“State in Shock: Minnesota Suspect Tried to Assassinate Two Others Lawmakers, Officials Say”

Minnesota suspect attempted to kill two other state lawmakers:

Minnesota officials said on Monday that a man accused of killing a Democratic state lawmaker and her husband as well as injuring another state lawmaker and his wife tried to kill two more state lawmakers.

US Attorney Joseph H. Thompson said that 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter, charged with killing Minnesota Democrat Melissa Hortman and her husband, visited the homes of three other state legislators in “truly chilling” visits.

Police claimed Mr Boelter, who investigated the victims and their families prior, had intended for a more extensive attack, which they were able to foil.

Monday afternoon he showed up in court to answer six federal charges, maybe including the death sentence should he be found guilty.

Monday afternoon Mr Boelter arrived in St. Paul’s court sporting an orange jumpsuit. 

He declared he will have a federal defence lawyer since he cannot afford a lawyer.

Mr. Boelter reported at the brief hearing that he drives seven cars, has savings ranging from $20,000 to $30,000, and earns roughly $540 a week.

Officials from the Minnesota state senate, John Hoffman, and his wife, Yvette Hoffman, were shot multiple times at a press conference on Monday following the murder of the Hortmans in the suburbs of Minneapolis during early hours of Saturday morning.

They further revealed that Mr. Boelter is subject to six federal charges, some of which qualify him for the death sentence.  Y

Federal-wise, he has two counts of stalking, two counts of murder, and two charges connected to firearms.

Separately, Mr Boelter is accused of two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder at the state level.

Thompson claimed that Mr. Boelter showed up at the Hoffman house pretending to be a police officer in a big black car running emergency lights. 

Mr. Boelter yelled “this is the police, open the door” and rang the doorbell sporting a “hyper realistic silicon mask”.

Thompson said since the Hoffmans have a security camera outside their front door, authorities know exactly what happened.

Mr Boelter shone a flashlight at the couple as the Hoffmans unlocked the door. 

Lowering his flashlight, Mr. Boelter informed the couple that there had been reported house shootings.  The pair then came to see he was not a police officer.

Thompson said, “After they tried to push him out, he allegedly fired at the couple multiple times, then fled the scene and the daughter Hope called 911.”

John Hoffman was shot nine times; Yvette Hoffman was shot eight times. 

Both are still in the hospital; Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has indicated they should recover completely.

Thompson claimed Mr Boelter drove to another state representative’s house and rang the doorbell there after supposedly shooting the Hoffmans.

Thompson noted that she and her family were on vacation, so that state representative was not at home.  Authorities kept her name under wraps.

Then, allegedly targeting a third lawmaker, Thompson drove to their house. Officials also omitted revealing the name of that state lawmaker.

Thompson said an officer stopped next to Mr. Boelter in his car and thought he was a police officer sent to do a wellness check on that legislator.

Mr. Boelter simply stared straight ahead when the officer questioned what he was doing, Thompson said, and he left for the Hortman house.

Arriving at the Hortman house, he is accused of shooting and killing Melissa and Mark Hortman. Police said they discovered him at that house engaged in firing before Mr. Boelter left.

Police started a two-day search for Mr. Boelter following his escape before discovering him late Sunday night in a rural woodland area west of Minneapolis, where he turned himself in peacefully and finally started to crawl towards police.

Thompson remarked that Mr. Boelter had “planned his attack carefully”.

“He watched over their houses and noted where they were located,” he said of Boelter.

Officials found five more weapons including assault-style rifles, plenty of ammunition and a list of more than 45 Minnesota state and federal elected officials including Melissa Hortman upon locating his car.

Brooklyn Park, Minnesota police chief Mark Bruley claimed that the arriving officers at the Hortman house “foiled” a more ambitious plan. 

“Essentially took (Mr. Boelter’s) vehicle away from him, which involved all his maps, all his names, all his weaponry,” Mr. Bruley remarked.

“I would be quite scared what it would look like over the next few hours ahead had we not done that,” he remarked.

At the Monday news conference, Thompson declared, “It’s a chilling attack on our democracy, on our way of life.” 

“That’s unfortunate since it’s only the most recent instance of violent political extremism in this nation and a trend that has been growing over past years.

I want it to be a wake-up call to everyone that people can disagree with you without being evil or needing to be killed or hurt.”

Mr Boelter is expected to show up for his next hearing on June 27.