Suspected killer of Minnesota lawmaker caught

MINNEAPOLIS

Members of law enforcement search for shooting suspect, Vance Boelter, at a house Sunday, June 15, 2025, in Belle Plaine, Minn

U.S. law enforcement officials in Minnesota caught the suspected killer of a Democratic state lawmaker and her husband on June 15, authorities said, ending a two-day manhunt.

The suspect, 57-year-old Vance Boelter, allegedly disguised himself as a police officer, then shot and killed Democratic state representative Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark at their home early on June 14.

Boelter was captured in Sibley County, a rural area about an hour southwest of the Minneapolis suburbs where the murders had occurred, police and state officials said.

"After [a] two-day manhunt, two sleepless nights, law enforcement have apprehended Vance Boelter," Minnesota Governor Tim Walz told a late-night news conference.

Police described the search as the "largest manhunt in [the state's] history," with 20 SWAT teams and several agencies working to find him.

Jeremy Geiger, assistant chief of the Minnesota State Patrol, told reporters that Boelter had been "taken into custody without the use of force."

Before the murders, Boelter also allegedly attacked two others nearby, state Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette, who survived and were treated for serious injuries, authorities said.

"The latest news is Senator Hoffman came out of his final surgery and is moving toward recovery," Walz told reporters.

Hoffman was shot nine times and Yvette eight times, according to U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar.

A notebook containing the names of other lawmakers and potential targets was found inside a car left by Boelter at the Hortmans' home, which Drew Evans, head of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said earlier on June 15 was not a "traditional manifesto."