Vance Boelter Charged with 2nd-Degree Murder

Documents released Sunday night by the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office detail how 57-year-old Vance Boelter carried out the shootings that killed House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, and injured Sen. John Hoffman and his wife.

He was arrested Sunday near his Green Isle home and then brought to Hennepin County overnight.

Boelter faces two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder. In Minnesota, a person can only be charged with first-degree murder by a jury indictment.

Boelter has a first appearance for state charges scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Monday in Minneapolis, according to court records and the Hennepin County Jail roster. He is being held on a $5 million bail. Court records also show he has applied for a public defender. However, federal prosecutors have announced he will have an initial appearance at 1:30 p.m. in the federal courthouse in St. Paul.

It is not known at this time if he will be at one of those hearings virtually, or if charges will be altered. Multiple news conferences have been scheduled for Monday – one at 10 a.m. and one at 11 a.m. Check back for a stream of the events.

Around 2:05 a.m. on Saturday, police responded to a shooting at a home in Champlin. The 911 caller said that a person wearing a mask had come to their door and shot their parents, identified as John and Yvette Hoffman.

Video surveillance showed an SUV in the Hoffman’s driveway with police-style lights on, and Boelter- who was wearing a police-style tactical vest, a badge and a gun – approaching the front door. That’s when he allegedly knocked on the door and announced himself as police before entering the home and shooting Hoffman and his wife.

A short time later, Brooklyn Park police heard of the shooting in Champlin. Due to Hoffman’s status as a lawmaker, Brooklyn Park police decided to proactively send officers to the Hortman’s home.

When they got to the Hortman’s home around 3:35 a.m., they saw Boelter, dressed as a police officer, shoot Mark Hortman through the open door of the home. They also saw a Ford SUV with police-style lights.

Police exchanged gunfire with Boelter, who fled inside the home before escaping. Melissa and Mark Hortman were both found dead inside the home.

Inside Boelter’s vehicle, investigators found at least three AK-47 assault rifles, a 9mm handgun and a list of names and addresses of other public officials. In the surrounding area, they found a ballistic vest, a disassembled 9mm firearm, a mask and a gold police-style badge.

Court documents state Boelter was the listed purchaser for at least four of the recovered firearms. “A person familiar with [him]” also identified him as the man on the surveillance video at the Hoffman’s home. The video also showed Boelter knock on the door and announce himself as an officer before shooting the Hoffmans before fleeing in his police-style SUV.

Gov. Tim Walz spoke Sunday, saying “one man’s unthinkable actions have altered the state of Minnesota. Melissa Hortman was the core of who our values were.” He went on to say that “every ounce of effort” will be made to make sure justice is served.