Crime
Target List Revealed: Who Was Next on Minnesota Shooting Suspect Vance Luther Boelter Hit List?
In a disturbing new development out of Minnesota, law enforcement officials have revealed that the suspect accused of assassinating State Representative Melissa Hortman left behind a detailed list of potential future targets.
The list, recovered from the suspect’s vehicle, included the names of several prominent Democratic leaders: Governor Tim Walz, U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar, U.S. Senator Tina Smith, and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, according to sources familiar with the investigation.
Also named on the list were State Senator John Hoffman and Representative Melissa Hortman — both of whom were targeted in the recent attacks.
Hortman was killed alongside her husband, Mark Hortman, while Senator Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were seriously injured but are currently recovering.
The suspect has been identified as 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter of Green Isle, Minnesota.
Boelter, who has a background in security and was previously appointed to the Governor’s Workforce Development Council by both former Governor Mark Dayton in 2016 and Governor Tim Walz in 2019, remains at large.
Authorities say he was impersonating a police officer at the time of the shootings and may have worn a realistic latex mask to conceal his identity.
According to Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley, the list of intended targets was found alongside a manifesto in the suspect’s vehicle.
It also reportedly included abortion providers and pro-choice advocates, indicating a broader ideological motive behind the attacks.
During a press briefing, Chief Bruley confirmed that the manifesto referenced multiple elected officials and offered insight into Boelter’s extremist views.
A shootout occurred between Boelter and law enforcement officers shortly after the second shooting at the Hortmans’ residence. Despite the exchange of gunfire, Boelter was able to flee on foot and remains the subject of an active statewide manhunt.
Governor Tim Walz, who confirmed the deaths of Representative Hortman and her husband, emphasized the gravity of the situation in a recent statement. “This is a targeted attack on our democracy,” Walz said. “We are doing everything in our power to locate the suspect and ensure the safety of our public officials.”
Authorities have issued a shelter-in-place order for residents within a three-mile radius of the Edinburgh Golf Course in Brooklyn Park.
The public is urged not to approach anyone impersonating a police officer and to call 911 immediately if they see someone matching the suspect’s description.
Officers working in the area are now required to operate in pairs to reduce the risk of further impersonation.
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information about Boelter’s whereabouts is urged to contact law enforcement.
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.