Accused in Minnesota shooting of lawmakers went to homes of 2 other politicians

The man accused of killing a Minnesota lawmaker and wounding another went to the homes of two other legislators on the night of the shootings, intending to inflict more carnage against those on his hit list, a federal prosecutor said Monday.

But one of the other lawmakers was on vacation and the accused left the other house after police arrived early Saturday, acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson said at a press conference.

Vance Boelter meticulously planned out the attacks, carrying out surveillance missions, taking notes on the homes and people he targeted and disguising himself as a police officer on the night of the attacks, Thompson said. 

“It is no exaggeration to say that his crimes are the stuff of nightmare,” he said.

Boelter surrendered to police Sunday after they found him in the woods near his home following a massive manhunt over nearly two days that began near Minneapolis. He is accused of posing as an officer and fatally shooting former U.S. Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, in their home early Saturday in the northern Minneapolis suburbs. 

Authorities say he also shot Sen. John Hoffman, a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, who lived just a few kilometres away.

Federal prosecutors announced Monday that they have charged Boelter, 57, with federal murder, stalking offences. He already faces state charges, including murder and attempted murder.

Boelter had many notebooks full of plans and made efforts to find the addresses of his victims and their family members, Thompson said. But authorities have not found any writings that would “clearly identify what motivated him,” he said. Though the targets were Democrats and elected officials, Thompson said it was too soon to speculate on any sort of political ideology that could explain his motives.

Authorities declined to name the two other elected officials whom Boelter allegedly stalked but who escaped harm. But they said it was clear the shootings were politically motivated.

“This was a targeted attack against individuals who answered the call to public service,” said Alvin Winston, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Minneapolis field office. The resulting search, he said, was the largest search for a suspect in the history of the state.

Boelter’s wife consented to a search of her phone by law enforcement, according to an FBI affidavit that cites from a text Boelter sent to a family group chat: “Dad went to war last night … I don’t wanna say more because I don’t wanna implicate anybody.”

His wife got another text that said: “Words are not gonna explain how sorry I am for this situation … there’s gonna be some people coming to the house armed and trigger-happy, and I don’t want you guys around,” the affidavit said. 

Suspect caught in Minnesota woods near his home

At one point, Boelter bought an electronic bike and a Buick sedan from someone he met at a bus stop in north Minneapolis, the federal affidavit said. Police found the sedan abandoned on a highway Sunday morning.

In the car, law enforcement found a cowboy hat Boelter had been seen wearing in surveillance footage as well as a letter written to the FBI, authorities said. The letter said it was written by “Dr. Vance Luther Boulter” and said he was “the shooter at large in Minnesota involved in the two shootings.”

The car was found in rural Sibley County, where Boelter lived, and a police officer reported that he believed he saw Boelter running into the woods. Police called in 20 different tactical teams, divvying up the area to search. 

During the search, police said they confirmed someone was in the woods and searched for hours, using a helicopter and officers on foot, until they found Boelter. He gave himself up to police, crawling out to officers before he was handcuffed and taken into custody in a field, authorities said.

Jail records show Boelter was booked into the Hennepin County Jail early Monday.