The suspect who allegedly murdered Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband in “what appears to be a politically motivated assassination” in their Minneapolis home on Saturday has been identified as a former appointee of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D).
Vance Luther Boelter is accused of killing Hortman and her husband and seriously wounding Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman and his wife. Both Hoffman and his wife have had surgery and are expected to recover. Boelter reportedly impersonated a police officer when he attacked Hoffman and his wife at their home in Champlin, leaving them critically injured before proceeding to Hortman’s residence.
According to records, Governor Walz appointed Boelter in 2019 to serve a four-year term on the Governor’s Workforce Development Board. During Governor Mark Dayton's administration, he was a member of the Governor’s Workforce Development Council in 2016. Authorities discovered flyers with the phrase “No Kings” in his car, referencing the protests planned for Saturday against the Trump administration. They also found a manifesto and a list containing the names of other politicians and abortion clinics.
Suspect in the Minnesota attack is reportedly Vance Luther Boelter.
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) June 14, 2025
He was appointed to the Governor’s Workforce Development Board in 2019 by Gov. Tim Walz.
Boelter had ‘NO KINGS’ flyers in his car.
Walz needs to resign. pic.twitter.com/4T6Xs9zevT
Law enforcement also found a Father’s Day card addressed to the suspect in a bag full of ammunition in his vehicle.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has deployed extra police resources to ensure the safety of public officials who might be in danger and to actively assist in the search for the suspect involved in the assassination of Hortman.
"I am sickened by the assassination of Speaker Hortman and the attack on Senator Hoffman,” Frey said. “Political violence is evil. It cannot be tolerated, and neither can those who condone it or make excuses for it."
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said that the DHS is monitoring the “horrific shooting” of state lawmakers in Minnesota after state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband were shot and killed early this morning in what Gov. Tim Walz said “appears to be a politically motivated assassination.”