Suspect in shooting of Minnesota lawmakers in custody after manhunt
Suspect Vance Boelter charged with murder and attempted murder after ‘politically motivated assassination’
A massive two-day manhunt ended on Sunday with the arrest of Vance Boelter, 57, for allegedly killing a Minnesota Democratic state lawmaker and her husband while posing as a police officer, Governor Tim Walz said.
Boelter allegedly shot dead Melissa Hortman, the top Democrat in the Minnesota House, and her husband, Mark, in their home on Saturday - a crime Governor Tim Walz characterised as a “politically motivated assassination”.
Authorities said Boelter also allegedly shot and wounded another Democratic lawmaker, state Senator John Hoffman, and his wife Yvette at their home a few kilometres away.
“After a two-day manhunt, two sleepless nights, law enforcement have apprehended Vance Boelter,” Walz told a news conference. “One man’s unthinkable actions have altered the state of Minnesota.
“A moment in this country where we watch violence erupt, this cannot be the norm. It cannot be the way that we deal with our political differences. Now is the time for us to recommit to the core values of this country, and each and every one of us can do it.”