Federal charges have been filed against Vance Boelter, the man suspected of killing Minnesota House of Representatives Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband at their home, as well as shooting and injuring Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman and his wife. These are in addition to state charges.
Boelter has been charged with two counts of stalking, two counts of murder, and two firearms offenses. An arrest affidavit stated that evidence uncovered during the investigation "indicates that Boelter extensively planned his stalking, murders, and attempted murders," including a notebook found with 45 names inside it as well as the names of multiple internet-based people search engines.
In a press release, the Department of Justice said that Boelter "put into effect a calculated plan to inflict fear and violence upon Minnesota elected officials and their families" in the early hours of June 14. Posing as law enforcement, he went to the Hoffmans’ home and repeatedly knocked. When they tried to close the door on Boelter, he "repeatedly shot both Senator and Mrs. Hoffman." Both Hoffmans were taken to the hospital and stabilized.
After the Hoffmans, Boelter traveled to two other Minnesota lawmakers’ homes, but was unable to make contact with them. He moved onto the home of Hortman. Authorities had already heard of the shooting at the Hoffman residence and made their way to the Hortman residence to conduct a safety check, where they saw Boelter standing near the front door. Boelter shot into the home several times, striking Rep Hortman’s husband, and fired several more shots, striking Rep Hortman as he rushed into the home. Both Hortmans died from their injuries.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement, "The horrific, targeted murders of Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark Hortman, as well as the shooting of Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette Hoffman, have shocked the nation and united us in grief. These horrific acts of violence will not go unanswered: the Department of Justice will prosecute this suspect to the fullest extent of the law and if convicted deliver severe consequences for his alleged crimes."
"According to the charges, the defendant had a list of possible targets and went to the homes of public officials to conduct violent attacks," FBI Director Kash Patel said. "This type of violence is unacceptable, and the FBI stands united with our law enforcement partners to find and hold accountable anyone who commits such despicable acts. I commend all the law enforcement officers who worked throughout the weekend to find the defendant and take him into custody."
When law enforcement searched Boelter’s SUV, they recovered five firearms, including semi-automatic rifles, a "large quantity" of ammunition, and several notebooks. Among the writings in the notebook were the names of dozens of Minnesota state and federal elected officials, as well as home addresses. Boelter had been traveling in a black Ford Explorer SUV that was designed to look like a law enforcement vehicle, equipped with emergency lights.
During a search of Boelter's wife's phone, police found that family members had received a text message from Boelter at around 6:18 am that stated, "Dad went to war last night ... I don't wanna say any more because I don't wanna implicate anybody." Mrs. Boelter received a text message around the same time from her husband that read in part, "Words are not gonna explain how sorry I am for this situation … there’s gonna be some people coming to the house armed and trigger-happy and I don’t want you guys around."
