Early in the morning on Saturday, June 14, a lone gunman believed to be impersonating a police officer shot two Minnesota Democrats and their spouses. As of Sunday morning, the suspect – 57-year-old Vance Boelter, according to the FBI – remains at large. State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were killed. State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, survived but were in critical condition. The nature of the attack raises a number of questions. The first to come to mind is likely “Why?” But that isn’t the only, or even the most terrifying, concern.
Minnesota Lawmakers Attacked
Champlin police first responded to a call about a shooting at Sen. Hoffman’s home around 2 a.m. Saturday morning. According to the authorities, they found the Hoffmans wounded and provided life-saving treatment on the scene before taking them to a local hospital, where both underwent surgery.
Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley told reporters Saturday that, upon hearing about the Hoffman shooting, his officers proactively went to check on Rep. Hortman, who lived about eight miles away from Hoffman. The two Brooklyn Park officers who first arrived on the scene saw what appeared to be a police vehicle already parked in front of the house with its emergency lights on. Then they saw someone dressed like a law enforcement officer leaving the house. Bruley explained that the car looked just like an SUV squad car and that the man had a vest, a Taser, a badge, and other equipment.
But when this “officer” was confronted by the real police, he immediately opened fire and then retreated into the home. The Brooklyn Park officers then followed and saw that Mark Hortman had been shot. They attempted to save him but were too late. A drone was then used to search the rest of the house, which revealed Rep. Melissa Hortman had also been shot and killed.
Chief Bruley said during a press conference that the killer was “clearly” impersonating a police officer and had used “the trust of this badge and this uniform to manipulate their way into the home.” A search of the vehicle turned up a list of about 70 names – including both Hoffman and Hortman, among other lawmakers and officials – and a stack of “No Kings” flyers. After the shooting, statewide “No Kings” protests were canceled, and the police notified the rest of the people on the list.
Boelter's vehicle (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
Investigators identified 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter as the suspect and revealed that he was the director of security patrols for Praetorian Guard Security Services, a company that boasted of having police-like vehicles and gear. His wife, Jenny, is listed on the company website as being the President and CEO. To clarify, the website is pguards.net, and the company is specifically licensed in Minnesota. There is another Praetorian Guard Security Services with operations in multiple other states, but it appears to be a different company entirely.
Local, state, and federal law enforcement issued shelter-in-place alerts for the local area and began a massive manhunt, which continued through the night and into the morning. Boelter remains at large, and the FBI has offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to his arrest. By Saturday evening, Mat Ollig, Sen. Hoffman’s nephew, told reporters Yvette “is awake and alert” and that the family was waiting to hear more about John.
Political Motivation Suspected
During a press conference Saturday morning, Governor Tim Walz called the shooting “a politically motivated assassination.” The list found in Boelter’s car contained dozens of names, mostly Democrats and people with ties to Planned Parenthood or the abortion rights movement in general. The list included prominent national legislators like Rep. Ilhan Omar and Sen. Tina Smith. But, according to reports, Boelter avoided political posts in his public social media feeds. He was a self-professed evangelical Christian, however, and was (at least in the early 2000s) a registered Republican.
On his LinkedIn page, Boelter claimed to hold a PhD in educational leadership and a Master of Science in management, both from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, and he has served on a state board with Sen. Hoffman, though it is unclear just how well the two may have known each other. In 2019, Gov. Walz appointed Boelter to the Governor’s Workforce Development Board, a group of business owners who advise the state government and recommend policies.
So we know – or, at least, we have a pretty good idea – of how he pulled off his crime. Boelter had access to a vehicle, uniform, and other gear that would have made him appear to be a police officer at first glance. What we don’t know is exactly what made him snap. One doesn’t typically go from business owner, missionary, and state board member to cold-blooded killer, regardless of political preferences.
There are, however, more questions. Will authorities manage to stop Boelter before he can strike any additional names off his list? If apprehended, will he give an explanation that makes sense of this? Perhaps the most frightening question is one that is clearly demonstrated by this crime but which potentially extends well beyond it. It’s simply too easy for a particularly clever, violent criminal to imitate law enforcement. For that matter, the requirements to be licensed in the state of Minnesota as a private detective or protective agent are far too similar to what it takes to be actual law enforcement – including a detailed background check, a psychiatric evaluation, and firearms training and certification – all of which Boelter had covered. What happens when the “police officer” at the door is really a murderer in disguise?
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Editor's Note: The FBI has released new photos and details about the suspect, Vance Boelter. He was last seen wearing a light-colored cowboy hat, a dark-colored long-sleeved shirt or coat, light pants, and carrying a dark bag. Authorities believe he is still trying to leave the Twin Cities area. The tipline number for anyone with information is 877-996-6222
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