Shocking revelations in Minnesota assassination: 'Suspect stalked lawmakers at night'

On June 14, 2025, 57‑year‑old Vance Luther Boelter allegedly disguised himself as a police officer and conducted a 90‑minute assassination spree against Minnesota Democratic lawmakers. He first approached the home of State Senator John Hoffman in Champlin, shooting him and his wife, Yvette. Next, he stalked other residences and ultimately shot former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, killing them in Brooklyn Park. Boelter carried out months of surveillance, wore a realistic mask, used a fake cruiser, and held a hit‑list of ~70 targets . Arrested on June 15 near his farm, he now faces federal murder, stalking, and firearms charges.
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Hindustan Times

23 minutes ago

• Hindustan Times

Fumed Sen. Alex Padilla blasts ‘petty' JD Vance for mistaking him for convicted terrorist: ‘He knows my name'

US Vice President JD Vance sparked controversy by accusing California authorities of being involved in recent violent immigration riots and referring to Democratic Senator Alex Padilla as 'Jose Padilla,' a name linked with a convicted terrorist. JD Vance's comments about California's immigration riots and misnaming Senator Padilla sparked controversy.(Getty Images via AFP) Vance accused Mayor Karen Bass and Governor Gavin Newsom of provoking violence by designating Los Angeles as a 'sanctuary city' while speaking on a tour of federal immigration enforcement operations during his visit to Los Angeles.'[They] have basically said that this is open season on federal law enforcement,' he stated. Vance also made fun of Alex Padilla, the first Latino US senator from California, who was just taken into custody during a demonstration. Jose Padilla, a convicted terrorist, was the moniker the Vice President used to allude to Senator Padilla. 'I was hoping Jose Padilla would be here to ask a question. I guess he decided not to show up because there wasn't a theatre. And that's all it is,' the US VP remarked. 'They want to go back to their far-left groups and say, Look, I stood up against border enforcement,' the Associated Press reported him as saying. Also Read: Tulsi Gabbard fiercely reacts after Donald Trump rejects her Iran assessment as 'wrong' Senator Padilla's spokeswoman reacts to Vance's remarks In a strong response, Senator Padilla's spokesperson emphasized that Padilla and Vance had previously served together. Spokesman Tess Oswald stated, 'He should be more focused on demilitarising our city than taking cheap shots.' Vance's comment, according to Governor Newsom, was 'not an accident,' implying that the name of well-known terrorist 'Jose Padilla' was purposefully dropped. 'The Vice President's claim is categorically false,' he asserted. Vance also faced backlash from Mayor Bass, who called his remarks 'utter nonsense' and a 'stunt.' 'He knows my name', says Padilla Padilla blasted Vance for calling him 'Jose', stating that he was forcibly removed from last week's Department of Homeland Security news conference since he wanted to create "theater" amid the city's turmoil triggered by ICE operations. During an appearance on MSNBC on Saturday, Padilla stated, 'He knows my name. He knows my name.' 'Look, sadly, it's just an indicator of how petty and unserious this administration is,' he added. 'He's the vice president of the United States. You think he'd take the situation in Los Angeles more seriously. Vance spokesperson gives clarification Later, a representative for Vance asserted that it was just a 'mix-up between two people who have broken the law.' Federal immigration sweeps began on June 6 and President Trump's deployment of hundreds of troops and Marines sparked the demonstrations. Trump, however, insisted that Los Angeles 'would be a crime scene like we haven't seen in years' if the federal government didn't step in. On X, Newsom encouraged Vance to concentrate on California's wildfire victims. 'We are counting on you, Mr. Vice President,' he stated.

