The man suspected of shooting two Minnesota lawmakers killed one of them and was taken into custody, law enforcement officials said.
Vance Belter was arrested Sunday evening. The arrest was confirmed by the Associated Press by law enforcement officials who have not publicly discussed details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Former Democrats House Speaker Melissa Hortman And her husband, Mark, was killed early Saturday at a home in Brooklyn Park, a suburb of Minneapolis. Sen. John Hoffman, a Democrat, and his wife Yvette, were injured in a Shamplin home about nine miles away.
Last Sunday, Drew Evans, the director of the Criminal Arrests Bureau, said he had been on a nationwide warrant for the press conference to arrest the suspect.
Evans said the authorities found the car very early. They believed they were using several miles from their home in Green Isle, in the farm country about an hour’s west of Minneapolis. He also said he found evidence in a vehicle that was related to the investigation but did not provide details.
On Sunday evening, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar shared a statement from Yvette Hoffmann, expressing her gratitude for the pouring of public support.
“John is currently enduring many surgeries and is getting closer to getting out of the woods every hour,” Yvette Hoffman said. Text posted by Klobuchar On social media. “He has won nine bullet hits. I’ve been very fortunate to be alive eight times. We’re angry and devastated by the loss of Melissa and Mark. We have no words. There’s no place for this kind of political hatred.”
Authorities, named 57-year-old Bolter, as suspect, said he was wearing a mask when he posed as a police officer, and even allegedly changed the vehicle to make the vehicle look like a police car.
Evens confirmed that investigators found a cowboy hat near the vehicle and believed it belonged to Boelter. The director also said authorities interviewed Belter’s wife and other families in connection with Saturday’s shooting. He said they were cooperative and not in custody.
Evans provided an update as Edge states struggle to understand brave political violence.
The FBI had issued rewards of up to $50,000 for information that led to his arrest and conviction. They circulated photos taken Saturday of Boerter wearing a tanned cowboy hat and asked the public to report sightings.
More than 100 law enforcement officials, including the SWAT team, were searching the area, including a nearby home, Evans said. He also said they received over 400 tips from the public.
Previous searches took place in rural Sibley County, approximately 50 miles (80 km) southwest of Minneapolis. There, Boerter had a house with his wife and five children. Residents in the area have received emergency warnings about where they warn them to lock their doors and cars.
Many officers were seen gathering on the dirt road near the abandoned dark sedan. Some officers broke down and walked from the road to a wooded area. The car was towed behind.
Gunshot come As Political leaders across the country They are being attacked, harassed and threatened amid deep political divisions. The lawmakers said they were interrupted. Due to an attack that mourns Twin City residents.
The brightly colored flowers and a small American flag were placed on the gray marble stones of the Minnesota Capitol on Sunday, along with a photograph of Holtimann. People scrawled messages with small notes, such as, “You have been our leader throughout the most difficult times. You are in power.”
Pam Stein came along with flowers and kneeled down at the monument. Emotional Stein calls Hortman an “absolute powerhouse” and “the real, nameless hero of the Minnesota government.”
There are no details regarding motivation
Authorities have not yet provided details about their motivation.
A list of about 70 names was found in the book recovered from a fake police vehicle left at the crime scene, officials said. Officials said the list of works and names included prominent state and federal lawmakers and community leaders, and included information about abortion rights advocates and health facilities.
While describing the material as a “manifesto” on Saturday, Evans made it clear that the paper was not a political or ideological paper. He said it was more of a notebook, listing lawmakers and others, and mixed ideas. He refused to provide details.
A Minnesota official told The Associated Press that lawmakers are on the list who were openly told in support of abortion rights. The official spoke about the state of anonymity as the investigation was ongoing.
The attack prompted other state elected officials to warn and planned cancellations “No King” demonstration Some people have moved ahead against President Donald Trump anyway, but they also include those that attracted tens of thousands of people to the state capitol in St. Paul. Authorities said the suspect had a “king” flyer in his car.
Law enforcement agents recovered several AK-style firearms from the suspect’s vehicle, and it was believed he was still armed with a pistol. The person was unable to publicly discuss the details of the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Suspect
Records show that Belter is a former political appointee who served on the same state workforce development committee as Hoffman, but it was not clear whether or how well they knew each other.
Around 6am on Saturday, Bolter texted a friend to apologise for his actions, but he didn’t say what he had done.
“I’m going to leave for a while. I just want to let you know I love both of you because I might be dead soon. I hope it’s not going this way…I’m sorry for all the trouble this caused,” he wrote in a message seen by the AP.
Two Democrats were targeted
Police first responded to reports of a shooting at Hoffmans’ home just after 2am on Saturday, finding a couple with multiple gunshot wounds.
Local police in Brooklyn Park are assisting with the phone and have decided to actively check out the nearby Hortman home, Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said Saturday.
There they encounter what appears to be a police vehicle and a man who dressed the officer leaving the house. The officers confronted him, he fired at them, and the officers fired. The suspect then returned home and escaped on foot, Bruly said.
On social media, Gov. Tim Waltz remembered Hortman on Sunday as “the most consequential speaker in the history of the state.”
Hortman55, has been the top Democratic leader of the state Capitol since 2017. She led the Democrats. 3 weeks of strike The beginning of this year’s session in a power struggle with Republicans. Under the power sharing agreement, she handed over the small giveaway to Republican Rep. Lisa Demus and took on title speaker Emelita.
Hortman used his position as a speaker in 2023 to expand the protection of abortion rights. This expanded protection of abortion rights, including laws that include shelter as shelter for restrictive state patients traveling to states seeking abortion.
The couple had an adult son and an adult daughter.
Hoffman, 60, was first elected in 2012 and chaired the Senate Human Services Committee, which oversees one of the biggest parts of the state budget. He and his wife have one adult daughter.
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