Crime
Suspect in shooting Minnesota state lawmakers identified as Vance Luther Boelter
Authorities have identified the suspect in the overnight shootings of two Minnesota state lawmakers as 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter.
Law enforcement sources informed reporter Julio Rosas that Boelter appears to be the same individual who was appointed to the Governor’s Workforce Development Council in 2016 by then-Governor Mark Dayton and reappointed to the Governor’s Workforce Development Board in 2019 by current Governor Tim Walz.
The shootings, which took place in the early morning hours of Saturday, left Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, dead, and State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, critically injured. The suspect remains at large, and a large-scale manhunt is currently underway.
The first attack occurred shortly after 2:00 a.m. at the Champlin residence of State Senator John Hoffman, a Democrat who has served in the Minnesota Senate since 2013. Senator Hoffman sustained at least two gunshot wounds, while his wife Yvette was struck three times. Both were transported to a local hospital and are receiving medical treatment.
In light of the shooting, officers were dispatched to the home of Representative Melissa Hortman, located just a few miles south in Brooklyn Park near the Edinburgh Golf Course. Representative Hortman, who had served in the Minnesota House since 2005 and was the current Democratic leader, and her husband Mark were found critically injured at the scene. Despite emergency life-saving efforts, both were pronounced dead.
According to a statement from the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, the suspect was dressed as a law enforcement officer and was operating a vehicle made to resemble a police cruiser. Authorities also recovered a manifesto and a list of targeted names from inside the vehicle. No motive has been disclosed at this time.
In response to the attacks, a shelter-in-place order has been issued for residents within a three-mile radius of the Edinburgh Golf Course. Law enforcement officials have urged the public not to approach the suspect, who is considered armed and dangerous.
Due to the suspect’s use of a police disguise, authorities are advising residents to exercise extreme caution. “If a police officer knocks on your door, call 911 to confirm their identity before opening,” the sheriff’s office advised. Licensed officers currently deployed in the area are working in pairs to help distinguish legitimate law enforcement from impersonators.
The investigation is ongoing, and federal, state, and local agencies are actively participating in the search. Anyone with information regarding the suspect’s whereabouts is urged to call 911 immediately.
Crime
Attorneys Argue Jacob Bard Actions in Deadly Kentucky State University Shooting Were Legally Justified
Attorneys representing Jacob Bard, the man accused in a deadly shooting at Kentucky State University, contend that his actions were legally justified and undertaken in defense of his family amid what they describe as a violent and uncontrolled situation on campus.
In a press release issued Monday afternoon, Bard’s legal team from the Indiana-based law firm Danks & Danks asserted that Bard “was completely justified under the law in his use of deadly force.”
Bard is accused of fatally shooting one Kentucky State University student and wounding another during an incident at a campus dormitory.
According to the attorneys’ statement, Bard traveled to Kentucky State University after his younger son reported being attacked on multiple occasions.
The release alleges that on Monday, December 8, a group of approximately 20 to 30 individuals gathered outside the son’s dormitory, some allegedly armed, and began beating on the door. Campus police were reportedly called to respond to the disturbance.
The following morning, Bard and his wife met with Kentucky State University police. While the attorneys stated that officers appeared sincere in their efforts, they claimed it was evident to the family that campus police were “ill-prepared to deal with the out-of-control and violent environment.”
The legal team further alleges that both the university and its police department failed to adequately address what they described as multiple armed and violent felonies against Bard’s sons, ages 18 and 19, as well as other students in the days preceding the shooting.
Those alleged incidents included burglaries and armed assaults.
Later that morning, the family attended a meeting at Young Hall with campus police and a university dean.
According to the release, the meeting left the family convinced that the university would not be able to maintain a safe environment, prompting them to begin removing the son’s belongings from the dormitory.
When the family returned to the residence hall, the attorneys claim that individuals previously involved in the alleged assaults were present, despite assurances they would not be allowed inside.
The statement further alleges that those individuals photographed the family and made verbal threats.
The attorneys contend that, even with two armed Kentucky State University police officers present, a group of 20 to 30 individuals gathered in the dormitory lobby and “violently and viciously attacked” Bard’s son and family members.
According to the release, Bard’s son was slammed into the concrete floor and beaten by multiple people, and the officer on scene allegedly lost control of the situation.
“In the chaos,” the attorneys wrote, Bard attempted to pull attackers off his son but was struck himself. Believing his son to be in imminent danger of death or serious physical injury, Bard then drew his firearm and shot two individuals whom the attorneys say were actively assaulting his son.
The legal team also stated that no charges have been filed against others allegedly involved in the confrontation and claimed the Bard family has continued to receive death threats.
The release further alleges that the mother of the deceased student has publicly called for retaliation against Bard’s son and sought assistance from criminal groups—claims that have not been independently verified by authorities.
The case against Bard was presented to a grand jury on December 16.
During a previous court hearing, a detective testified that at least one video reviewed by investigators did not show the shooting victims assaulting Bard’s son.
The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have not issued a final determination regarding the circumstances surrounding the shooting.