The Hindu

3 hours ago

• The Hindu

U.S. VP Vance says troops still 'necessary' in Los Angeles

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said on Friday (June 20, 2025) that the thousands of troops deployed to Los Angeles this month were still needed despite a week of relative calm in the protest-hit city. U.S. President Donald Trump has sent roughly 4,000 National Guard members and 700 Marines, purportedly to protect federal property and personnel, after demonstrations over immigration raids. "Unfortunately, the soldiers and Marines are still very much a necessary part of what's going on here because they're worried that it's going to flare back up," Vance told reporters in Los Angeles. He was speaking the day after an appeals court ruled that Trump could continue to control the California National Guard, which would normally fall under Governor Gavin Newsom's authority. California officials have heavily criticised Trump over his use of the military, saying it escalated protests that local law enforcement could have handled. The demonstrations were largely peaceful and mostly contained to a small part of Los Angeles, the second-largest US city, although there were instances of violence and vandalism. "If you let violent rioters burn Great American Cities to the ground, then, of course, we're going to send federal law enforcement in to protect the people the president was elected to protect," Vance said, adding that Trump would deploy them again if needed. The Republican further accused Mr. Newsom -- a possible contender for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028 -- and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass of encouraging protesters. Mr. Newsom and Ms. Bass have both condemned rioting and violence towards law enforcement while accusing the Trump administration of manufacturing a crisis in the city. Ms. Bass hit back at Mr. Vance during a news conference on Friday, accusing him of openly lying and saying that local law enforcement agencies handled crowd control. "How dare you say that city officials encourage violence. We kept the peace. You know that the federal officials that were here protected a federal building -- they were not involved in crowd control," she said. Ms. Bass said that even when there was vandalism, at its height, "you are talking about a couple of hundred people who are not necessarily associated with any of the peaceful protests." "Los Angeles is a city that is 500 square miles and any of the disruption that took place took place at about 2 square miles in our city," she said, accusing Mr. Vance of adding to "provocation" and sowing "division." 'Jose Padilla' Many in Los Angeles are angry about immigration raids carried out as part of Mr. Trump's ambition to deport vast numbers of undocumented migrants around the country. Outrage at the use of masked, armed immigration agents also sparked protests in other cities, including San Francisco, New York, Chicago and San Antonio, Texas. Tensions spiked when California Senator Alex Padilla, a Democrat, was handcuffed and forcibly removed last week when attempting to ask Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem questions during her news conference. Mr. Vance misnamed the senator when referring to the incident, saying: "I was hoping Jose Padilla would be here to ask a question but unfortunately, I guess he decided not to show up because there wasn't a theater." Ms. Bass reacted to the comment with outrage. "How dare you disrespect him and call him Jose. But I guess he just looked like anybody to you," she said. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer had said Padilla's treatment "reeks of totalitarianism," while the White House claimed -- despite video evidence to the contrary -- that Padilla had "lunged toward Secretary Noem."

Business Standard

5 hours ago

• Business Standard

After Trump's 2nd rebuke, Tulsi Gabbard says Iran could build bomb soon

In an attempt to clear the air after a public rejection of her earlier statement that Iran was not building nuclear weapons, Tulsi Gabbard, America's Director of National Intelligence (DNI), on June 22 said the United States believes Iran could build a nuclear weapon 'within weeks to months'. Only hours earlier, President Donald Trump had dismissed her for giving 'wrong' information—a sign of tensions surfacing publicly between the two. Gabbard took to social media platform X to state that her earlier comment—that Iran was not constructing a nuclear weapon—had been misunderstood. She insisted her views aligned with the President's. The dishonest media is intentionally taking my testimony out of context and spreading fake news as a way to manufacture division. America has intelligence that Iran is at the point that it can produce a nuclear weapon within weeks to months, if they decide to finalize the… — DNI Tulsi Gabbard (@DNIGabbard) June 20, 2025 'The dishonest media is intentionally taking my testimony out of context and spreading fake news as a way to manufacture division. America has intelligence that Iran is at the point that it can produce a nuclear weapon within weeks to months, if they decide to finalise the assembly. President Trump has been clear that can't happen, and I agree,' she wrote. Gabbard's earlier testimony to Congress In March, Gabbard told Congress that the intelligence community did not believe Iran was actively building a nuclear weapon. 'The intelligence community continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon,' she said at the time. However, President Trump publicly contradicted Gabbard on June 21, telling reporters, 'She is wrong,' in reference to her earlier testimony. It marked the second time within a week that he had rejected her assessment. On June 17, when asked about her stance again, Trump had said, 'I don't care what she says.' His comments placed him closer in line with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who considers Iran's potential nuclear capability to be an immediate threat. A source familiar with US intelligence reports told Reuters that the formal assessment presented by Gabbard had not changed. The source also said intelligence agencies believe it could take Iran up to three years to develop a functional nuclear warhead that could reach a chosen target. Internal divide within Trump's circle? These developments come as the US weighs its role in the escalating Iran–Israel conflict. They also expose divisions within Trump's 'Make America Great Again' coalition. Some supporters back Israel unconditionally, while others believe intervention abroad conflicts with Trump's 'America First' agenda. Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman known for her anti-interventionist stance, had attracted attention for supporting Trump's foreign policy approach, particularly his promise to be a 'peacemaker' in a second term. According to American media reports, Gabbard has been excluded from key internal discussions on the Iran–Israel crisis. She was notably absent from a high-level meeting at Camp David on June 8, where top officials met to discuss mounting tensions. Despite reports of her being sidelined, Vice President J D Vance publicly defended Gabbard on June 18. He said, 'Tulsi is a veteran, a patriot, a loyal supporter of President Trump and a critical part of the coalition he built in 2024. She's an essential member of our nat sec team, & we're grateful for her tireless work to keep America safe from foreign threats.'