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Minnesota shooter Vance Boelter ‘wasn’t a hateful person, but needed help, says best friend
David Carlson reportedly said that Vance Boelter was going through financial problems and was struggling to find work.
Minnesota shooter Vance Boelter's best friend David Carlson opened up about the former on Saturday, just hours after he shot dead Rep Melissa Hortman and her husband, and also shot at Sen John Hoffman and his wife.
The 59-year-old had also received a chilling text message from Boelter before the shooting, wherein he told Carlson and another friend that he might be dead shortly, adding that he loved them both.
Carlson reportedly called authorities soon after receiving that text message as he feared that his best friend might have harmed himself.
He expressed shock over the possibility that Boelter, whom he has been friends with since fourth grade, could be involved in such a heinous crime.
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"He wasn't a hateful person. But he needed help," Carlson was quoted as saying by the New York Post.
According to CNN, Carlson said that Boelter was going through financial problems and was struggling to find work. "He was looking around, but maybe things didn't work out and he just gave up and decided to go out in a blaze of glory," he said, adding that he has no idea what his friend was thinking.
Carlson also revealed that Boelter, despite having been a political appointee of Minnesota's Democratic Governor Tim Walz, voted for Republican leader, President Donald Trump. However, he went on to say that he was not aware of his current feelings on state politics.
According to the best friend, while Boelter was against abortion, he wasn't opposed to it in such a manner that could have motivated him to kill.
At the time of the incident, Boelter was allegedly dressed as a police officer and driving a fake police cruiser. He shot legislators Hortman and Hoffman, and their spouses, at their homes.
ALSO READ | From hit list to no criminal record: Key facts about Minnesota shooter Vance Luther Boelter
However, the suspect left behind a target list with more than 70 names, including names of top Democrats like Gov Tim Walz, Rep. Ilhan Omar, and Sen. Tina Smith.
Soon after the shootings, the FBI identified Vance Luther Boelter as the suspect in the 'targeted' shootings of the Minnesota lawmakers.
Considering that Boelter is armed and dangerous, the FBI posted a $50,000 reward for information that leads to his arrest.
Additionally, the shooter also had links to a private security firm that owned vehicles resembling police cruisers.
Boelter also had no felony record in the state, and was named in just some minor traffic violations.
