Latest news with #GovTimWalz
CBS News
5 days ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Candlelight vigil at Minnesota State Capitol will honor Mark and Melissa Hortman
What the parents of assassinated Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman have to say What the parents of assassinated Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman have to say What the parents of assassinated Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman have to say Lawmakers and the public will gather at the Minnesota State Capitol Wednesday night to honor Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, who were fatally shot over the weekend in what authorities called a political assassination. A candlelight vigil for the Hortmans will take place on the steps of the Capitol from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., the Minnesota House announced. Anyone attending is asked to bring their own candle and refrain from bringing any signs. There will be no speakers at the event, but Gov. Tim Walz's office said he plans to attend the vigil. The Hortmans were shot and killed at their Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, home around 3:30 a.m. Saturday, officials said. The man accused of their killings, Vance Boelter, faces federal and state charges. He is also accused of shooting Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette, who both survived, and allegedly visited at least two other lawmakers' homes. Hortman was in her 11th term in the Minnesota Legislature, having first been elected in 2004. She served as speaker emerita of the House, and Walz called her "the most consequential Speaker in state history." In an interview with CBS News, Melissa Hortman's mother Lisa Haluptzok said the pain of her daughter's death is "mind-numbing." "It's been very hard the last few days," her father Patrick Haluptzok said. "In what seems unfair and tragic, the way her last night was spent. We're just trying to get by." The Hortmans' children, Sophie and Colin, said they were "devastated and heartbroken," but offered ways for the public to honor their memory, including planting a treee, petting a dog and standing up for what you believe in, "especially if that thing is justice and peace." The Hortmans received a formal procession through the Twin Cities on Tuesday. Funeral details have not yet been announced.
Forbes
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Forbes
Manhunt For Minnesota Shooting Suspect Vance Boelter Enters Second Day (Live Updates)
In what Gov. Tim Walz has characterized as a 'politically motivated assassination,' Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband were shot and killed in their home while state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were also shot and are receiving care—and the alleged suspect, Vance Boelter, remains at large as a manhunt continues for a second day. Minn. State Rep. Melissa Hortman on Jan. 3, 2023, in St. Paul, Minn. The FBI announced a $50,000 reward 'for info leading to the arrest and conviction of Vance L. Boelter,' and released a photo (below) that reportedly shows the suspect at the door of one of the shooting victims, apparently wearing a head-covering mask and police costume, early Saturday morning. A police alert warned that the 'suspect is armed and dangerous and may be impersonating law enforcement,' according to the Minnesota Star Tribune. 'My good friend and colleague, Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were shot and killed this morning in what appears to be a politically motivated assassination,' Walz said at a press conference Saturday. At 10:33 a.m. on Saturday, Walz said Hoffman and his wife were 'out of surgery' and receiving care, and that 'we are cautiously optimistic that they will survive this assassination attempt,' though Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, was not able to provide an update in an afternoon news conference on the senator's status. Boelter texted two of his roommates, one told the Minnesota Star Tribune, saying he wrote that he 'may be dead shortly.' According to the roommate, the text read: '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.' President Donald Trump issued a statement Saturday on the shootings, saying he had 'been briefed on the terrible shooting that took place in Minnesota,' and 'such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America.' Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino posted on X the bureau 'is working in collaboration with our local and state partners.' The FBI released an image of who they believe is Vance Boelter, who appears to be wearing a mask and ... More police outfit while at the front door Saturday morning of one of the shooting victims. Authorities from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety released this photo and public alert ... More about the suspect in the killing of a state representative. Minnesota police released these images of suspected shooter Vance Boelter. At a press briefing at around 4 p.m. EDT, state police shared images of the suspect, 57-year-old Vance Boelter, characterizing him as a 6-foot-1 inch white male, about 220 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes, and said he was wearing a light-colored cowboy hat and dark shirt when last seen. Authorities asked the