The FBI released these images in the hunt for the gunman. Credit: FBI
The FBI released chilling photos of a masked man dressed as a police officer.
He shot two Minnesota politicians and their partners inside their homes.
Melissa Hortman, former Speaker of the Minnesota House, and her husband Mark were shot dead in their Brooklyn Park home.
Police responded around 2AM on Saturday, June 14.
They found Mark barely alive and Melissa already dead.
Despite efforts, Mark died shortly after.
Just minutes earlier, Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette were shot in their Champlin home, eight kilometers away.
Both survived emergency surgery and are now stable.
Yvette shielded their daughter, Hope, during the attack.
“A bullet nearly missed Senator Hoffman’s heart,” said relative Matt Oleg.
Hope was unharmed.
Police believe 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter carried out the shootings.
Boelter, a former appointee to the state’s Workforce Development Board, is now the target of a multi-agency manhunt.
The FBI released images showing a masked man in a police uniform stalking the victims’ homes with a flashlight.
They’re offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to Boelter’s arrest, according to The Mirror.
Boelter allegedly disguised himself as a cop—SUV with flashing lights, a badge, vest, and Taser included.
“It was not a real police officer,” said Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley.
“He used the trust of the badge and uniform to manipulate his way into the home.”
When officers confronted him at the Hortman residence, he opened fire and fled on foot.
Inside his abandoned vehicle, police found a manifesto, “No Kings” flyers, and a hit list with nearly 70 names—elected officials, doctors, and community leaders.
Just before the attacks, Boelter sent a chilling message to his Minneapolis roommates.
“I’ll be dead shortly. I love you guys both. I wish it hadn’t gone this way,” he said.
He added, “I don’t want to implicate you—because you don’t know anything—but I’m sorry for the trouble.”
Police say his motives appear rooted in extremism.
Though he had no official political affiliation, he held strong anti-abortion views and once supported Donald Trump.
However, the “No Kings” flyers found in his car suggest he also felt anger toward the Trump administration.
Governor Tim Walz, who once appointed Boelter, called the killings “an unspeakable tragedy” and “a politically motivated assassination.”
Walz, Kamala Harris’ running mate in 2024, warned:
“Democracy and debate—not violence—are how we settle differences and improve society.”
President Donald Trump also reacted:
“Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America.
God bless the great people of Minnesota, a truly great place!”
Police urged residents not to open their doors to lone officers without backup.
SWAT, FBI, and hundreds of agents are hunting Boelter.
Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth called the attack “evil” and said she felt “heartbroken beyond words.”
State Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobson said it marked “a dark day” for Minnesota.
