Vance Boelter, the suspected assassin who was wanted in connection with the fatal shootings of Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, was arrested Sunday. Investigators received tips that Boelter was holed up in Sibley County, where they also found his vehicle and a hat believed to be his.
The assassination of the Democrat speaker and her husband happened in Brooklyn Park, near Minneapolis. Boelter is also the suspect in the non-fatal shooting of state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife at their residence about seven miles from the Hortman home.
Boelter is accused of showing up at the Hortman’s home disguised as a police officer and driving a vehicle that was outfitted to look like law enforcement. He had body armor on and was wearing full-head, hyper-realistic mask.
Boelter was arrested in Minnesota, but the “where and when” details have yet to be released.
“After relentless and determined police work, the killer is now in custody. Thanks to the dedication of multiple agencies working together along with support from the community, justice is one step closer,” the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook on Sunday.
Earlier in the weekend, many rural areas in the search arena were put on high alert, as Boelter was considered armed, dangerous, and with nothing left to lose. People were told to stay indoors, keep doors locked and to lock their cars. Officials reported that Boelter had a stack of cardboard signs in his vehicle that read “No Kings,” a reference to anti-Trump rallies that took place across the country on Saturday.
Many on social media have reported that he changed his voter registration to Republican in 2022, but Minnesota does not register voters by party. It’s one of many falsehoods that has been passed around on social media over the past two days since the shootings.
You wrote “Brooklyn Park, Minneapolis.”. Brooklyn Park is a separate incorporated city, not a subcommunity of Minneapolis. It’s also in Hennepin County, which doesn’t explain the role of the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office.
Several sheriffs offices were involved in the manhunt. You are correct it is a separate, although nearby city and I will make that correction. Thank you.