public to call 911 if they see Boelter, but not to approach him, as he's considered armed and dangerous. Local police told the Minnesota Star Tribune that, early Saturday morning, they noticed an SUV with emergency lights and someone who initially appeared to be a police officer at Hortman's door, but the person, allegedly Boelter, 'immediately fired at officers' after being confronted, and fled back into the house. Mark Bruley, the chief of police in Brooklyn Park, said police searched the vehicle and uncovered a list that identified 'many lawmakers and other officials,' including Hortman and Hoffman, according to MinnPost. CNN reports Boelter's apparent list included 70 names, including 'abortion providers,' and 'pro-abortion rights advocates.' Police also said they found sheets of paper with 'No Kings' written on them, a likely reference to the widespread protests planned for Saturday. CNN also reported Boelter, according to a law enforcement official, works for a Minnesota-based security company named Praetorian Guard Security. He is listed on the company website's leadership page as director of security patrols, and described as having 'on the ground experiences combined with training by both private security firms and by people in the U.S. Military.' This photo provided by Minnesota State Patrol shows writings in the fake police car law enforcement ... More officials believe Vance Boelter allegedly used in the shooting of two Democratic legislators in Minnesota on Saturday. Hortman, 55, was a top Democratic leader in the Minnesota Legislature. First elected in 2004, she served as House speaker from 2019 to 2025 and spearheaded key legislation, including universal free school lunches statewide and a red flag gun law—which allows police or family members to petition the courts to have a gun removed from those considered a threat to themselves or others—according to the Minnesota Star Tribune. Hoffman, 60 and also a top Democrat in the legislature, is a member of the state Senate first elected in 2012. He served as chair of the Human Services Committee, according to CBS News, and has also served on committees for energy, environment and health services.
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gunman posing as police officer shoots Minnesota politicians, their spouses in ‘politically motivated assassination'
A pair of Minnesota politicians and their spouses were shot by a gunman who was allegedly disguised as a police officer in an incident that left one lawmaker and her husband dead. A manhunt is now underway for the suspect in the shootings, which were initially described as 'targeted' by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. The shootings occurred in the Minneapolis suburbs of Champlin and Brooklyn Park, according to the governor. He later announced that he operated the State Emergency Operations Center. Local news outlet KSTP was among the first to report that the victim of the Champlin shooting is Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman (MN-34) and the victim of the Brooklyn Park shooting is state Rep. Melissa Hortman. KSTP's report stated that preliminary information indicated multiple people were shot at both locations. Another local outlet, Fox 9, reported shortly after that the other victims are the lawmakers' spouses. Ryan Sabas, the Mayor of Champlin, later confirmed the victims were the two state lawmakers. At a press conference Saturday morning, Gov. Walz confirmed that Rep. Hortman — the Democratic House Speaker Emerita — and her husband died in what he called a 'politically motivated assassination.' Sen. Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were shot multiple times but were both out of surgery, Walz added, elaborating that he was 'optimistic' about their recovery. Residents within a three-mile radius of a local golf course are being asked to shelter in place as police search for the alleged killer, who is said to have been posing as law enforcement, according to multiple local media reports. He is considered by authorities to be armed and dangerous. Authorities say that all Minnesota state lawmakers and their spouses are under protective custody in coordination with the Minnesota Department of Public Safety and local law enforcement jurisdictions. Multiple media reports have identified the suspect in the shootings as 57-year-old Vance Boelter; writings found inside a fake police car recovered at one of the shooting scenes mentioned the names of multiple lawmakers and other officials, AP said, citing Brooklyn Park Police Department Chief Mark Bruley. While the two officials spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity and thus could not publicly confirm the information, NBC News has also identified the suspect as Boelter. This is a developing story. Stay with KTLA for details. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CNN
15-06-2025
- Politics
- CNN
What we know about Minnesota shooting suspect Vance Boelter
