Articles in this Cluster
16-06-2025
Minnesota State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, survived an assassination attempt at their Champlin home, being shot nine and eight times respectively; both are in recovery, with John undergoing multiple surgeries. Hours later, Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were shot and killed at their Brooklyn Park home. Police are searching for suspect Vance Luther Boelter, 57, who allegedly posed as a police officer, used a vehicle with emergency lights, and fled on foot after exchanging gunfire with officers. A car linked to Boelter was found in Sibley County; his wife was questioned and released. Authorities recovered a target list naming multiple Democratic officials, including Gov. Tim Walz, Ilhan Omar, Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith, and AG Keith Ellison, and the FBI has added Boelter to its most-wanted list with a $50,000 reward. Investigators have not publicly disclosed a motive, though officials say the attacks appear politically motivated. Communities are in shock as the manhunt extends into South Dakota.
Entities: John Hoffman, Yvette Hoffman, Melissa Hortman, Vance Luther Boelter, Minnesota • Tone: urgent • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
16-06-2025
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced that Vance Boelter, suspected in the assassination of one Minnesota lawmaker and the attempted assassination of another, has been captured. He confirmed the apprehension during a late Sunday news conference.
Entities: Tim Walz, Vance Boelter, CNN, Minnesota, Minnesota lawmaker • Tone: urgent • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
16-06-2025
Authorities identified Vance Boelter, 57, as the suspect in the Saturday shootings that killed Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and wounded State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. The attacks began around 2 a.m. at the Hoffmans’ Champlin home, where their child called 911; about 3:35 a.m., a man impersonating a police officer opened fire at the Hortman residence in Brooklyn Park, killing both Melissa and Mark Hortman. The suspect fled on foot. Investigators found his police-style Ford Explorer near the Hortman home, along with a list of about 70 potential targets and references to “No Kings” anti-Trump protests. Before the shootings, Boelter had emptied his bank account and prepaid rent, then texted a friend at 6:03 a.m. that he’d made bad choices and might die. A regional manhunt intensified over the weekend, with police stopping relatives in Onamia and searching rural Sibley County after finding a vehicle and hat linked to the suspect. Boelter was arrested Sunday night near his family’s home outside Green Isle without force, while armed. He faces two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder. Governor Tim Walz praised the Hoffmans’ daughter for lifesaving actions.
Entities: Vance Boelter, Melissa Hortman, Mark Hortman, John Hoffman, Yvette Hoffman • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
16-06-2025
A timeline of a targeted attack on Minnesota lawmakers: Authorities say 57-year-old Vance Boelter, posing as a police officer in a black SUV outfitted with emergency lights, shot State Senator John Hoffman and his wife at their Champlin home around 2 a.m. Saturday, wounding both. He then tried to contact another official in Maple Grove, was spotted by police near State Senator Ann Rest’s home in New Hope (who was unharmed), and around 3:30 a.m. fired into State Representative Melissa Hortman’s Brooklyn Park home, killing Hortman and her husband, Mark. The suspect fled on foot. A manhunt followed: he texted family and a friend about “bad choices,” police stopped his wife and relatives later that morning in Onamia, searched his shared Minneapolis residence, and towed a decoy police-style Ford Explorer containing a list of about 70 possible targets and references to “No Kings” anti-Trump protests. By Sunday afternoon, police were conducting house-to-house searches in Sibley County; Boelter was captured Sunday night. He faces federal murder charges, plus state counts of second-degree murder and attempted murder. Authorities credited quick police checks and the Hoffmans’ daughter’s 911 call with preventing further casualties.
Entities: Vance Boelter, Minnesota lawmakers, State Senator John Hoffman, Melissa Hortman, Mark Hortman • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
16-06-2025
Authorities say Vance Boelter, 57, disguised as a police officer, targeted four Minnesota Democratic lawmakers’ homes early Saturday. He shot and wounded State Senator John Hoffman and his wife after forcing his way into their Champlin home. He then went to a second lawmaker’s Maple Grove residence, but no one was home. In New Hope, a responding officer likely scared him off near State Senator Ann Rest’s house. Finally, at State Representative Melissa Hortman’s Brooklyn Park home, Boelter allegedly fired into the house as police arrived, then entered and killed Hortman and her husband before fleeing. He was arrested after a two-day manhunt and now faces state charges and two federal counts of murder using a firearm, which carry the possibility of the death penalty.
Entities: Vance Boelter, Minnesota, John Hoffman, Ann Rest, Melissa Hortman • Tone: urgent • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
16-06-2025
Prosecutors say Vance Boelter, 57, planned a broader politically motivated killing spree targeting Democratic officials, aiming to “inflict fear.” He’s charged federally in the murders of Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, and the shootings of State Senator John A. Hoffman and his wife; federal charges could carry the death penalty, with state first-degree murder charges also expected. Boelter allegedly impersonated a police officer—using a badge, tactical gear, and a vehicle with flashing lights—to approach multiple lawmakers’ homes. He was captured after Minnesota’s largest manhunt and left a written confession; authorities say he kept a notebook listing about 70 potential targets, including politicians and Planned Parenthood centers in neighboring states. The killings leave the Minnesota House with a temporary one-seat Republican majority until a special election fills Hortman’s seat. Police officials condemned the abuse of public trust inherent in the impersonation. A preliminary hearing is set for June 27.
Entities: Vance Boelter, Melissa Hortman, John A. Hoffman, Minnesota House, Planned Parenthood • Tone: urgent • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
16-06-2025
Police arrested Vance Luther Boelter, 57, after a manhunt for the suspect who allegedly posed as a police officer and fatally shot Minnesota House Democratic leader Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. Governor Tim Walz called the killings a politically motivated assassination. Authorities had earlier found Boelter’s belongings near a rural area southwest of Minneapolis. Another lawmaker, John Hoffman, and his wife, Yvette, were wounded at their home. The arrest reportedly occurred near Boelter’s farm in Green Isle, Minnesota.
Entities: Vance Luther Boelter, Melissa Hortman, Mark Hortman, John Hoffman, Yvette Hoffman • Tone: urgent • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
