The suspect accused of fatally shooting a Minnesota lawmaker and wounding another has been charged with multiple counts of murder after authorities took him into custody, ending the largest manhunt in the state's history, authorities said.
Vance Luther Boelter, 57, was arrested Sunday night in rural Sibley County, about 50 miles away from Minneapolis, after he surrendered to law enforcement in a wooded area near his home.
Boelter is accused of carrying out what Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called a "politically motivated assassination." Police say he posed as a police officer on June 14 and fatally shot state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, in their home in Brooklyn Park. He also shot and wounded State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, at their home a few miles away.
After a two-day manhunt that put the entire state on edge, Boelter was charged with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree attempted murder, according to a criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County reviewed by USA TODAY. A court appearance is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. local time, jail records say.
"One man's unthinkable actions have altered the state of Minnesota," Walz said at a news conference announcing Boelter's arrest.
Minnesota shooting suspect in jail; officials consider federal charges
Boelter remains in custody after he was booked into the Hennepin County Jail on Monday, June 16, around 1 a.m., according to jail records.
While he is currently charged with four counts of murder and attempted murder, he may face additional charges in connection with the shootings.
The U.S. Attorney's Office is reviewing whether Boelter will face federal charges, Drew Evans, the superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said at a news conference.
What led to Vance Boelter's arrest?
Authorities on June 15 discovered an abandoned vehicle belonging to Boelter near where he lived in Sibley County. A law enforcement officer in the area also reported seeing Boelter running into the woods.
Authorities set up a large perimeter and over 20 SWAT teams began searching on the ground and by helicopter. Police later received a tip that a man was seen in the wooded area, allowing search teams to tighten their perimeter.
Lt. Col. Jeremy Geiger of the Minnesota State Patrol said Boelter eventually crawled out to law enforcement and was taken into custody. He was armed but no shots were fired, Geiger said.
Complaint reveals new info about lawmaker shootings in Minnesota
Just after 2 a.m. on Saturday, June 14, police received a call from Hoffman's adult daughter reporting that “a masked person had come to their door and then shot their parents," according to the Hennepin County charging document.
Comments
Post a Comment