Vance Boelter changes plea to guilty in Minn. lawmaker shootings that killed Rep. Melissa Hortman, husband

The Minnesota man accused of killing a state lawmaker and her husband in a politically motivated assassination pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday.

Vance Boelter entered a guilty plea in Minneapolis for the fatal shootings of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman. He also shot Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette Hoffman, and attempted to shoot their daughter, Hope Hoffman, federal prosecutors said.

The plea deal calls for Boelter to serve two life sentences plus 40 years, in exchange for the government not seeking the death penalty, Fox Minneapolis reported.

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“Those that would commit political violence, those that would commit political violence at any level, should take heed that the Department of Justice will seek and obtain the longest prison terms available for your crimes,” Daniel Rosen, the Daniel Rosen for the District of Minnesota, said at a news conference announcing the plea deal. 

The plea agreement was approved by Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche, according to a Wednesday court filing, noting that prosecutors agreed to take the death penalty off the table.

“The Attorney General has authorized and directed the government not to seek the death penalty against Defendant Vance Luther Boelter in accordance with the terms delineated in a proposed plea agreement, a copy of which has been submitted to the Court,” the filing states.

“We made an agreement that said that we will not seek the death penalty, provided he agrees to serve the longest prison time possible under the law for every single one of of the counts,” Rosen said. “I would say that the precedent that it sets is that if you want to commit political violence at any level, no matter what it is, that we are going to seek the the longest and strongest prison terms, for your offense.”

Rosen said it was unclear what motivated Boelter to plead guilty. 

Boelter shot Hortman and her husband in their Brooklyn Park home, and also shot Hoffman and his wife in their Champlin home on June 14, 2025.

Prosecutors said Boelter also visited the home of Rep. Kristin Bahner while she and her family were out of town, then later went to the New Hope home of state Sen. Ann Rest, but left after encountering a police officer who was conducting a welfare check.

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Boelter allegedly impersonated a member of law enforcement on the day of the shootings and went to the homes of the Democratic elected officials with the intention of murdering them. Once he reached the Hoffman home, he knocked on the door repeatedly, claiming to be a police officer.

Shortly after the Hoffmans opened the door, they became alarmed when they saw Boelter wearing a face mask, prosecutors said. The Hoffmans tried to close the door before Boelter opened fire on the couple, authorities said.

Next, Boelter went to the Hortman home, where law enforcement, having heard of the first shooting, were conducting a welfare check. Officers at the scene spotted Boelter standing near the front door of the home before he fired several shots inside.

Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband were struck and died from their wounds, prosecutors said. Boelter allegedly conducted extensive research prior to the attacks.

During a search of Boelter’s vehicle, authorities recovered five firearms, including semi-automatic, assault-style rifles, a large quantity of ammunition, and several notebooks filled with handwritten notations. The notes listed the names of dozens of Minnesota state and federal elected officials, along with their home addresses.

A Hennepin County Attorney’s Office spokesperson told the Associated Press that the federal plea deal would not affect Boelter’s state charges.

Fox News Digital’s Sophia Compton contributed to this report.