Federal prosecutors say that Vance Boelter, the Minnesota man accused of fatally shooting a state lawmaker and her husband, sent a disturbing message to his family hours after the attacks.
The 57-year-old is accused of killing former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman, 55, and her husband, Mark Hortman, 58, in their Brooklyn Park home early Saturday morning, per ABC News.
He also allegedly shot and wounded State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, at their residence. Boelter was captured on Sunday following what authorities described as the largest manhunt in state history, per the New York Post.
According to a newly filed federal criminal complaint, Boelter texted his wife and relatives in a group message around 6:15 a.m. on Saturday.
“Dad went to war last night … I don’t wanna say more because I don’t wanna implicate anybody,” the message read. He added: “Words are not gonna explain how sorry I am for this situation… there’s gonna be some people coming to the house armed and trigger-happy and I don’t want you guys around.”
During the search for Boelter, investigators pulled over his wife, Jenny Boelter, and discovered $10,000 in cash and passports for her and several of their five children in her vehicle, the complaint said, per The New York Times.
Authorities allege the attack was premeditated. Handwritten notebooks recovered by investigators revealed Boelter had compiled detailed profiles of several Minnesota politicians, including addresses, family information, and home surveillance observations.
Under Hortman’s name, he allegedly wrote “married Mark, 2 children, 11th term,” and noted her home as a “big house off golf course, 2 ways in to watch from one spot.”
The notebooks also included lists of online databases and people-search tools, suggesting Boelter had been tracking targets over time.
The shooting spree began when Boelter allegedly arrived at Senator Hoffman’s home disguised as a police officer. When Hoffman and his wife became suspicious, noticing Boelter was masked and not wearing an official uniform, he reportedly told them it was a robbery before opening fire, wounding both.
After leaving the Hoffman residence, Boelter went to two other lawmakers’ homes. One was empty; at the other, the residence of Senator Ann Rest, a police officer was present, thwarting a possible attack, per Kaal TV.
Boelter then traveled to the Hortmans' home. As officers arrived, he allegedly forced his way inside and fatally shot both Melissa and Mark Hortman.
Following the shootings, Boelter was seen at a bank, wearing a cowboy hat, where he withdrew money from his account. He then purchased a used Buick sedan and an electric bike from an unidentified individual. The Buick was later found abandoned along Highway 25 early Sunday. Inside, police discovered a handwritten note addressed to the FBI.
“I am the shooter at large in Minnesota involved in the 2 shootings the morning of Saturday June 15th,” the letter read, signed “Dr. Vance Luther Boelter.”
Boelter had previously claimed on his LinkedIn profile to hold a doctorate in leadership from Cardinal Stritch University, which permanently closed in 2023.
He was arrested Sunday morning about a mile from his home. On Monday, Boelter appeared in federal court, where he was ordered held without bail. He faces both federal and state charges, including the possibility of the death penalty, according to CNN.