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Vance Boelter leaving the US, fleeing to Canada? Officials provide latest update on Minnesota shooting suspect
Vance Boelter, the man suspected of shooting two Minnesota lawmakers, remains on the loose more than 36 hours after the shootings took place on Saturday
Vance Boelter, the man suspected of shooting two Minnesota lawmakers, remains on the loose more than 36 hours after the shootings took place on Saturday. At a news conference on Sunday, officials said that the suspect is not in custody and it is believed that he is still alive. Reporters also questioned officials about whether Boelter has fled or is planning to flee the US.
Authorities said they searched a car on Sunday, which they believed Boelter was using in the suburbs outside of Minneapolis the day before, when the shootings took place. Drew Evans, superintendent of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, says they found evidence in the car relevant to the investigation. However, he did not provide more details.
When asked if Vance Boelter is planning to leave the US, Evans said that his whereabouts and plans are not known yet. Authorities believe he is on foot, but cannot confirm the same.
Evans said authorities interviewed Boelter’s wife and other family members in connection with Saturday's shootings. He says they were cooperative and are not in custody.
This comes as former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were killed in their Brooklyn Park home. Sen John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were injured at their Champlin home. The FBI said that Boelter wore a mask as he posed as a police officer, even allegedly altering a vehicle to make it look like a police car.
Read More: Minnesota shooter Vance Boelter ‘wasn’t a hateful person, but needed help, says best friend
The FBI issued a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to his arrest and conviction. They circulated a photo taken Saturday of Boelter wearing a tan cowboy hat and asked the public to report sightings.
“We believe he’s somewhere in the vicinity and that they are going to find him,” US Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “But right now, everyone’s on edge here, because we know that this man will kill at a second.”
A list of about 70 names was found in writings recovered from the fake police vehicle that was left at the crime scene, the officials said. The writings and list of names included prominent state and federal lawmakers and community leaders.
(With AP inputs)
