Suspected political assassin Vance Luther Boelter was captured Sunday following an intense manhunt for the gunman accused of murdering a Minnesota state lawmaker and wounding another, according to the local sheriff.
Boelter, a 57-year-old former appointee by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, was sought by police for allegedly shooting Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, and fatally shooting former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband.
His arrest was announced by the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, which posted a photo of the suspect with his hands behind his back and gripped by law enforcement officers on Facebook Sunday night.
“The face of evil,” the sheriff captioned the image. “After relentless and determined police work, the killer is now in custody. Thanks to the dedication of multiple agencies working together along with support from the community, justice is one step closer.”
The alleged gunman disguised himself as a police officer, wearing a uniform, vest and creepy Halloween mask when he launched his attack in the northern Minnesota suburb.
Boelter’s rampage began at State Senator Hoffman’s Champlin home around 2 a.m. on Saturday.
The crazed gunman fired off multiple rounds, striking the 60-year-old Democrat and his wife multiple times, seriously wounding the couple.
Yvette Hoffman had jumped on top of her daughter, Hope, shielding her from the bullets, the couple’s nephew said.
John and Yvette Hoffman underwent surgery and are in stable condition.
After the first shooting, Boelter — still disguised — raced to the home of Speaker Emerita Hortman in Brooklyn Park.
He fatally wounded Hortman and her husband Mark with multiple shots.
Hortman, a 55-year-old Democrat, was pronounced dead inside her home. Her husband died at a nearby hospital.
Police, conducting a check on Hortman after being alerted to the shooting at the Hoffman’s home, confronted the masked killer as he left the Brooklyn Park home.
Officers fired at the cop impersonator, at one point cornering the gunman inside the home, but the suspect managed to escape.
Boelter sent a text to his best friends and roommate after the shootings, allegedly admitting to the heinous killings.
“David and Ron, I love you guys. I made some choices, and you guys don’t know anything about this, but I’m going to be gone for a while. May be dead shortly, so I just want to let you know I love you guys both and I wish it hadn’t gone this way,” Boelter told David Carlson, according to KARE.
Boelter’s wife, Jenny Boelter, was pulled over and detained by police while driving with relatives on Saturday morning and was questioned by authorities for her role in the shooting.
Police found passports and a weapon in the car.
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