Minnesota shooting suspect claimed Tim Walz wanted Amy Klobuchar killed: Report
A letter was found near Minnesota shooting suspect Vance Luther Boelter's home. In it, he claimed Tim Walz instructed him to assassinate Amy Klobuchar.
Vance Luther Boelter, the suspect accused of fatally shooting former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, allegedly wrote a letter to the FBI claiming that Governor Tim Walz instructed him to assassinate US Senator Amy Klobuchar so Walz could run for her seat, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported, citing two individuals familiar with the letter’s contents.
The letter, described as rambling and conspiratorial, was reportedly found near Boelter’s home in Green Isle, Minnesota. In it, Boelter, 57, also claimed he had been trained “off the books” by the US military and asserted that Gov. Walz, who has not declared any Senate ambitions, had directed him to target Klobuchar and others.
A spokesperson for the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, Daniel Borgertpoepping, declined to comment on the letter’s contents, citing the ongoing investigation.
He told Minnesota Star Tribune: “Due to the seriousness of the allegations it contains, we will state only that we have seen no evidence that the allegations regarding Governor Walz are based in fact.”
Targeted Shootings Rock Minnesota
Boelter is accused of impersonating a police officer and fatally shooting Melissa and Mark Hortman at their home outside Minneapolis last week. Later that same night, he allegedly shot State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette Hoffman, at their residence. Both survived the attack.
Following a two-day manhunt, Boelter was arrested near his home in Green Isle.
In a statement, Governor Walz called the shootings a "politically motivated assassination."
According to a statement from the US Department of Justice, Boelter “put into effect a calculated plan to inflict fear and violence upon Minnesota elected officials and their families. Boelter equipped himself with firearms and body armor, disguised himself as a law enforcement officer, and drove to the home of Senator Hoffman. Boelter knocked on the door repeatedly, claiming to be a police officer. Shortly after the Hoffmans opened the door, they were alarmed to realize Boelter was wearing a facemask. The Hoffmans tried to close the door on Boelter, but Boelter repeatedly shot both Senator and Mrs. Hoffman.”
Boelter faces the following charges:
- Two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Melissa and Mark Hortman
- Two federal firearms charges related to the shootings
- Two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder in Hennepin County District Court