The man sought by authorities for allegedly shooting Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota on Saturday while impersonating a police officer worked for a security company that advertised a fleet of 'police type vehicles,' and other equipment that could potentially have aided him in appearing to be law enforcement. Vance Boelter was also an outspoken evangelical Christian who traveled to Africa to tell his faith story and, in at least one sermon, pointedly questioned American morals on sexual orientation, according to videos and social media posts reviewed by CNN. Now, a massive manhunt is ongoing to catch Boelter, 57, who authorities say is a suspect in killing one lawmaker and her husband and wounding another and his wife, leaving behind an apparent hit list with dozens of names in his car after exchanging fire with police outside the home of one victim and fleeing the scene. Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, said the attack 'appears to be a politically motivated assassination.' State officials said authorities early on Saturday encountered what appeared to be a police vehicle with emergency flashing lights in the driveway of Rep. Melissa Hortman's home, and what appeared to be an officer at the door coming out of the house. That individual immediately fired a weapon at them and was able to escape. Hortman – the top Democrat in the Minnesota House – and her husband were both killed. At a nearby home, Minnesota State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were also shot but are in stable condition after surgery. Police said they are still investigating a motive for the attacks. The names on the list, which CNN obtained, are largely Democrats or figures with ties to Planned Parenthood or the abortion rights movement. The list included prominent lawmakers like Rep. Ilhan Omar and Sen. Tina Smith as well as Planned Parenthood leaders. Police said Boelter also had fliers for anti-Trump protests in his car, raising fears that he may also have intended to target those rallies. Boelter largely shied away from political posts in his publicly available social media feeds and did not discuss abortion rights in any religious speeches reviewed by CNN. In one talk he gave in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2023, he appeared sharply critical of LGBTQ rights. 'There's people especially in America, they don't know what sex they are, they don't know their sexual orientation, they're confused. The enemy has gotten so far into their mind and their soul,' he said in a sermon at a Pentecostal church in the eastern DRC. Those who knew Boelter from his church work said they were stunned that he was linked to the violence on Saturday. Pastor McNay Nkashama, who said he knew Boelter as a volunteer who preached Christianity, said he was struggling to reconcile the allegations with the man he knew. 'Of all the people I know, he would not hurt a fly,' Nkashama said in a brief telephone interview. 'I just cannot believe it.' Boelter served on a state board with Hoffman, records show. In 2019, Walz put Boelter on the Governor's Workforce Development Board – a group of business owners who recommend policies to the state government. In a letter, Walz said the post was in recognition of Boelter's 'integrity, judgment, and ability.' According to a spokesperson for the governor, the development board, which has more than 60 members, is one of many external boards and commissions whose members are unpaid and come from 'all parties.' The spokesperson said the governor does not interview applicants to the boards. It's unclear how closely Boelter and Hoffman interacted in that role, if at all. 'We are still exploring that,' Drew Evans, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension superintendent said in a news conference Saturday afternoon about whether Boelter knew the victims directly. 'There's certainly some overlap with some public meetings, I will say, with Sen. Hoffman and the individual, but we don't know the nature of the relationship or if they actually knew each other.' Boelter has worked as director of security patrols for Praetorian Guard Security Services, which provides 'random armed patrols' of customers' properties, according to the company's webpage – which also suggests he could have had access to uniforms and equipment that could aid in impersonating a police officer. The firm was registered to Boelter's home address and listed a woman who is apparently his wife as president and CEO; she did not respond to messages from CNN. The site advertised that the firm had 'police-type vehicles' and noted, 'We drive the same make and model of vehicles that many police departments use in the U.S. Currently we drive Ford Explorer Utility Vehicles.' The firm's website boasted of Boelter having experience in foreign conflict zones. It said that he was 'involved with security situations in Eastern Europe, Africa, North America and the Middle East, including the West Bank, Southern Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.' Video from outside Hortman's home on Saturday showed law enforcement towing a black Ford Explorer equipped with police lights. Archived photos from a home previously owned by Boelter show a similar vehicle in the driveway. In speeches reviewed by CNN, Boelter described his deep faith and said he was born again into the church as a teenager. 'I met Jesus when I was 17 years old and I gave my life to him,' Boelter told the church in the DRC in February 2023. 