Man suspected of shooting 2 Minnesota lawmakers in custody
The man suspected of killing a Minnesota lawmaker and wounding another crawled to officers in surrender on Sunday after they located him in the woods near his home, bringing an end to a massive, nearly two-day search that put the entire state on edge.
Vance Boelter was arrested and charged with two counts of murder and two of attempted murder.
He is accused of posing as a police officer and fatally shooting former Democratic House Speaker, Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, in their home early last Saturday in the northern Minneapolis suburbs.
Authorities say he also shot Senator John Hoffman, a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette. They were injured at their residence about nine miles (about 15 kilometres) away.
Related Article: Minnesota state lawmaker killed, another injured in targeted shootings
"One man’s unthinkable actions have altered the state of Minnesota,” Democratic Governor, Tim Walz said at a news conference after Boelter’s arrest.
The search for Boelter was the “largest manhunt in the state’s history,” Brooklyn Park Police Chief, Mark Bruley said.
It began when Brooklyn Park officers went to check on Hortman’s home and saw her husband gunned down before the shooter fled.
Authorities on Sunday located a vehicle Boelter was using abandoned in rural Sibley County, where he lived, and a police officer reported that he believed he saw Boelter running into the woods, Bruley said. Police set up a large perimeter and called in 20 different tactical teams, divvying up the area and searching for him.
During the search, police said they received information confirming someone was in the woods and searched for hours, using a helicopter and officers on foot, until they found Boelter.
He surrendered to police, crawling out to officers in the woods before he was handcuffed and taken into custody in a field, authorities said.
Jail records show Boelter was booked into the Hennepin County Jail at 1:02 a.m. Central Time Monday and include two mug shots, one from the front and one from the side, of Boelter, wearing an orange prison shirt.
