Latest news with #VanceLutherBoelter
New York Post
3 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Nearly $400,000 in donations pour in for accused Minnesota assassin Vance Boelter's victims: ‘Helping us pick up the broken pieces of our lives'
One week after accused political assassin Vance Luther Boelter's vicious attacks on Minnesota lawmakers, online fundraisers for the victims and their families have racked up nearly $400,000. On Monday – two days after Boelter, 57, allegedly shot state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, in their Champlin home – the Fernbrook Elementary School PTO launched a 'Help the Hoffmans' GoFundMe page, which had raised $184,974 of its $210,000 goal by Friday. The proceeds will contribute to medical expenses and rehabilitation costs, lost income, home security enhancements and necessary living expenses, according to the fundraiser page. Advertisement 3 Yvette Hoffman was released from the hospital Thursday, while Sen. John Hoffman remained in critical but stable condition, a hospital spokesperson told Minnesota news outlets. Gofundme 'We hope by launching this campaign we can alleviate the burden of costs during this challenging time,' it reads. Yvette, who was shot eight times during the early-morning ambush, was released from the hospital Thursday, while the senator, who was shot nine times, remained in critical but stable condition, a hospital spokesperson told Minnesota news outlets. Advertisement In their first words Thursday, the Hoffmans thanked the GoFundMe donors for 'helping us pick up the broken pieces of our lives.' They were 'heartbroken' that Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were killed in the attacks, and noted that their daughter, Hope, once went to school with the Hortmans' daughter, Sophie. 3 The Hortmans' adult children, Sophie and Colin, are 'devastated and heartbroken' by their parents' murders, they said in a statement released this week. Gofundme 'We know that they – along with Colin Hortman – will have each other's support as we all work through the devastating consequences of that horrific night,' the Hoffmans wrote. Advertisement A GoFundMe for the adult Hortman children – which was created Sunday by Melissa's brother, Patrick Haluptzok – had raised $195,137 of its $200,000 goal as of Friday. 'I greatly miss my sister Melissa and brother-in-law Mark and want to help my niece and nephew through this difficult time,' Haluptzok wrote in the fundraiser's description. Sophie and Colin are 'devastated and heartbroken' by their parents' murders, they said in a statement released this week. Advertisement 3 Vance Luther Boelter, 57, faces federal stalking and murder charges for allegedly hunting down the lawmakers and their spouses in the North Star State. FBI 'They were the bright lights at the center of our lives, and we can't believe they are gone. Their love for us was boundless. We miss them so much,' they wrote. Boelter faces federal stalking and murder charges for allegedly hunting down the lawmakers and their spouses in the North Star State. He has not entered a plea in the case. Cops said he had a cache of automatic weapons in his car and a hit list of 45 elected officials and abortion providers in the state.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Dem Assassin Suspect ‘Crawled' to Cops After Being Lured Out of Hiding
The MAGA assassin suspected of targeting Democratic politicians in a shooting spree over the weekend was arrested after an intense manhunt that ended with him crawling to cops. Vance Luther Boelter, 57, was taken into custody near his Green Isle farm in Minnesota's Sibley County, local authorities announced in a press conference. According to a criminal complaint unsealed Sunday night, Boelter is charged with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder. The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office, one of multiple law enforcement agencies involved in the manhunt, released the first photos of Boelter's arrest in a Facebook post. Boelter was apprehended under a state criminal warrant issued over the fatal shooting of Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman, 55, and her husband, Mark, 58, on Saturday morning. Sen. John Hoffman, 60, and his wife, Yvette, were also shot and injured in their Champlin residence about five miles away. Brooklyn Park Police Department Chief Mark Bruley said Boelter was arrested within 43 hours of the incident in what he described as 'the largest manhunt in the state's history,' which involved 20 SWAT teams spread out over a large area. Superintendent Drew Evans from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said authorities were tipped off about Boelter's location, prompting law enforcement to descend on a part of a field where the suspect was believed to be hiding. Boelter 'crawled to law enforcement teams and was placed under arrest,' Minnesota State Patrol's Lt. Col. Jeremy Geiger said. Evans said the suspect was armed but declined to specify the weapon. Boelter was apprehended without the use of force and was being interviewed at an undisclosed law enforcement facility as of Sunday night. The U.S. Attorney's Office is studying whether additional charges against Boelter will be brought at the federal level, Evans said. The superintendent added that they were confident Boelter acted alone and had not uncovered proof that he was part of a broader network, though they will also explore that possibility. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said the Hoffman couple was in recovery after the senator came out of surgery on Sunday. Walz previously called the shooting a 'politically motivated assassination' after authorities found that Boelter had a list of other potential Democratic targets, including the governor himself and House Rep. Ilhan Omar. 'A moment in this country where we watch violence erupt. This cannot be the norm,' Walz said Sunday. 'It cannot be the way that we deal with our political differences. Now is the time for us to recommit to the core values of this country.' Boelter is a father of five who has worked for decades in the food industry. He had served on a state economic board with Hoffman, though it's unclear if they knew each other. Boelter was appointed to the panel twice: once in 2016 by former Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton and later by Walz. Boelter was registered as a Republican when he lived in Oklahoma in the early 2000s, according to public records. Minnesota does not require voters to declare their political affiliation when registering. State reports cited by the Times list Boelter's affiliation as 'none or other' in 2016 and 'no party preference' in 2020. Boelter's roommate and longtime best friend, David Carlson, earlier told NBC affiliate KARE 11 that the suspect voted for Trump and was a strong supporter of the president. Carlson broke down in tears as he read his last text message from Boelter, sent hours before the shootings occurred on Saturday morning. 'I just want to let you know that I love you guys both,' Boelter wrote, according to Carlson. '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.'
