Police for hunting suspects in attacks on Minnesota legislators
Minnesota officials said they were looking for Vance Luther Belter, who is still leading to the shooting.
A massive manhunt was bolstered Sunday for the suspected assassination who sought a calm, deadly attack on Minnesota lawmakers a day ago.
The suspect, identified by authorities as Vance Luther Boerter, 57, appeared as a law enforcement officer to access the victim’s home before dawn Saturday, officials said. Authorities said he and the officers exchanged the shooting before he escaped on foot.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Waltz, who called the attack a “political-motivated assassination,” was shot and killed by state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, who were shot and injured multiple times in Brooklyn Park and Champlin.
Authorities said Boelter appears to have targeted Pro-Choice MPs based on his writings. They have not yet released those works, but they have been selected by officials called “Manifesto.”
Speaking about the NBC meeting, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat representing Minnesota, said he had dinner with Hortman a few hours ago as elected officials marked the end of the state’s legislative meeting.
She said the community is uneasy, especially considering the length of time the suspect went to enter the home. In one image released by authorities, it appears that Boelter is wearing a full-face mask to hide his appearance. Klobuchar said the suspect appears to be “unbalanced” and that there are “no restrictions” on his actions.
“I believe he’s somewhere nearby and they’ll find him,” Klobuchar told the press. “But now everyone is here, because we know this guy will kill you in a flash.”
She added: “This is clearly politically motivated. There was clearly an intermittent line with abortion due to the groups that were on the list and other things that were in this manifesto.”
The suspect in the attack was seen wearing a brightly colored cowboy hat, a dark long-sleeved collared shirt or a dark bag and coat on Saturday, police said. The FBI provided rewards up to $50,000 for information that could lead to an arrest.
David Carlson, 59, told Reuters that he shared his Minneapolis home with Beltter. Then, on Saturday, around 6am, he received a text from Boerter.
“He said he might have died soon,” Carlson said, calling police.
According to SCSU spokesman Zach Dwyer, Boelter is a graduate of St. Cloud State University. Boelter wrote on his LinkedIn page that he is the CEO of a company called “Red Lion Group” and has traveled to Congo and several other countries, but their claims have not been confirmed.
Boelter is also listed on the company Praetorian Guard Security Services website, and lists him as director of security patrols. The website explains that he is involved in “security situations” overseas, including Africa, Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
Minneapolis-St. The Paul Metropolitan area listed Boelter as director of the company’s security patrol, according to its website.
The company offered licensed armed security patrols, uniformed security and event security, the latter service soon came on.
“We drive the same make and model as many police stations use in the US,” the website said. “I’m currently driving a Ford Explorer Utility vehicle.”
In 2019, Walz appointed Boelter and dozens of others to the Governor’s Workforce Development Committee. According to the governor’s website, the governor “will support the development, implementation and modification of state plans, review of statewide policies and programs, and provide recommendations on actions to improve workforce development systems and programs,” and other state issues.
Hoffman and Hortman are both members of the Minnesota Democratic Farmera Ball Party. According to his MP’s profile, Hoffman, 60, and his wife, Yvette, have one child and lives in Champlin. He was first elected in 2012. Hortman and her husband Mark have two children and live in Brooklyn Park, according to her profile. She was elected in 2004.
The Democrats Party (DFL) is a political party exclusively for Minnesota, formed in 1944, when the Minnesota Democrats and Minnesota farmer workers merged.
Hortman is a speaker in the House of Representatives and is narrowly controlled by Republicans.
Hortman served her members with compassion and grace, Waltz said.
“Our state lost a great leader and I lost a friend’s loved one. She woke up every day that she decided to make this state a better place.”
Police were called to shoot at Hoffmans’ home in Champlin around 2am on June 14th, authorities said. Hoffman was shot dead and injured and taken to hospital where he underwent surgery, officials said. Waltz said they were “cautiously optimistic” for Hoffman to survive.
Authorities said officers from nearby Brooklyn Park who were helping with the scene while police responded to Hoffmans’ home had decided to check Hortmans. When they arrived at Hortman’s house, they saw what looked like a police car with the lights on and met a man who dressed the officers coming out of the house.
Police traded the shootout with a man. The man went back inside and ran, apparently running through the back door, authorities said.
“Political violence is evil. It cannot be tolerated, nor can it be tolerated or excused,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in a statement.
Contributors: Janine Santucci, Eduardo Quebas. Reuters