Details about the primary suspect in the early Saturday morning shooting that left one Minnesota lawmaker dead and another injured paint a somewhat conflicting picture of a man who was appointed to a state board by a Democratic governor but also was a supporter of President Trump.
Vance Luther Boelter, 57, allegedly shot and injured state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette at their home before going to the home of state Rep. Melissa Hortman and killing her and her husband Mark. The shootings happened around 2 a.m. and 3:30 a.m. respectively.
Police arrived as Boelter was exiting Hortman’s home and exchanged gunfire with him. Boelter fled on foot, abandoning the car he was driving. Inside the car, police found a hit list with 70 names that targeted progressive leaders, elected officials, and supporters of abortion rights. Investigators also found flyers that said “No Kings”—a possible reference to anti-Donald Trump protests, KSTP reported.
Boelter had a home in Green Isle, Minnesota outside of Minneapolis, but he also stayed at home in the city a couple of days a week, according to KARE.
Boelter was appointed by Democratic Gov. Tim Walz to the Workforce Development Board in 2016 and reappointed in 2019. He was replaced on the board in 2023 when his term ended, KSTP reported.
Hoffman is currently listed as a member of the Workforce Development Board, but it is unknown if their membership on it overlapped. The advisory board is large, with dozens of members.
Although Boelter was appointed to the advisory board by Walz, according to his Minneapolis roommates, Boelter voted for President Trump and was a strong supporter of the president, KARE reported.
The station said that Boelter’s best friend, David Carlson, was one of his roommates and knew Boelter since the fourth grade. According to Carlson, he was unaware that Boelter had an interest in local or state politics.
At around 6:30 a.m. Saturday, KARE reported that Carlson found Boelter’s car in their driveway with a window smashed in. Concerned, he tried to reach Boelter and received an ominous text.
“I’m gonna be gone for a while,” the text read according to KARE. “I may be dead shortly…I love you guys, and I’m sorry for all the trouble this has caused.”
Following the text, Carlson called the police, KARE reported.
On his LinkedIn page, Boelter lists his current employment as CEO of a security company. However, the previous job he lists is general manager of a 7-11. Other positions include systems manager for Del Monte Foods and operations leader for Johnsonville Sausage.
On his LinkedIn page, Boelter refers to himself as “Dr. Vance Boelter.” His page states that he received a doctorate in leadership in 2016 from Cardinal Stritch University.
On the Minnesota Africans United webpage, Boelter lists more about his educational background and work experience. The page states that “Dr. Boelter has experience in Eastern Europe, The Middle East, and Africa.”
Carlson told CNN that Boelter’s security company was struggling to establish itself in Africa.
“Problem is, he quit all his jobs to go down there,” Carlson told CNN. “And then he comes back and tries to find new jobs. Wasn’t working out that good.”
Originally published on Lawyer Herald