3 days ago
- Politics
Authorities investigating pizzas anonymously sent to lawmakers, US Capitol Police leadership: Sources
Federal authorities are trying to determine who has been anonymously ordering pizzas that are sent to the homes of U.S. lawmakers across the country and to the homes of those who help protect those lawmakers. The mysterious deliveries have authorities worried that they could be intended to send a menacing message, according to congressional sources and others familiar with the matter. Both Democrats and Republicans in the House have received the unsolicited pizza deliveries, according to House Speaker Mike Johnson's office. Pizzas also were sent to current and former leadership of the U.S. Capitol Police, sources said. "These recent pizza deliveries are troubling and yet again, bring to light the heightened threat landscape we are living in," the Capitol Police said in a statement to ABC News. "Violence and threats, of any kind, targeted at elected officials will not be tolerated.' The Capitol Police said they are "working with our federal, state, and local partners to address the matter." Though many of the pizza deliveries arrived this past weekend, as Minnesota authorities were racing to find the man who allegedly shot two state Democratic lawmakers, the deliveries began before the Minnesota attack, a congressional source said. The Minnesota shooting spree left one of the lawmakers and her husband dead. The alleged gunman, Vance Luther Boelter, was captured on Sunday, and federal authorities said he named even more potential targets in writings they say they found, including more than 45 federal and state Democrats from Minnesota. "It's only the most recent example of violent political extremism in this country, and that's a trend that's been increasing in recent years," the acting U.S. attorney in Minnesota, Joe Thompson, said Monday in announcing federal charges against Boelter. As described to ABC News by the congressional source, the recent pizza deliveries are just another potential source of worry. "People are really scared," the congressional source said. Concerns about the pizza deliveries were raised on calls Tuesday with congressional officials and House Sergeant at Arms William McFarland, a congressional source said. The U.S. Capitol Police declined to provide ABC News with more details about the deliveries, citing an effort to "protect ongoing investigations and to minimize the risk of copycats." On Monday, ahead of another briefing to discuss security measures for lawmakers, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., released a video praising the U.S. Capitol Police and the Senate sergeant at arms for 'bending over backwards during very trying times and … doing an excellent job.' Law enforcement officials told ABC News that many public officials have been anonymously sent pizzas in recent years and that the deliveries are thought to be intended to send a potentially threatening message: letting recipients know that the sender knows where they live. Federal Judge Esther Salas, whose son, Daniel Anderl, was murdered at her home in 2020 by a man posing as a delivery driver, recently told ABC News Prime's Linsey Davis that 'hundreds of pizzas are being delivered to the personal homes of judges throughout the country.' 'We had heard about pizzas being delivered to judges' houses, and that says what? 'I know where you live,'' Salas said, adding that recent pizza deliveries were sent to the homes of other judges, and used the name of her murdered son as the sender.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
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. Show more Show less
NDTV
4 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Minnesota Assassin's Chilling Texts To Family Hours After Shooting Spree
Hours after he went on a shooting spree killing a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband and wounding another Senator and his wife, the man sent some chilling texts to his family. Vance Luther Boelter texted his family, "Dad went to war last night", on Saturday, federal prosecutors said on Monday. He sent the terrifying text to his wife and other family members via a group thread, The NY Post reported "Dad went to war last night ... I don't wanna say more because I don't wanna implicate anybody," Boelter, 57, allegedly wrote. In another text to his wife, he said: "Words cannot express how sorry I am for this circumstance... I don't want you guys around because there's going to be some people coming to the house armed and trigger-happy," according to court documents, ABC News reported. Boelter killed House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, at their home outside Minneapolis. The same evening, he targeted another Democrat, John Hoffman, and his wife, Yvette, at their home. They survived. Following a two-day statewide manhunt, Boelter was arrested late Sunday night. During his initial court appearance on Monday, a $5 million bond was established. He is scheduled to return to court on June 27. Acting US Attorney Joseph Thompson described the case as "the stuff of nightmares" during a press conference, saying Boelter carefully planned his attack, investigating the victims and their families, and monitoring their houses. He visited the senators' residences posing as a law enforcement official, an act that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz called a "politically motivated assassination." Following the "largest manhunt in the state's history," he was finally taken into custody on Sunday. According to the chief of the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Boelter crawled towards officers and turned himself in at the instruction of SWAT troops. The Hennepin County prosecutor said that Boelter would be charged with first-degree murder. The highest punishment for a conviction in Minnesota would be life imprisonment without the possibility of parole because the state does not have the death penalty, according to CNN.