'And I just wanted to tell everybody about Jesus.' Records also show that Boelter once launched a Christian nonprofit called Revoformation Ministries. An archived website under that name includes a biography of him, describing Boelter as having traveled extensively to preach Christianity, including in the Middle East, where the site says he had sought out 'militant Islamists in order to share the gospel and tell them that violence wasn't the answer.' That website described Boelter as a reverend and an author, noting that he had written a book that presents a 'different paradigm on the nature of man and our relationship with God.' CNN reviewed numerous videos of Boelter preaching in the DRC from 2021 to 2023. Boelter appears emotional when describing his religious devotion. He also frequently talked about his connection to the DRC and what he perceived as the suffering the country has endured due to decades of internal conflict and meddling of other countries. 'I've been to North and South America, I've been to the Middle East, I've been to Eastern Europe, and I've been in the DRC. I've never been in a country before like the DRC that has had so much taken away. I hear the history, and it hits my heart. So many people, so many countries have taken, taken, taken,' he said in 2022. Boelter said he worked at major food brands such as Nestlé, and was the general manager of a 7-11, according to an online resume. Boelter registered to vote as a Republican in the early 2000s, state records show. In a post six years ago on LinkedIn, Boelter encouraged people to vote and wrote, 'I think the election is going to have more of an impact on the direction of our country than probably any election we have been apart of, or will be apart of for years to come.' A state document that listed his 2019 appointment to a development board noted he had 'no party preference.' Boelter's LinkedIn page claims he had a doctorate in educational leadership and a masters of science in management, both from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, and he used the prefix Dr. on his website and social media. Social media posts also indicate he has multiple children. A search of Minnesota criminal records showed no cases against Boelter aside from some traffic charges. Boelter had a property outside the small town of Green Isle, about 50 miles west of Minneapolis, according to records. A sheriff's deputy was blocking a gravel road leading to the home on Saturday afternoon. In the town's restaurants and bars, no one who spoke to CNN knew Boelter or his family. CNN's Majlie de Puy Kamp and Bob Ortega contributed to this report.
CNN
15-06-2025
- Politics
- CNN
What we know about Minnesota shooting suspect Vance Boelter
The man sought by authorities for allegedly shooting Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota on Saturday while impersonating a police officer worked for a security company that advertised a fleet of 'police type vehicles,' and other equipment that could potentially have aided him in appearing to be law enforcement. Vance Boelter was also an outspoken evangelical Christian who traveled to Africa to tell his faith story and, in at least one sermon, pointedly questioned American morals on sexual orientation, according to videos and social media posts reviewed by CNN. Now, a massive manhunt is ongoing to catch Boelter, 57, who authorities say is a suspect in killing one lawmaker and her husband and wounding another and his wife, leaving behind an apparent hit list with dozens of names in his car after exchanging fire with police outside the home of one victim and fleeing the scene. Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, said the attack 'appears to be a politically motivated assassination.' State officials said authorities early on Saturday encountered what appeared to be a police vehicle with emergency flashing lights in the driveway of Rep. Melissa Hortman's home, and what appeared to be an officer at the door coming out of the house. That individual immediately fired a weapon at them and was able to escape. Hortman – the top Democrat in the Minnesota House – and her husband were both killed. At a nearby home, Minnesota State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were also shot but are in stable condition after surgery. Police said they are still investigating a motive for the attacks. The names on the list, which CNN obtained, are largely Democrats or figures with ties to Planned Parenthood or the abortion rights movement. The list included prominent lawmakers like Rep. Ilhan Omar and Sen. Tina Smith as well as Planned Parenthood leaders. Police said Boelter also had fliers for anti-Trump protests in his car, raising fears that he may also have intended to target those rallies. Boelter largely shied away from political posts in his publicly available social media feeds and did not discuss abortion rights in any religious speeches reviewed by CNN. In one talk he gave in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2023, he appeared sharply critical of LGBTQ rights. 'There's people especially in America, they don't know what sex they are, they don't know their sexual orientation, they're confused. The enemy has gotten so far into their mind and their soul,' he said in a sermon at a Pentecostal church in the eastern DRC. Those who knew Boelter from his church work said they were stunned that he was linked to the violence on Saturday. Pastor McNay Nkashama, who said he knew Boelter as a volunteer who preached Christianity, said he was struggling to reconcile the allegations with the man he knew. 