Minnesota, United States Senate
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SUSPECT CAPTURED: Vance Boelter, the suspect in the fatal shootings of a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband, as well as the woundings of another lawmaker and his wife, has been captured.
The suspect, Vance Luther Boelter, allegedly shot and killed Minnesota Democratic state Rep. Melissa Hortman, and her husband, Mark. He is also accused of injuring another Democratic lawmaker in the state and his wife.
When the gunman in the shootings of two Minnesota lawmakers approached their homes early on Saturday morning, he was armed with not just a handgun but also a wealth of other gear: a black tactical vest, a badge, a flashlight, a Taser. He arrived in a black S.U.V. with flashing police lights.
Daylight was still two hours off when Brooklyn Park police approached the home of former Minnesota Speaker Melissa Hortman to find someone had beat them there.
Father Joe Whalen shared the community’s grief in a statement over the weekend, after state Rep. Melissa Hortman — who once taught Sunday school — and her husband, Mark, were murdered.
Federal prosecutors revealed in a six-count complaint that Vance Boelter has been charged with murder, stalking, and firearms violations. The Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota, Joe Thompson, said on Monday during a press conference that “It is no exaggeration to say that his crimes are the stuff of nightmares.”
Dozens of Minnesota Democrats were on a target list written by the gunman who allegedly shot and killed a state representative and shot and wounded a state senator in a targeted act of violence early Saturday,
Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman was shot in her Brooklyn Park home, while fellow party member Sen. John Hoffman was targeted roughly 8 miles away in Champlin, sources told 5 Eyewitness News. A manhunt is on for the suspect, who was wearing black body armor over a blue shirt and blue pants.