Vance Boelter had 2 Minnesota lawmakers on hitlist; visited Maple Grove and New Hope homes after shooting

Vance Boelter visited the homes of two other Minnesota lawmakers on Saturday after the fatal shooting

Updated on: Jun 17, 2025, 01:30:02 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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Vance Boelter, the suspect charged with the second-degree murder of Democratic representative Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, visited the homes of two other Minnesota lawmakers on Saturday night, authorities have revealed. This comes a day after the 57-year-old shooter was arrested. He was also charged with the attempted murder of state senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette.

Vance Luther Boelter has been charged with murder (via REUTERS)

After the shooting at the Hoffmans' home, Boelter visited a state representative's home in Maple Grove. However, that lawmaker was not at home. Acting US Attorney Joseph H Thompson said that Boelter allegedly went to the home of a state senator in New Hope. After learning about the shooting of the Hoffmans in Champlin, a New Hope police officer went to the senator's home to do a wellness check. The officer found what appeared to be another officer's car. The car was later identified as Boelter's vehicle.

The officer then engaged in conversation with Vance Boelter, but he did not respond. By the time other officers responded, the suspect was gone.

“It is no exaggeration to say that his crimes are the stuff of nightmares,” the assistant US attorney said on Monday.

Boelter surrendered after officials found him in the woods near his home following a massive manhunt that stretched over two days.

Authorities declined to name the two other elected officials who escaped harm. But Democratic Sen Ann Rest said she was told the suspect had parked near her home in New Hope early Saturday.

Boelter sent a text to a family group chat after the shootings. It read: “Dad went to war last night ... I don’t wanna say more because I don’t wanna implicate anybody,” according to an FBI affidavit.

His wife got another text that said: “Words are not gonna explain how sorry I am for this situation ... there’s gonna be some people coming to the house armed and trigger-happy and I don’t want you guys around,” the affidavit said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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