Minnesota House Speaker murder: Suspect Vance Boelter in court today after chilling attack

Vance Luther Boelter, 57, the man accused of murdering Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, is set to appear in court Monday at 1:30 p.m. local time in Minneapolis. He faces four charges—two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder—in what authorities have called a politically motivated attack.

Vance Boelter is being held on a $5 million bond. If convicted, each charge carries a maximum sentence of up to 40 years in prison.

Charges stem from deadly weekend shooting spree

Boelter was arrested following a violent rampage that claimed the lives of the Hortmans and left state Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, critically injured. Both are now recovering in hospital.

“He is charged in the cases at this time with the murders of Speaker Hortman and her husband, Mark... and with the shootings of John Hoffman and Yvette Hoffman,” said Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Evans also confirmed federal authorities are weighing additional charges.

Manhunt ends in remote field

The shooting spree triggered a massive, two-day manhunt—the largest in Minnesota’s history. Boelter was located Sunday night in a remote field, armed and crawling on the ground, but surrendered without resistance.

“The suspect crawled to law enforcement teams and was placed under arrest,” said Lieutenant Colonel Jeremy Geiger of the Minnesota State Patrol. “The suspect was taken into custody without any use of force.”

Governor: Attack was politically driven

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz condemned the killings as a “politically motivated assassination,” adding that Boelter’s actions “altered the state of Minnesota.”

“This cannot be the way we deal with political differences,” Walz said at a press conference. “Now is the time for us to recommit to the core values of this country.”

He confirmed that Senator Hoffman, who was struck by nine bullets, had come out of surgery and was on the path to recovery.

Boelter posed as police officer, carried hit list

According to a criminal complaint, Boelter posed as a law enforcement officer—dressed in uniform and driving a Ford SUV outfitted with police-style lights—when he carried out the attacks.

He first targeted the Hoffmans around 2 a.m. Saturday at their home in Champlin, before moving on to the Hortmans' residence in Brooklyn Park, where he fatally shot both victims. When officers arrived, Boelter fled on foot.

Police later found three AK-47 rifles, a 9-mm handgun, and a hit list of other public officials inside his vehicle.

Motive under investigation

Officials are now focused on uncovering Boelter’s motive. Online postings and public records suggest he had ties to evangelical ministries and claimed to have worked in international security roles in Gaza and Africa.

“Now begins the hard work of looking at what the motive is,” said Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley. “This was an unprecedented manhunt, and now the focus shifts to justice.”