'Of all the people I know, he would not hurt a fly,' Nkashama said in a brief telephone interview. 'I just cannot believe it.' Boelter served on a state board with Hoffman, records show. In 2019, Walz put Boelter on the Governor's Workforce Development Board – a group of business owners who recommend policies to the state government. In a letter, Walz said the post was in recognition of Boelter's 'integrity, judgment, and ability.' According to a spokesperson for the governor, the development board, which has more than 60 members, is one of many external boards and commissions whose members are unpaid and come from 'all parties.' The spokesperson said the governor does not interview applicants to the boards. It's unclear how closely Boelter and Hoffman interacted in that role, if at all. 'We are still exploring that,' Drew Evans, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension superintendent said in a news conference Saturday afternoon about whether Boelter knew the victims directly. 'There's certainly some overlap with some public meetings, I will say, with Sen. Hoffman and the individual, but we don't know the nature of the relationship or if they actually knew each other.' Boelter has worked as director of security patrols for Praetorian Guard Security Services, which provides 'random armed patrols' of customers' properties, according to the company's webpage – which also suggests he could have had access to uniforms and equipment that could aid in impersonating a police officer. The firm was registered to Boelter's home address and listed a woman who is apparently his wife as president and CEO; she did not respond to messages from CNN. The site advertised that the firm had 'police-type vehicles' and noted, 'We drive the same make and model of vehicles that many police departments use in the U.S. Currently we drive Ford Explorer Utility Vehicles.' The firm's website boasted of Boelter having experience in foreign conflict zones. It said that he was 'involved with security situations in Eastern Europe, Africa, North America and the Middle East, including the West Bank, Southern Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.' Video from outside Hortman's home on Saturday showed law enforcement towing a black Ford Explorer equipped with police lights. Archived photos from a home previously owned by Boelter show a similar vehicle in the driveway. In speeches reviewed by CNN, Boelter described his deep faith and said he was born again into the church as a teenager. 'I met Jesus when I was 17 years old and I gave my life to him,' Boelter told the church in the DRC in February 2023. 'And I just wanted to tell everybody about Jesus.' Records also show that Boelter once launched a Christian nonprofit called Revoformation Ministries. An archived website under that name includes a biography of him, describing Boelter as having traveled extensively to preach Christianity, including in the Middle East, where the site says he had sought out 'militant Islamists in order to share the gospel and tell them that violence wasn't the answer.' That website described Boelter as a reverend and an author, noting that he had written a book that presents a 'different paradigm on the nature of man and our relationship with God.' CNN reviewed numerous videos of Boelter preaching in the DRC from 2021 to 2023. Boelter appears emotional when describing his religious devotion. He also frequently talked about his connection to the DRC and what he perceived as the suffering the country has endured due to decades of internal conflict and meddling of other countries. 'I've been to North and South America, I've been to the Middle East, I've been to Eastern Europe, and I've been in the DRC. I've never been in a country before like the DRC that has had so much taken away. I hear the history, and it hits my heart. So many people, so many countries have taken, taken, taken,' he said in 2022. Boelter said he worked at major food brands such as Nestlé, and was the general manager of a 7-11, according to an online resume. Boelter registered to vote as a Republican in the early 2000s, state records show. In a post six years ago on LinkedIn, Boelter encouraged people to vote and wrote, 'I think the election is going to have more of an impact on the direction of our country than probably any election we have been apart of, or will be apart of for years to come.' A state document that listed his 2019 appointment to a development board noted he had 'no party preference.' Boelter's LinkedIn page claims he had a doctorate in educational leadership and a masters of science in management, both from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, and he used the prefix Dr. on his website and social media. Social media posts also indicate he has multiple children. A search of Minnesota criminal records showed no cases against Boelter aside from some traffic charges. Boelter had a property outside the small town of Green Isle, about 50 miles west of Minneapolis, according to records. A sheriff's deputy was blocking a gravel road leading to the home on Saturday afternoon. In the town's restaurants and bars, no one who spoke to CNN knew Boelter or his family. CNN's Majlie de Puy Kamp and Bob Ortega contributed to this report.
