Crime
Minnesota Shooter Vance Boelter Texted Roommates: “I Made Some Bad Decisions, May Be Dead Soon”
New details are emerging about Vance Luther Boelter, the 57-year-old suspect accused of carrying out a deadly shooting spree that claimed the lives of Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, and left State Senator John Hoffman and his wife wounded.
Conversations with Boelter’s longtime roommates in Minneapolis have revealed personal struggles, concerning behavior, and early signs of distress in the days leading up to the attacks.
Boelter, who split time between a residence in Green Isle and a rented room at a home on Fremont Avenue North, reportedly sent a chilling message to his housemates just hours before the attacks.
According to his roommate, David Carlson, Boelter texted both him and another roommate, Ron Ramsey, at approximately 6:17 a.m. Saturday.
Carlson, visibly emotional, read the message aloud to reporters:
“David and Ron, I love you guys. I made some choices, and you guys don’t know anything about this, but I’m going to be gone for a while. May be dead shortly, so I just want to let you know I love you guys both and I wish it hadn’t gone this way. I don’t want to say anything more and implicate you in any way because you guys don’t know anything about this. But I love you guys and I’m sorry for all the trouble this has caused.”
Carlson, 59, said he has known Boelter since the fourth grade and described him as a close friend.
The two had lived together in the Fremont Avenue home for about two years. Carlson said Boelter stayed there once or twice a week to be closer to his job.
“He was just the nicest guy,” Carlson said through tears. “I can’t believe this has all happened.”
Carlson added that Boelter had recently expressed affection and gratitude, paying four months’ rent in advance and telling him he was his best friend.
Authorities were called to the home later that afternoon, where they forcibly entered the residence.
The front door had been destroyed, windows shattered, and tire tracks—believed to be from an armored police vehicle—were visible on the lawn. Boelter was not found at the location.
Officers also towed a black SUV from the alleyway behind the property.
The vehicle bore a Minnesota license plate but lacked any external police emergency lighting, unlike the marked-style vehicle believed to have been used by the suspect during the attack on Representative Hortman’s home in Brooklyn Park.
Carlson told investigators that Boelter had acquired squad-style vehicles in preparation for launching a private security business. He noted, however, that the company never fully materialized and described Boelter as having been under increasing financial strain.
The emotional revelations from Boelter’s roommates are adding another layer to a complex investigation that has already unearthed a list of additional potential targets, including high-profile political leaders and abortion rights advocates.
The suspect, 57-year-old Boelter, remains at large as a statewide manhunt continues.
Law enforcement officials have confirmed that a manifesto and a target list were recovered from one of Boelter’s vehicles.
The list included prominent Democratic officials such as Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar, U.S. Senator Tina Smith, and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. Representative Melissa Hortman and Senator John Hoffman — the known victims of the shootings — were also named.
The document further referenced abortion providers and pro-choice advocates, indicating that Boelter’s actions may have been ideologically motivated, at least in part.
During a press conference, Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley emphasized the seriousness of the threat posed by Boelter, calling the recovered manifesto “deeply concerning.”
He confirmed that Boelter had been impersonating a law enforcement officer at the time of the attacks. Authorities believe he wore a realistic latex mask during the shootings and drove a vehicle outfitted to resemble a police cruiser.
Boelter, who had previously been appointed to the Governor’s Workforce Development Council under both Gov. Mark Dayton (2016) and Gov.
Tim Walz (2019), has no known criminal record. He remains at large following a shootout with officers in Brooklyn Park, where he fled on foot.
In a recent statement, Governor Walz confirmed the deaths of Representative Hortman and her husband and extended his condolences to their family.
He also noted that Senator Hoffman and his wife Yvette are currently recovering from their injuries.
Authorities continue to search for Boelter and have issued a shelter-in-place advisory for areas surrounding the Edinburgh Golf Course in Brooklyn Park.
Law enforcement urges residents not to open their doors to individuals claiming to be officers unless their identity is verified through 911.
Boelter is considered armed and extremely dangerous.
Anyone with information about his whereabouts is urged to contact authorities 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.