Vance Boelter’s disguise had flaws. The silicone mask he wore fit poorly, and the license plate on his SUV simply read “POLICE” in black letters. Yet on a dimly lit suburban street in the early morning, it was convincing enough.
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At 2:36 a.m. on Saturday—30 minutes after Boelter allegedly shot Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman and his wife—he idled near Senator Ann Rest’s house in New Hope.
Inside the SUV were weapons, including AK-47s, anti-Trump rally fliers, and a target list. Prosecutors say Rest was one of Boelter’s intended victims that morning.
As Boelter waited outside Rest’s home, a real police cruiser arrived. A female officer checking on Rest saw the marked SUV and believed it was law enforcement.
When she tried to speak to the driver, Boelter offered no reply. He only stared ahead, impersonating a silent officer. The New Hope officer drove on, deciding to check on Rest directly.
Senator Rest later said that the officer’s instincts likely saved her life. Police Chief Timothy Hoyt agreed.
“With limited information, she went up there on her own to check on the welfare of our senator,” Hoyt told Reuters. “She did the right thing.”
Boelter’s impersonation—complete with body armor, badge, and tactical vest—briefly fooled law enforcement, complicating efforts to catch him.
After the encounter, Boelter, 57, fled. Police chased him for 43 hours in what became Minnesota’s largest manhunt, involving state and federal agencies.
The Columbia University graduate is known for participating in pro-Palestinian protests. Prosecutors may seek the death penalty for a rampage Governor Tim Walz called “politically motivated.”
Boelter is charged with murdering two people and attempting to kill two others. The motive is still under investigation, and Boelter has not yet entered a plea. His public defender declined comment.
This account is based on court documents, law enforcement statements, and interviews with Boelter’s acquaintances, police, lawmakers, and residents.
Experts see echoes of past crimes. Former FBI profiler James Fitzgerald said Boelter might have studied the 2020 Canada mass shooting, where a man impersonating police killed 22.
“These guys always do research,” Fitzgerald said. “They want to see how others got caught—or didn’t. Impersonating police buys time.”
The bloodshed began at Hoffman’s Champlin home, a quiet suburb of Minneapolis. Boelter arrived around 2:00 a.m. with lights flashing and knocked.
“This is the police. Open the door,” he reportedly yelled, per FBI documents.
Senator Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, realized he wasn’t an officer. Boelter shot the senator nine times and wounded Yvette as she shielded their daughter.
Boelter fled, and the daughter dialed 911.
Hoffman was on a list of over 45 targeted Minnesota officials—all Democrats—said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.
Boelter, a Trump voter and Christian, didn’t seem politically enraged, said part-time roommate David Carlson.
Thompson said Boelter “stalked his victims like prey.” His writings revealed no clear motive. “His crimes are the stuff of nightmares,” Thompson added.
After Hoffman, Boelter drove to State Representative Kristin Bahner’s home in Maple Grove, 9 miles away. Surveillance footage shows him ringing the bell at 2:24 a.m., shouting, “This is the police. We have a warrant.”
Bahner and her family weren’t home. Boelter then went to New Hope, where he encountered the alert officer outside Senator Rest’s house.
From there, Boelter vanished again until reaching State House Speaker Melissa Hortman’s home in Brooklyn Park.
Brooklyn Park police, suspecting she was a target, were already at her house by 3:30 a.m. They saw a black SUV with flashing lights. Boelter stood near the door.
When police exited their vehicle, Boelter opened fire. He then entered the home and killed Melissa and Mark Hortman.
After the attack, he abandoned his SUV. Inside, police found a handgun, three AK-47s, anti-Trump rally fliers, and a notebook with targets’ names.
Boelter went on the run. Police believe he stopped at his Minneapolis residence and sent unsettling texts. In one to family, he wrote, “Dad went to war last night.”
In another to a friend, he hinted at dying soon.
Later that morning, Boelter bought an e-bike and a Buick for $900 from a man at a bus stop. They visited a bank where Boelter withdrew $2,200. Surveillance footage shows him in a cowboy hat.
It wasn’t until Sunday at 10:00 a.m. that authorities got close. Near Boelter’s family home in Green Isle, officers found the abandoned Buick, a cowboy hat, and a handwritten letter to the FBI confessing the crimes.
A perimeter was quickly set. SWAT, dogs, and drones were deployed.
But a local resident’s trail camera finally helped—snapping an image of Boelter at 7:00 p.m.
Two hours later, Boelter crawled toward police and surrendered without resistance. He was armed but didn’t fire a shot.
