforcement have apprehended Vance Boelter,” Walz said during a press briefing.
The armed, accused killer was taken into custody without incident in a rural, wooded area in Sibley County, southwest of Minneapolis, after authorities received a tip about a possible sighting hours earlier, state officials announced Sunday night.
Officers from multiple agencies, including SWAT teams, combed the area for hours and were assisted by helicopters using infrared cameras and drones, officials said.
Boelter’s capture ended the “largest manhunt in the state’s history,” which lasted around 43 hours, involved at least 200 officers and utilized a federal, state and local partnership, Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley told reporters.
He was ultimately arrested in a field, where he “crawled” to the arresting officers and was taken into custody without any use of force, authorities said.
His arrest was first announced by the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, which posted a photo on Facebook Sunday night of the suspect with his hands behind his back and gripped by law enforcement officers.
“The face of evil,” the sheriff captioned the image. “After relentless and determined police work, the killer is now in custody. Thanks to the dedication of multiple agencies working together along with support from the community, justice is one step closer.”
Boelter is facing two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder, according to a criminal complaint. He could also face federal charges, officials said.
The alleged gunman disguised himself as a police officer, wearing a uniform, vest and creepy Halloween mask when he launched his attack in the northern Minnesota suburb.
“Boelter exploited the trust our uniforms are meant to represent that betrayal is deeply disturbing to those of us who wear the badge with honor and responsibility,” said Bob Jacobson, Minnesota Department of Public Safety Commissioner.
Boelter’s rampage began at State Senator Hoffman’s Champlin home around 2 a.m. on Saturday.
The crazed gunman fired off multiple rounds, striking the 60-year-old Democrat and his wife multiple times, seriously wounding the couple.
Yvette Hoffman had jumped on top of her daughter, Hope, shielding her from the bullets, the couple’s nephew said.
John and Yvette Hoffman underwent surgery and are in stable condition.
After the first shooting, Boelter — still disguised — raced to the home of Speaker Emerita Hortman in Brooklyn Park.
He fatally wounded Hortman and her husband Mark with multiple shots.
Hortman, a 55-year-old Democrat, was pronounced dead inside her home. Her husband died at a nearby hospital.
Police, conducting a check on Hortman after being alerted to the shooting at the Hoffmans’ home, confronted the masked killer as he left the Brooklyn Park home.
Officers fired at the cop impersonator, at one point cornering the gunman inside the home, but the suspect managed to escape.
Boelter sent a text to his best friends and roommate after the shootings, allegedly admitting to the heinous killings.
“David and Ron, I love you guys. I made some choices, and you guys don’t know anything about this, but I’m going to be gone for a while. May be dead shortly, so I just want to let you know I love you guys both and I wish it hadn’t gone this way,” Boelter told David Carlson, according to KARE.
A motive for the shootings is not yet known, though it’s believed to be politically charged.
Boelter served on a 60-member state workforce development board with Hoffman, according to records.
The accused murderer allegedly listed off roughly 70 names of several Minnesota lawmakers and abortion advocates in a “manifesto” discovered by investigators inside the faux cop cruiser. The politicians, activists and reproductive health care clinics are believed to have been his other targets had he not been intercepted by police at Hortan’s home.
Lawmakers who have supported abortion rights were reportedly on the list, a state official told the Associated Press.
His roommate and lifelong friend also told The Post, “he didn’t like abortion.”
David Carlson said Boelter had conservative political views, but rarely talked about politics and didn’t seem overtly political.
“He was a Trump supporter. He voted for Trump. He liked Trump. I like Trump,” he said.
The suspect’s wife, Jenny Boelter, was pulled over and detained by police while driving with relatives on Saturday morning. She was questioned by authorities for her role in the shooting and then released.
Police found passports and a weapon in the car.
Gov. Walz said the state would make sure the alleged assassin will face justice for the horrific shootings.
“One man’s unthinkable actions have altered the state of Minnesota,” he said. “You can rest assured that we will put every ounce of effort that the state of Minnesota has to make sure that justice is served.”
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