Vance Boelter, the 57-year-old suspect in two separate, but likely connected shootings in Minnesota that left one lawmaker dead and another shot, allegedly had dozens of other Democrats on his “hit list,” including U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar and Minnesota’s Attorney General Keith Ellison, according to ABC News.
The shootings happened on Saturday, June 13, around 2 a.m. when Boelter, disguised as a police officer, showed up at the home of Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. They were both shot, and after police showed up, they immediately went to check on state Rep. Melissa Hortman, where police found Boelter leaving at around 3:35 a.m.
After exchanging gunfire with Boelter, in which he was able to escape, Brooklyn Park police found Hortman and her husband, fatally shot inside their home. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz described it as a “politically-motivated assassination.”
Boelter’s vehicle, a police vehicle, was left in the driveway of Hortman’s home, and inside, police found what they believed to be a list of potential targets, including Omar and Ellison, and Gov. Walz, among many other Democrats. That list also included the names of the two lawmakers who had been shot.
Also included were the names of several pro-choice advocates and abortion providers. Many of the Democrats on the list were also pro-choice or took pro-choice policy positions, leading authorities to discern that the motivation may have been related to Boelter’s stance on abortion.
Authorities were also attempting to determine whether Boelter knew the lawmakers personally—he did serve on a state board with Hoffman.
Boelter was part of a leadership team for a security firm called Praetorian Guard Security Services, based in Minneapolis-St. Paul. The firm offers armed security and uses “the same make and model of vehicles that many police departments use in the U.S.,” according to its website.
Boelter also apparently had entered state politics, having been appointed to state workforce development boards by two Democratic Minnesota governors, Tim Walz and his predecessor, Mark Dayton.
According to CBS News, Boelter was taken into custody by police on Sunday night near his home outside of Minneapolis and has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree attempted murder. He was due in court Monday afternoon.
