Vance Boelter, the 57-year-old man suspected of shooting two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses at their homes, allegedly had a hit list of prominent Democratic lawmakers in his SUV, an official told The Independent.
The alleged gunman remains on the run after fatally shooting state Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, in their Brooklyn Park home Saturday morning, around 90 minutes after Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were also shot in their Chaplin home.
An official who has seen a manifesto the suspect left behind in the suspect’s SUV told The Independent that it names prominent abortion rights supporters in Minnesota, including several Democratic lawmakers who support abortion rights.
The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of Boelter, who wasn’t caught as of Saturday evening.
Boelter’s roommate claimed Saturday that the suspect sent him and another friend a text message at 6:17 a.m. that he “may be dead shortly.”
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David Carlson, who said he has been friends with Boelter for 50 years, read the messages aloud to the Minnesota Star Tribune.
“I made some choices, and you guys don’t know anything about this, but I’m going to be gone for a while,” the suspect allegedly said to his friends. “May be dead shortly, so I just want to let you know I love you guys both and I wish it hadn’t gone this way.”
The alleged message continued: “I don’t want to say anything more and implicate you in any way because you guys don’t know anything about this. But I love you guys and I’m sorry for all the trouble this has caused.”
Police busted into the house Carlson shared with Boelter and searched it for clues, he told the newspaper.
Boelter is suspected of fatally shooting Hortman and her husband in their home at around 3:35 a.m. Saturday while impersonating a police officer. Law enforcement found the suspect’s police-like SUV at Hortman’s home after responding to a shooting.
“Our state lost a great leader, and I lost the dearest of friends,” Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said. “She [Hortman] is irreplaceable and will be missed by so many.”
Officials were unable to give an update on Hoffman and his wife as of Saturday afternoon, but Walz said he was “cautiously optimistic” they would survive earlier in the day.
There was “overlap with some public meetings” including Hoffman and the suspect, authorities said.
Boelter was last seen on a Minneapolis business’ security camera footage on Saturday morning wearing a light-colored cowboy hat, a dark-colored long-sleeved collared coat, and light pants. He worked for a private security company called Praetorian Guard Security Services. The company’s website states Boelter serves as the director of security patrols and has had training from people in the U.S. military.
“There is no question that if they were in this room, you would assume that they are a police officer,” Brooklyn Park police Chief Mark Bruley said about the suspect’s realistic attire.
“I assure you that those responsible for this will be held accountable, and each and every one of us are committed to making sure that a tragedy like this never repeats itself in Minnesota or across this country,” Walz said.
The governor described the the deaths of Hortman and her husband "a political assassination."
Bob Jacobson, the Commissioner of Public Safety for the state of Minnesota, said during the conference, “This is a dark day today for Minnesota and for democracy. We will not allow fear or violence to define who we are, or how we move forward.”
“The suspect exploited the trust of our uniforms that our uniforms are meant to represent, that the trail is deeply disturbing to those of us who wear the badge with honor and responsibility,” Jacobson continued.
President Donald Trump addressed the situation in a statement Saturday, writing, “I have been briefed on the terrible shooting that took place in Minnesota, which appears to be a targeted attack against state lawmakers.”
"Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America," Trump added.
