(image: Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office)
A weekend-long manhunt ended Sunday evening when the prime suspect in the weekend murder and attempted murder of two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses was apprehended.
Authorities arrested 57-year-old Vance Boelter without incident in a field near his home in Green Isle in Sibley County after officials had found a car that it appears he had been using while on the run. Dozens of police agencies, and hundreds of officers, including SWAT teams combed the area after Boelter was said to have appeared to have been caught on a neighbor’s trail camera.
Governor Tim Walz saluted the work of law enforcement in what is being called the largest manhunt in state history…
“It’s 48 hours that law enforcement were involved in a complex and dangerous manhunt. They spent their Father’s Day away from their families to deliver justice to Melissa and Mark Hortman and their children who spent this Father’s Day alone.”
Vance Boelter is accused of arriving at the home of Minnesota Senator John Hoffman around 2 AM Saturday. He was allegedly posing as a police officer, complete with a lookalike uniform and squad car. Boelter is said to have shot both Senator Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, multiple times. The couple survived the shooting, and after surgery, are hospitalized in the Twin Cities.
Boelter then headed to the home of Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman, where he is accused of fatally shooting Representative Hortman, and her husband, Mark. Police arrived to check the Hortman home after the incident at the Hoffman residence a few miles away, and are said to have exchanged gunfire with Boelter, but he entered the home and escaped after apparently exiting through the back of the home.
The incidents stunned the state, and have been at the top of national news throughout the weekend.
Governor Walz addressed the violence of the weekend, and gave his sympathies to the families of the victims…
“A moment in this country where we watch violence erupt, this cannot be the norm. This cannot be the way we deal with our political differences. Now’s the time for us to recommit to the core values of this country.” “To Melissa and Mark’s family, I can not fathom your pain and the grief you are going through. We’ll take solace in the memory and the work Melissa did. And you can rest assure we will put every ounce of effort the state of Minnesota has to make sure justice is served and the individual responsible for this serves the time for this unspeakable act.”
The motives for the attacks are not yet clear. Reports indicate that law enforcement found a list of names of other high-profile political officials in Boelter’s vehicle. The list has been interpreted has a possible “hit list.” Authorities believe that the list may have indicated that Boelter planned, or at least considered other targeted attacks.
(audio: courtesy MNN)
