Who is Vance Boelter, the suspect in Minnesota lawmakers shootings

The suspect in the ‘targeted’ shootings of Minnesota lawmakers Melissa Hortman and John Hoffman has reportedly been identified as Vance Luther Boelter, said a report in the New York Post, citing sources.

Sources say Boelter, 57, had been appointed by Governor Tim Walz to the Governor’s Workforce Development Board in 2019. He had earlier served on the Governor’s Workforce Development Council in 2016 after being appointed by then-Governor Mark Dayton.

Vance Luther Boelter allegedly posed as a police officer when he shot Sen. John Hoffman and his wife in their Champlin home on 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, sources told The Post.

President Donald Trump said he had been briefed on the “terrible shooting that took place inMinnesota, which appears to be a targeted attack against State Lawmakers.”

“Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America. God Bless the great people ofMinnesota, a truly great place!” Trump said.

‘No Kings’ flyers, ‘manifesto’ recovered from Boelter’s car

Flyers reading “No Kings”, referring to the Saturday’s planned protests against the Trump Administration, and a “manifesto” were recovered from the car of the Minnesota shooting suspect, confirmed Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley. The “manifesto” included a list of names, said sources.

“When we did a search of the vehicle, we did find a manifesto that identified many lawmakers and other officials. We immediately made alerts to the state to provide security wherever necessary,” Bruley said in a press conference.

The list included names of several high-profile Democratic politicians, like Governor Tim Walz, Representative Ilhan Omar, Senator Tina Smith, and Attorney General Keith Ellison, reported ABC News.

The list also included names of abortion providers and pro-abortion rights advocates, said a CNN report. A law enforcement official told the network that authorities also found a Father’s Day card addressed to the suspect in a bag filled with ammunition.

Minnesotans urged to avoid attending political rallies

Reacting to the reports, Governor Tim Walz urged Minnesotans to avoid attending political rallies while the suspect remains at large.

“Out of an abundance of caution my Department of Public Safety is recommending that people do not attend any political rallies today in Minnesota until the suspect is apprehended,” Walz wrote on X.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety added, “Given the targeted shootings of state lawmakers overnight, we are asking the public to not attend today’s planned demonstrations across Minnesota out of an abundance of caution.”

Authorities have asked residents not to answer their doors to anyone claiming to be a police officer without first calling 911 to confirm their identity. Brooklyn Park Police Chief said, officers have been instructed to only approach people in pairs, so a single police officer knocking on someone's door would be a red flag.