$50,000 Bounty Offered and Suspect Identified
Assassination List with Dozens of Names Found in Vehicle
U.S. police have released the identity of Vance L. Boelter (57), who is wanted and has a bounty on his head for allegedly disguising himself as a police officer in Minnesota, shooting a Democratic state legislator couple, and fleeing the scene.
A suspected image of Vance L. Boelter, accused of disguising as a police officer in Minnesota and shooting a Democratic state representative couple before fleeing, wearing a latex mask. FBI
On June 14 (local time), CNN and other U.S. media reported that police had identified Vance L. Boelter (57) as the suspect who broke into the home of Democratic State Representative Melissa Hortman in Brooklyn Park, a suburb of Minneapolis, in the early morning hours. Boelter allegedly shot and killed Representative Hortman and her spouse before fleeing. He also reportedly broke into the home of Democratic State Senator John Hoffman in the nearby city of Champlin, where he shot and seriously wounded Senator Hoffman and his spouse.
The FBI stated on X (formerly Twitter) that this was a "deliberate and violent attack on a public official's family," and announced, "We are working with our law enforcement partners and deploying every available resource to locate and apprehend Boelter." The FBI requested that anyone with information about Boelter contact them by phone or email. Additionally, the FBI has offered a $50,000 (about 68.4 million KRW) reward for information leading to Boelter's capture.
Vance L. Boelter, accused of disguising as a police officer in Minnesota and shooting a Democratic state representative couple before fleeing. FBI
Investigators are also looking into whether Boelter was wearing a latex mask at the time of the crime. In photos released by the FBI, Boelter appears to have a shaved head, but analysts believe this is likely due to wearing a latex mask. John Miller, a law enforcement and intelligence analyst, noted, "There are holes at the position of the eyes and ears (on the suspect at the time of the crime), and the appearance is different from other photos," suggesting the possibility that he was wearing a rubber mask.
It has also been reported that Boelter disguised himself as a police officer by wearing a police uniform and badge during the crime. He worked for a security company and reportedly owned vehicles and equipment similar to those used by police. Foreign media also reported that Boelter claimed to be a security and protection specialist who had worked in the Gaza Strip in Palestine and in Africa.
After fleeing the scene, authorities discovered an assassination list in Boelter's vehicle containing the names of dozens of people. The list included Democratic politicians such as Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar. The list also included abortion providers, local businesspeople, Planned Parenthood offices, and public health centers.
The New York Times, citing an acquaintance of Boelter, reported that he was a Christian who had long opposed abortion and voted for President Trump in the last presidential election. Notably, he was appointed in 2019 as a member of the Governor’s Workforce Development Board, where he served alongside State Senator Hoffman. However, investigators stated that they are still looking into whether the suspect personally knew the victims.
Earlier, police responded to a report of a shooting at around 2 a.m. and found Senator Hoffman and his spouse shot. At approximately 3:35 a.m., a gunfight broke out between police and the suspect, who then fled. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz emphasized, "This was a politically targeted crime," and added, "Peaceful dialogue is the foundation of our democracy, and differences of opinion cannot be resolved with guns."
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