Manhunt for Suspect in Politically Motivated Minnesota Shootings Spreads Across Midwest as Shooter Evades Police for Second Day

The manhunt for the suspect accused of murdering the Democratic House leader of Minnesota and her husband and shooting a state senator and his wife has expanded to South Dakota as federal officials are assisting state police and offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to his arrest. The suspect, Vance Luther Boelter, is wanted for the murder of House leader Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and the attempted murder of a state senator, John Hoffman, and his wife, Yvette. The Hoffmans, who were shot six and five times, respectively, are in stable condition and expected to recover.Mr. Boelter, a political appointee of Minnesota Governor Walz, may have personally known Mr. Hoffman after working on a workforce development commission with him. A search of his vehicle found weapons and a manifesto that included the names of 70 elected politicians and abortion supporters. Authorities told the Associated Press that Mr. Boelter also had flyers in his car for the anti-Trump “No Kings” protests scheduled for Saturday. Several No Kings demonstrations, cancelled in Minnesota following the shootings, proceeded anyway.Minnesota’s Superintendent at the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Drew Evan, said the manifesto “gives some indications” as to the motivation for the shootings, but he would not say why the shooter may have chosen his targets. Mr. Boelter’s longtime roommate and friend, David Carlson, told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that Mr. Boelter had strong feelings about abortion, and considered it murder, though the two had not discussed the topic in years. He also recited a cryptic text that he and another friend received from Mr. Boelter at 6:00 a.m. on the day of the attacks. “Dan 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,” reads the text. Mr. Boelter, who is 57 years old, overweight and with gray hair, owns a private security company known as the Praetorian Guard Security Services. His wife, Jenny, who was detained during a traffic stop Saturday morning, is president of the company. He was outfitted with a police-like uniform and carried a Taser, badge, and black body armor. His car was painted like a police vehicle and had emergency lights, said Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley.A special agent in the St. Paul field division of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Travis Riddle, said Sunday that Mr. Boelter, who got into a shootout with police officers, evaded officers who had not been able to surround the Hoffmans’ house before the exchange of gunfire. Mr. Boelter was able to escape on foot from the back of the property. “I think in this particular instance he just got lucky and got away. I don’t believe his tactical expertise would surpass that of law enforcement officers,” Mr. Riddle told Fox News.Mr. Bruley said that officers proactively went to the Hortmans’ home after the Hoffman shooting and encountered Mr. Boelter as he was leaving. “When our officers confronted him, he immediately fired at officers and retreated back into the home,” he said. A shelter in place order for Brooklyn Park was lifted as the manhunt moved across the region. However, Mr. Bruley, warned residents that if any individual appearing as a police officer knocks on the door to not answer and call the police.Sen. Klobuchar, who was at a dinner party with both couples the night of the attacks, told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday that the targeting was political.“This is 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,” she said, adding that political leaders across the spectrum united to condemn the attack. “So that was one of his motivations. But again, they’re also checking out, did he have interaction somehow with these two legislators? Is there more to this?”Mr. Walz, who was Kamala Harris’ vice presidential running mate, also called the attack politically motivated. The shootings come after a series of politically targeted attempts on the lives of elected politicians. President Trump was shot during an election campaign last summer. The home of Pennsylvania’s governor, Josh Shapiro, who is Jewish, was set on fire during Passover. Politicians of all stripes condemned the attack. “We must all, in Minnesota and across the country, stand against all forms of political violence,” said Mr. Walz.“Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America. God Bless the great people of Minnesota, a truly great place!” President Donald Trump said in a statement.The FBI said it is assigning every available resource to locate and apprehend Mr. Boelter. “This was a deliberate and violent attack on public servants and their families,” the FBI’s Minnesota Special Agent in charge Alvin M. Winston Sr., said in a statement.

Manhunt for Suspect in Politically Motivated Minnesota Shootings Spreads Across Midwest as Shooter Evades Police for Second Day

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