Live updates: Latest on the manhunt for gunman who shot Minnesota state lawmakers

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Massive manhunt underway for man who shot two Minnesota lawmakers, killing one

04:16 - Source: CNN

Massive manhunt underway for man who shot two Minnesota lawmakers, killing one

04:16

• Search ongoing: Police continue their manhunt for 57-year-old Vance Boelter, the suspect in the killing of a Minnesota lawmaker and the shooting of another.

• Lawmakers targeted: State Rep. Melissa Hortman — the top Democrat in the Minnesota House — and her husband were shot dead in an apparent “politically motivated assassination,” Gov. Tim Walz said. Democratic State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were shot by the same person, Walz said. The couple survived the attack.

• Suspect impersonated officer: A man dressed like a police officer came out of Hortman’s home and shot at police before escaping. He had been driving what appeared to be a police car. Investigators found a hit list of nearly 70 names in the suspect’s car, mostly naming Democrats or figures with ties to abortion rights.

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As the search continues for the man accused of impersonating a police officer and killing State Rep. Melissa Hortman and wounding State Sen. John Hoffman, a clearer portrait of the suspect is emerging.

Here’s what we’ve learned about Vance Boelter:

• Work: While his exact employment status was unknown, we know that Boelter had worked for a security company, Praetorian Guard Security Services, which advertised a fleet of “police type vehicles” and other equipment that could potentially have aided him in appearing to be law enforcement. The firm was registered to Boelter’s home address and listed a woman who is apparently his wife as president and CEO.

• Religion: He is an outspoken evangelical Christian who traveled to Africa to tell his story and, in at least one sermon, pointedly questioned American morals on sexual orientation, according to videos and social media posts reviewed by CNN.

• Hit list: Names on a list found in his car, which CNN obtained, are largely Democrats or figures with ties to Planned Parenthood or the abortion rights movement. The list included lawmakers such as Rep. Ilhan Omar and Sen. Tina Smith.

• Political views: He largely shied away from political posts in his publicly available social media feeds and did not discuss abortion rights in any religious speeches reviewed by CNN. In one talk he gave in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2023, he appeared sharply critical of LGBTQ rights.

• Link to victim: He served on a state board with Hoffman, records show. In 2019, Gov. Tim Walz put Boelter on the Governor’s Workforce Development Board – a group of business owners who recommend policies to the state government. It’s unclear how closely Boelter and Hoffman interacted in that role, if at all.

• Party affiliation: Boelter registered to vote as a Republican in the early 2000s, state records show. A state document listing his 2019 appointment to a development board noted that he had “no party preference.”

• No record: A search of Minnesota criminal records showed no cases against Boelter aside from some traffic charges.

• Education: Boelter’s LinkedIn page states he had a doctorate in educational leadership and a master’s of science in management, both from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, and he used the prefix Dr. on his website and social media.

• Family: Social media posts indicate he has multiple children.

• Home: Boelter had a property outside the small town of Green Isle, about 50 miles west of Minneapolis, according to records.

Read more about the suspect.

CNN’s Isabelle Chapman, Curt Devine, Yahya Abou-Ghazala, Anna-Maja Rappard, Scott Glover, John Miller and Rob Kuznia contributed to this report.

State Rep. Melissa Hortman — the top Democrat in the Minnesota House — and her husband were shot and killed in the early hours of Saturday morning, according to Gov. Tim Walz.

Police are now searching for 57-year-old Vance Boelter, the main suspect in the killing, who has been described by Governor Tim Walz as an apparent “politically motivated assassination.”

Boelter is also suspected of shooting Minnesota State Sen. John Hoffman, also a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, who survived the shooting and underwent surgery. Yvette Hoffman saved her daughter Hope’s life by throwing herself on top of her, a relative told CNN affiliate KARE.

Here’s what we know:

  • The attacks: Police responded to a shooting at Hoffman’s address at around 2 a.m. and were still investigating the scene when, at 3:35 a.m., officers who went to check on Hortman, about 9 miles away, encountered the suspect coming out of her house and exchanged gunfire with him before he escaped.
  • Suspect impersonated officer: The suspect was dressed like a police officer when he came out of Hortman’s home. He had also been driving what appeared to be a police car. Investigators are looking into whether the suspect wore a latex face mask during the shootings, a law enforcement official told CNN.
  • Found in the car: Police found writings that included a hit list of nearly 70 names in the car. Those named are mostly Democrats or figures with ties to abortion rights, including Minnesota lawmakers Rep. Ilhan Omar and Sen. Tina Smith. Boelter also had survival gear in the vehicle.
  • Boelter’s job: Boelter’s employment status was unclear. According to his company’s website, he worked in security services. The company advertised a fleet of “police type vehicles” and other equipment that could have aided him in impersonating law enforcement. The company was registered to Boelter’s home address and listed a woman who is apparently his wife as president and CEO.
  • What his friend said: David Carlson, a friend of Boelter, told CNN the suspect was having financial problems and struggling to find work. Carlson also told CNN affiliate KARE that he texted his friends in the lead-up to the shootings to warn them he was “gonna be gone for a while” and “may be dead shortly.”
  • Link to victim: Boelter served on a state board with Hoffman. In 2019, Walz put him on the Governor’s Workforce Development Board – a group of business owners who recommend policies to the state government. It’s unclear how closely Boelter and Hoffman interacted in that role, if at all.
  • Hunt underway: Authorities believe the suspect is no longer in the area. Photos of Boelter have been sent out to border patrol personnel in case he tries to flee into Canada.
  • FBI reward: President Donald Trump said Attorney General Pam Bondi and the FBI are leading the investigation. The FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information “leading to the arrest and conviction” of Boelter.

Police were responding to a shooting at Democratic State Sen. John Hoffman’s home around 2 a.m. when officers went to check on State Rep. Melissa Hortman, who lived about 9 miles away, at around 3:35 a.m.

As they arrived at her home, they encountered the suspect, 57-year-old Vance Boelter, dressed like a police officer.

As he came out of the house, he exchanged gunfire with the police before escaping on foot, leaving behind what appeared to be a police car at the scene. Police found writings in the vehicle that included a hit list with nearly 70 names. Those named are mostly Democratic politicians or figures with ties to abortion rights, including Minnesota lawmakers Rep. Ilhan Omar and Sen. Tina Smith. Boelter also had survival gear in the vehicle.

Boelter is still at large. A shelter-in-place was implemented in Brooklyn Park, but lifted later on Saturday after authorities said they believed he was no longer in the area.

Investigators are looking into whether he wore a latex face mask during the shootings, a law enforcement official told CNN.

Read part of the police’s dispatch audio to emergency services here.

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