Police capture suspect in Minnesota lawmaker killing
The suspect is accused of killing the top Democrat in the Minnesota House and her husband


What happened
Police on Sunday evening captured the man suspected of killing the top Democrat in the Minnesota House and her husband and wounding a Democratic state senator and his wife early Saturday morning. The suspect, Vance Boelter, was armed when arrested in a field near his home in Green Isle, Minnesota, following a two-day manhunt involving more than 100 law enforcement officers, officials said.
Who said what
Police said Boelter, 57, impersonated a police officer to shoot state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, in the northern Minneapolis suburb of Champlin, then drove nine miles to Brooklyn Park and killed former state House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. Police checking on local elected officials after learning of the Hoffman shootings witnessed the killing of Mark Hortman and engaged in gunfire with the suspect, according to charging documents.
Police found a car belonging to Boelter near Green Isle then encircled a wooded area on a tip from a local resident and after an "alert police officer" thought he saw him running into the woods, Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said. "There's no question that this is the largest manhunt in the state's history."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Authorities said they believe that Boelter acted alone and that "the shootings were deliberate and targeted" after finding a "roster of dozens of names, including Democratic lawmakers and people who are supportive of abortion rights and other liberal causes" across the Midwest, in his fake police SUV, The Washington Post said. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) on Saturday said the Hortman killings appeared to be a "politically motivated assassination."
What next?
Boelter was charged with two initial state counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder. "One man's unthinkable actions have altered the state of Minnesota," Walz said Sunday night, thanking law enforcement officers for having "spent Father's Day away from their families to deliver justice for Melissa and Mark Hortman and their children, who spent this Father's Day alone." He remembered the slain lawmaker as the "most consequential speaker in state history" and said the Hoffmans were out of surgery and expected to recover.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
A journey into the deep past on beautiful Arran
The Week Recommends New Unesco Global Geopark played a 'key role' in the birth of modern geological science
-
China's London super-embassy
The Explainer The People's Republic wants to build a massive new embassy in central London, and a lot of people aren't happy about it
-
Crossword: July 6, 2025
The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
How will Trump's megabill affect you?
Today's Big Question Republicans have passed the 'big, beautiful bill' through Congress
-
How successful would Elon Musk's third party be?
Today's Big Question Musk has vowed to start a third party after falling out with Trump
-
How Zohran Mamdani's NYC mayoral run will change the Democratic Party
Talking Points The candidate poses a challenge to the party's 'dinosaur wing'
-
The ambiguous legal state of ectopic pregnancy care
The Explainer Rep. Kat Cammack's accusations of 'fearmongering' are the latest example of how mixed messages are complicating the debate around abortion
-
'Self-segregation by political affiliation is spreading'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Army commissions tech execs as officer recruits
IN THE SPOTLIGHT Some of the tech industry's most powerful players are answering the call of Uncle Sam
-
'The Minnesota attacks join a grim catalog of political violence'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Court allows National Guard in LA as Dodgers repel feds
Speed Read The team said they 'denied entry' to ICE agents seeking to enter their stadium