(The Center Square) – Federal stalking and murder charges have been filed against 57-year-old Vance Boelter in a 20-page charging document on Monday in what was described as the “stuff of nightmares.”
Boelter is expected to have a 1:30 p.m. Monday appearance in federal court in St. Paul.
The charges include firearms offenses, stalking using interstate commerce and murder for the stalking and killing of Minnesota House Speaker Emeritus Melissa Hortman and her husband along with the shooting of state Sen. John Hoffman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, and his wife. The Hoffmans are expected to make a full recover.
Murder charges from Hennepin County have also been filed.
Acting U.S. Attorney for District of Minnesota Joe Thompson said that, based on prior cases, he believes that the federal charges will be litigated first.
“Political assassinations are rare, they strike at the very core of our democracy,” Thompson said.
Thompson detailed many of Boelter’s action, including wearing a “hyper-realistic silicone mask” while knocking on the two politicians’ doors.
Thompson said that he “stalked his victims like prey.”
Boelter drove a black Ford SUV with emergency lights on and license plates marked as police while displaying a police badge and carrying a Beretta 9mm. Boelter allegedly repeatedly knocked on the doors, yelling “this is the police, open the door” before the door was opened.
“It is pretty clear from the evidence that he has been planning this for a long time,” Thompson said.
Further charges can be filed later and Thompson said that the death penalty is possible for some of the charges but “it is too early to tell.”
“We brought the charges that we thought are appropriate right now,” he said.
Boelter also stopped at the homes of two other Minnesota officials, one who was not home and another in New Hope where Boelter encountered a police officer, before proceeding to the Hortmans’ home in Brooklyn Park.
Minnesota state Sen. Ann Rest, DFL-New Hope, said in a statement that the shooter had also been near her home that morning.
“I have been made aware that the shooting suspect was parked near my home early Saturday morning,” Rest said in a statement. “I am so grateful for the heroic work of the New Hope Police Department and its officers. Their quick action saved my life.”
Police found “voluminous writings” in both Boelter’s vehicle and home regarding planning for the shootings and lists of names of targets.
Thompson said that there has been nothing like a “unabomber manifesto” that he has seen, but many were plans and surveillance of elected officials and not a “political screed or manifesto” that would identify the shooters motive other than “to go out and murder people.”
Officials said that 45 names of Minnesota officials were found in the writings along with other names out of state. There were names in multiple notebooks across multiple writings, they said, some of which were repeated names.
“According to the charges, the defendant had a list of possible targets and went to the homes of public officials to conduct violent attacks,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement. “This type of violence is unacceptable, and the FBI stands united with our law enforcement partners to find and hold accountable anyone who commits such despicable acts. I commend all the law enforcement officers who worked throughout the weekend to find the defendant and take him into custody.”
A spokesman for Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisconsin, and Wisconsin U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan were both listed by the shooter, he wrote, are part of 11 Wisconsin lawmakers the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported were listed by the shooter as targets.
• The is an updated versions of the story published earlier below:
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10:30 a.m. update
The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office plans to file first-degree murder charges against Vance Boelter, who was arrested by a group of 20 SWAT teams in Green Isle, Minnesota, on Sunday night after allegedly shooting two Minnesota lawmakers.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said that she filed second-degree murder charges in order to get a warrant for the arrest of suspect Vance Boelter, 57, that could be used nationwide. Moriarty said that those were the highest charges that could be filed at that time.
Federal charges against Boelter are expected to be announce later Monday morning while Boelter has his first scheduled appearance at 1:30 p.m.
Boelter is accused of dressing as a police officer and shooting and killing House Speaker Emeritus Melissa Hortman and her husband.
Boelter is accused of first going to the nearby home of State Sen. John Hoffman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, and shooting both him and his wife.
Boelter was booked into jail early Monday and was expected to be picked up by federal agents at 10 a.m. on Monday.
“Given the scale of this investigation, the review of evidence will take time,” Moriarty said.
Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt said that Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, are expected to make a full recovery.
Yvette said in a text message posted by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, R-Minnesota, that she was shot eight times and her husband was shot seven times.
“We are gutted and devastated by the loss of Melissa and Mark,” Yvette wrote. “We have no words. There is never a place for this kind of political hate.”
• The is an updated version of the story published earlier below:
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Police found three AK-47 style rifles, a 9 mm handgun and a list of names of public officials in the Ford SUV of murder suspect Vance Boelter, according to a warrant request that was under seal until Boelter was arrested late Sunday.
Police also say they found a ballistic vest, disassembled 9mm firearm, a mask and a gold police-style badge, according to the warrant.
That warrant was released after Boelter was detained in the woods near Green Isle, Minnesota, following what Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called a “complex and dangerous manhunt.”
Boelter is accused of dressing as a police officer and shooting and killing House Speaker Emeritus Melissa Hortman and her husband.
Boelter is accused of first going to the nearby home of State Sen. John Hoffman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, and shooting both him and his wife.
The Hoffman’s daughter, Hope, had called 911 and reported the shooting.
Brooklyn Park Police then sent officers to the Hortmans’ home, where they saw the suspect, with the same Ford SUV, shoot Hortmans’ husband.
After exchanging fire with police, Boelter escaped the area and the manhunt began.
“Boelter exploited the trust our uniforms are meant to represent,” Minnesota Department of Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobson said in a Sunday night press conference.
