The man suspected of assassinating Democratic Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband was apprehended peacefully late Sunday in the woods near his home.

Identified as Vance Boelter, the suspect was found after local authorities “located a vehicle [he] was using abandoned in rural Sibley County, where he lived,” according to the Associated Press.

An officer then reportedly spotted Boelter running into the woods, prompting the police to establish a perimeter around the area and deploy 20 tactical teams.

After a search of the woods that lasted hours, the authorities found Boelter, who surrendered to them peacefully by “crawling out to officers in the woods before he was handcuffed and taken into custody in a field.”

Sources provided this photo of Boelter from the scene after his arrest. pic.twitter.com/q4F9uPkm53

— Liz Collin (@lizcollin) June 16, 2025

Boelter was subsequently booked into the Hennepin County Jail, where bail has been set to $5 million, according to local station KARE.

He’s been charged with two state counts of murder and two state counts of attempted murder.

If convicted, should he spend life in prison?

Yes: 97% (102 Votes)

No: 3% (3 Votes)

According to CNN, the Trump Department of Justice is considering possibly hitting him with federal charges, as well.

Boelter, 57, allegedly killed Hortman and her husband early Saturday morning after gaining access to their home by posing as a police officer.

He also purportedly fired shots at and injured Democratic Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife at their home a few miles away.

🚨 JUST IN: Security cam images show ass*ssin Vance Boelter knocking on a Minnesota lawmaker’s door wearing a latex mask and a security guard uniform, meant to look like a police officer

You can even see police lights from his security vehicle flashing.

This is terrifying. pic.twitter.com/LdzCnM0c7D

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) June 14, 2025

“One man’s unthinkable actions have altered the state of Minnesota,” Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, also a Democrat, said at a news briefing following Boelter’s arrest. “Melissa Hortman was the core of who our values were.”

“She had a hand in so many things that happened. The building that we stand in, she helped usher through, so that we could respond from the State Emergency Operations Center with the professionalism and giving the tools necessary to law enforcement to do their job,” he continued.

“Now begins the hard work of looking at what the motive is, looking at putting this case together, and so that’s yet to come,” Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley added.

Walz previously appointed Boelter to serve four years on the Governor’s Workforce Development Board.

Boelter’s political affiliation remains unclear. Though he previously worked for a Democratic administration, his alleged roommate told the New York Post that he’s a supporter of President Donald Trump.

“He was a Trump supporter,” lifelong friend David Carlson said. “He voted for Trump. He liked Trump. I like Trump. He didn’t like abortion.”

Congressional Democrats have taken to using this shooting to argue that political violence is a one-sided phenomenon.

The Minnesota assassin appears to be a hate-filled right winger. So can we stop walking on eggshells about MAGA’s legitimization of political violence?

Yes, Republicans have also been the target of inexcusable violence, but this isn’t a “both sides” issue.

1/ A🧵on the danger.

— Chris Murphy 🟧 (@ChrisMurphyCT) June 15, 2025

Hortman’s assassination comes only weeks after two Jewish diplomats were murdered by a pro-Hamas leftist.

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