Crime
Minnesota Shooting Suspect Vance Luther Boelter in Custody After Allegedly Planning to Target Two Additional Lawmakers
MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Federal and state authorities have charged 57-year-old Vance Boelter in connection with a string of targeted shootings that left two people dead and two others critically injured, including sitting state Senator John Hoffman and his wife.
Federal prosecutors revealed Monday that Boelter had planned to attack several additional lawmakers that same night but was thwarted when police intervened.
During a press conference, Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson stated that Boelter not only meticulously surveilled his targets, but also documented his plans in detail, conducted reconnaissance on the homes of his intended victims, and posed as a law enforcement officer to carry out the attacks. “It is no exaggeration to say his crimes are the stuff of nightmares,” Thompson said.
Authorities allege that Boelter fatally shot former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, in their Brooklyn Park home early Saturday morning.
Hours earlier, Senator Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were also shot multiple times in their nearby Champlin residence. Both survived after undergoing emergency surgeries.
Federal charges now filed against Boelter include interstate stalking and federal murder-related offenses, in addition to state-level charges of first-degree murder and attempted murder.
Though multiple notebooks and written plans were seized from Boelter’s abandoned vehicle, officials say they have not yet found definitive writings that explain his motive. However, authorities have strongly indicated that the shootings were politically motivated, with victims all being Democratic lawmakers.
Thompson confirmed Boelter had visited the homes of two other legislators that same night, but one was away on vacation. At the other location, he fled upon noticing responding officers.
Alvin Winston, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office, said Boelter’s arrest followed the largest manhunt in Minnesota’s history, involving more than 20 tactical teams, aerial surveillance, and federal support. “This was a targeted attack against individuals who answered the call to public service,” Winston stated.
According to an FBI affidavit, Boelter’s wife cooperated with authorities and permitted a search of her phone. Investigators found text messages Boelter had sent to a family group chat on the night of the shootings, one of which read: “Dad went to war last night… I don’t wanna say more because I don’t wanna implicate anybody.” In another message, Boelter warned his family to leave the house, saying: “There’s gonna be some people coming to the house armed and trigger-happy and I don’t want you guys around.”
Authorities located Boelter’s abandoned Buick sedan on a highway in rural Sibley County on Sunday morning. Inside were several key items: a cowboy hat he was seen wearing in surveillance footage, tactical gear, a letter addressed to the FBI, and a “manifesto-style” list of political figures. The letter, signed “Dr. Vance Luther Boelter,” claimed responsibility for the shootings.
A police officer later reported seeing Boelter fleeing into nearby woods. A massive search operation ensued, with officers methodically combing the area. After hours of tracking with the assistance of a State Patrol helicopter and SWAT teams, Boelter was located in a field and surrendered without further resistance.
West Valley City Police Chief Mark Bruley called the arrest a culmination of “the largest manhunt in state history.” Boelter, who was armed at the time of his arrest, was booked into the Hennepin County Jail at approximately 1 a.m. Monday.
State and federal law enforcement confirmed that police initially responded to the Champlin home of Senator Hoffman and then proceeded to the Hortman residence. There, officers encountered a man dressed in blue and wearing body armor posing as an officer. That individual — later confirmed to be Boelter — fired at officers before fleeing.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz condemned the attacks as “an act of targeted political violence.” Authorities revealed that a list recovered from Boelter’s car included numerous high-profile Democrats, such as U.S. Senator Tina Smith and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.
Authorities also found flyers referencing the “No Kings” movement in the vehicle — potentially connecting Boelter’s actions to recent nationwide protests. Still, officials cautioned that the investigation remains ongoing and no official motive has been confirmed.
Yvette Hoffman, speaking through Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, provided an emotional update on Sunday evening, revealing that her husband sustained nine gunshot wounds and she herself was hit eight times. “We are both incredibly lucky to be alive,” she said.
Boelter is scheduled to make his first court appearance Monday afternoon. The FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office say further federal charges remain under review as investigators continue analyzing evidence, including digital communications, surveillance footage, and Boelter’s extensive writings.
The tragic shootings come amid a nationwide uptick in politically motivated violence, with numerous officials — at both the state and federal levels — reporting increased threats in recent years. In a statement on social media, former President Donald Trump condemned the Minnesota shootings, stating, “Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America.”
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.