Who is Vance Luther Boelter? Minnesota assassination suspect with ties to Governor Tim Walz

Two Minnesota lawmakers were targetted early Saturday morning in “what appears to be a “politically motivated assassination,” according to Governor Tim Walz. Authorities said that a man, with anti-Trump “No Kings” flyers, impersonation a police officer came to the residences of a state lawmaker and her husband, and another politician overnight and opened fire.

Ex-Democratic House Speaker Melissa and Hortman and her husband, Mark, were fatally shot in their Brooklyn Park home, where Senator John Hoffman and his wife were targetted in a similar incident at their Minnesota abode a few miles away. Sharing an update on the Hoffmans, Walz said at a news conference that they were out of surgery and receiving care. “We are cautiously optimistic they will survive this assassination attempt,” he added.

Hours ago, law enforcement officials told CNN that Vance Luther Boelter, 57-year-old man, had been identified as the suspect in the “politically motivated assassination” and assassination attempt of the Minnesota lawmakers. While officials are still considering the possibility of additional people being involved in the tragedy, only Boelter has been confirmed as a person of interest as of now.

At the time of Brooklyn Park police officers’ arrival at Rep Melissa Hortman’s home, they found a police vehicle – a black Ford Explorer – in the driveway with emergency lights on. Officials also revealed that they saw what seemed to be a police officer at the door coming out of the house. A gunfire exchange ensued, with the suspect firing at the authorities first. He ultimately escaped during the emerging chaos and confusion.

Who is Vance Luther Boelter?

Authorities indicated that the Minnesota assassin works at a security company, Praetorian Guard Security. As per the company website, Vance Boelter is employed as the director of security patrols. He also appears to have training by people in the US military.

Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension superintendent Drew Evans described the suspect as a white male, who is 6 feet 1 inch tall, “220 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.”

He is said to have been last seen on Saturday morning wearing a light-coloured cowboy hat and a “dark-coloured long-sleeve collared shirt or coat, light pants and carrying a dark bag.” Evans also noted that they had discovered what they are calling a “manifesto” in Boelter’s vehicle in their investigation to determine his criminal motivation.

A presumed hit list with nearly 70 names, including lawmakers – largely Democrats – and abortion providers, was also found in the accused’s car. Furthermore, an image of the suspect released by the FBI shows him wearing a latex face mask at the time of the shootings.

Vance Boelter works for a security company – granting him access to a range of equipment

The Praetorian Guard Security Services website suggests that owing to his employment with the company, Boelter could have access to vehicles and gear similar to what police have in their possession. “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 company states.

Moreover, a document obtained by CNN insisted that the suspect had a survival gear in the vehicle discovered by police.

Vance Boelter wanted for Murder

The FBI has since announced a reward of up to $50,000 for information that could lead to Vance Luther Boelter’s arrest and conviction.

Vance Luther Boelter’s political ties, religious faith

Despite records showing that he served on a state board with Hoffman, it is unclear how close their professional ties were. On top of that, Boelter is believed to be an ex-aide of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. The former Dems vice president candidate put him on the Governor’s Workforce Development Board in 2019.

State records further note that he registered to vote as a Republican in the early 2000s. Official docs highlighting his 2019 appointment stated he had “no party preference.” Meanwhile, Boelter’s best friend and roommate David Carlson told KARE11 that he is a staunch Trump supporter and voted for him.

Carlson also told Reuters that at about 6 am on Saturday, he got a text message from Boelter. “He said that he might be dead soon,” the roommate said. He further revealed that his friend, whom he had known since the fourth grade, worked for an eye donation centre. Although disclosing that Vance “wasn’t really angry about politics,” Carlson foregrounded that his Christian pal was not a fan of abortion.

According to his LinkedIn page, he had a doctorate in educational leadership and a masters of science in management from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee.

In a 2023 addressed in the Democratic Republic of Congo, he appeared to be anti-LGBTQ+. “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 at a Pentecostal church. CNN further reported that he was an outspoken evangelical Christian who travelled to Africa to express his religious devotion. The Minnesota suspect was additionally the chief executive of a DRC-based organisation called the Red Lion Group.

Other documents also show that the suspect even launched now-presumably-defunct Revoformation Ministries, a Christian nonprofit. An archived website tied his role to preaching Christianity. He is also believed to have sought out militant Islamists in the Middle East “in order to share the gospel and tell them that violence wasn’t the answer.”

At the time of writing, Boelter had not been taken into custody and was still believed to be at large.