Ex-Tim Walz Appointee ID’d as MN Assassin, Manhunt Underway

A crazed killer with a political grudge allegedly donned a police uniform and a creepy Halloween mask as he shot one Minnesota state lawmaker to death and wounded another in a slaying that shocked the nation Saturday.

A masked and uniformed Vance Luther Boelter — who was a political appointee of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz — shot Sen. John Hoffman and his wife in their Champlin home early Saturday, leaving them seriously injured.

He then moved on to former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman’s house, where he is believed to have slaughtered her and her husband, the sources told The Post.

Jarring images shared by the Federal Bureau of Investigation include a photo that allegedly showed Boetler wearing a creepy, Halloween-style latex mask in the style of a bald, wrinkly man during the targeted shootings.

The killer is still on the loose despite exchanging gunfire with officers who responded to Hortman’s home and briefly cornered him inside.

He left behind a “manifesto” listing the names of 70 politicians, including Walz and his Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, and a stack of papers stating “No Kings” in reference to the nationwide anti-Trump protests, according to police.

The apparent hit list included abortion providers, clinics and Planned Parenthood, sources told The Post. Both of the Democrats he targeted were pro-choice.

Police are weighing whether Boetler held extreme anti-abortion views, the sources said.

Hortman was staunchly pro-choice and led the Minnesota House in passing the PRO Act in 2023, which codified the legality of abortion and other forms of reproductive health care. She also boosted funding for abortion clinics and passed protections for providers.

Officials were mum on the motives — though it came just five days after Hortman sided with Republican leaders as the lone Democrat to cut access to state health benefits for illegal immigrants in the North Star State.

The apparent home security camera footage from the front door of what appears to be the home of Sen. Hoffman just moments before the blood spilled.

Boetler is allegedly shown donning the disgusting pullover mask and wearing a police officer’s uniform while holding up a flashlight near his head as part of his doorknock ruse to draw out his target.

In another recent image, Boetler wears a cowboy hat while walking in the Camden neighborhood of Minneapolis where the suspected political assassin was recently renting a room.

SWAT teams raided that Minneapolis area home Saturday afternoon but found only Boetler’s roommates.

Walz early on said the attack was clearly a “politically motivated assassination.” President Trump also reiterated the likely political motivations, but did not divulge any details.

“I have been briefed on the terrible shooting that took place in Minnesota, which appears to be a targeted attack against State Lawmakers,” he wrote on Truth Social.

“Our Attorney General, Pam Bondi, and the FBI, are investigating the situation, and they will be prosecuting anyone involved to the fullest extent of the law. Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America. God Bless the great people of Minnesota, a truly great place!”

The gunman first arrived at Hoffman’s Champlin home just outside Minneapolis, leaving the couple seriously hurt before moving on to Hortman’s house, officials said.

After responding to Hoffman’s home, Champlin police notified their counterparts in nearby Brooklyn Park, where Melissa Hortman, 55, resides, alerting them to check on the lawmaker, police Chief Mark Bruley said at a Saturday news conference.

“When they arrived at Melissa’s house, they noticed that there was a police vehicle in the driveway with the emergency lights on and what appeared to be a police officer at the door coming out of the house,” Bruley said, adding that the suspect was wearing a vest, a badge and other equipment, such as a Taser, “very similar to mine.”

“When our officers confronted him, the individual immediately fired upon the officers, who exchanged gunfire, and the suspect retreated back into the home,” he continued.

“It was not a real police officer. This is someone that clearly had been impersonating a police officer who uses the trust of this badge and this uniform to manipulate their way into the home.”

The killer managed to flee, said authorities, who called the shootings “targeted.”

Melissa Hortman was declared dead at the scene.

Her husband, Mark, died as first responders tried to deliver life-saving measures.

The couple had two children.

The family’s beloved golden retriever, Gilbert, was also shot, sources told Mint. It is not clear whether he was killed.

The Hoffmans, who were each pumped with multiple bullets, were rushed into surgery and are in stable condition, officials said.

A manhunt is on for the suspect, who was wearing black body armor over a blue shirt and blue pants.

Boelter, 57, is being sought as a person of interest, police sources told The Post.

He and his wife ran Praetorian Guard Security Services, an armed security company that charged $2,400 per month for its top-tier membership, which offered “8 random armed patrols each week of your property.”

He was twice appointed to posts by Democratic governors, serving on the Workforce Development Council in 2016 under then-Gov. Mark Dayton, and appointed by Walz in 2019 to serve a four-year stint on the Workforce Development Board, documents show.

In his early-morning remarks, Walz did not reveal that the suspect was his own appointee.

The Governor’s Office later stated that the 60-person board Boetler served on was unpaid and bipartisan. A 2019 document shows Walz signed off on Boetler’s appointment “because of the special trust and confidence I have in your integrity, judgment, and ability.”

Despite serving under Dems, Boelter last registered to vote in 2022 as a Republican.

Hortman had served in the state House of Representatives since 2004, was minority leader from 2017 to 2019, and worked as the speaker from 2019 through February.

The progressive prochoice Democrat often spoke out in favor of trans rights.

Hortman faced intense criticism for voting to cut access to state health benefits for illegal immigrants. She was the only Democrat to side with Republicans, providing the GOP with the carrying vote. Walz indicated he intends to sign the measure when it lands on his desk.

Hoffman, 60, was one of 16 who voted against the measure on the state Senate side.