Accused Minnesota assassin Vance Luther Boelter will likely find it much more difficult to complain about lack of sleep due to alleged poor jail conditions when he faces a federal magistrate judge for a rescheduled preliminary hearing July 3.

Boelter was granted a six-day continuance on June 27 after he complained about alleged deplorable jail conditions and an inability to sleep for nearly two weeks.

‘He was resting peacefully, with his eyes closed.’

The sheriff of the jail where Boelter is being held fired back at the facility’s most infamous resident, saying security video showed Boelter with his eyes closed “resting peacefully” for more than seven hours the night before his last court hearing.

“He is not in a hotel. He’s in jail, where a person belongs when they commit the heinous crimes he is accused of committing,” said Sherburne County Sheriff Joel Brott. “Lights are on 24-7 and need to be so correctional officers doing welfare checks can see that the inmates are OK.”

Sherburne County operates a 732-bed jail in Elk River, Minn., about 40 miles from the Warren E. Burger Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in St. Paul.

The jail houses federal pretrial detainees under a contract with the U.S. Marshals Service. The facility holds an average of 500 federal detainees and inmates per day for the marshals, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and other agencies.

The public filed past the caskets of murdered Democratic House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman, her husband, Mark Hortman, and an urn with the remains of their slain dog at the Minnesota state Capitol June 27, 2025.Photo by Joshua Lott/The Washington Post via Getty Images

At the hearing, Boelter complained that the lights were on day and night. The loud sound of clanking doors and the smell of feces from a nearby cell made it difficult to sleep, he said. There was only a mat to sleep on with no pillow, he told the judge.

“His cell is spotless clean and so is his mattress, which has a pillow sewn into it,” Brott said. “Every day he is offered access to the phone and the shower. He has not missed a meal since his arrival.”

Boelter waived his right to have a preliminary hearing within 14 days of his June 16 initial appearance. The July 3 hearing will serve as a preliminary hearing and a detention hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Douglas Micko.

Brott said after Boelter returned to the jail from his June 27 hearing, “jail personnel checked live security camera footage of the alleged assassin’s cell and he was resting peacefully, with his eyes closed.”

Boelter’s complaints about jail conditions and alleged insomnia came on the same day that the couple he is accused of murdering were lying in state a mile away at the Minnesota Capitol in St. Paul.

‘All three of us were lined up at gunpoint.’

Thousands of Minnesotans filed past the caskets of Democratic House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, and the urn with the remains of their beloved golden retriever, Gilbert.

Brott said it was “offensive and disgusting” that Boelter stood before a judge complaining about jail conditions while long lines of people waited to pay their respects to his alleged victims at the Capitol.

The Hortmans were laid to rest after a June 28 funeral Mass attended by more than 1,500 people at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis.

Boelter is charged in federal court with the stalking and assassination of the Hortmans at around 3:30 a.m. June 14 at the couple’s home in Brooklyn Park, Minn.

Boelter was dressed as a police officer, driving a Ford SUV painted like a police vehicle with emergency lights flashing, the FBI said. Boelter visited the homes of four Democratic lawmakers that night “with the intent to kill them,” acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson said.

Vance Luther Boelter is charged with the assassination of a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband and the wounding of a state senator and his wife.Photos by FBI/Alpha News/Hennepin County Sheriff via Getty Images

Boelter is also charged with the attempted killing of state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette Hoffman, who were shot repeatedly at the front door of their home in Champlin, Minn., about 90 minutes earlier.

The Hoffmans, who watched the Hortman funeral on livestream, expressed their “profound sadness” over the deaths.

“We all watched the service; it was heartbreakingly beautiful,” the Hoffmans said in a statement. “Our hearts are with the Hortman family in this time of immense grief.”

The Hoffmans were shot a total of 17 times as they tried to push the suspect out of the front door of their home. Their adult daughter, Hope, managed to shut and lock the door on him and call 911 after her parents were shot.

“All three of us were lined up at gunpoint,” the Hoffmans’ statement said. “We’re continuing to recover from physical injuries and emotional trauma from this senseless act of violence. All of us are now in stable condition but face a long road ahead.

“Hope’s bruises from the attack continue to heal,” the statement said. “We’re so grateful she happened to be at our house that night. There’s no doubt her call to 911 saved the lives of others.”

After allegedly shooting the Hoffmans, Boelter visited the home of state Rep. Kristin Bahner (DFL-Maple Grove), but she and her family were not home, the FBI said.

Mourners embrace after the funeral Mass of slain Democratic House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis June 28, 2025.Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

Boelter then parked his vehicle down the block from the home of state Sen. Ann Rest (DFL-New Hope), but was apparently scared off after a New Hope police squad briefly pulled up next to his vehicle before that officer drove away to check on the senator, police said.

Officers from the Brooklyn Park Police Department who pulled up to the Hortman home reportedly spotted Boelter on the front porch. When the officers exited their vehicle, Boelter apparently opened fire on them. The officers returned fire, Thompson said.

Boelter “rushed into the house through the front door, firing into it,” Thompson said. “He repeatedly fired into the house and when he entered, he murdered Representative Hortman and her husband, Mark.”

Police say they found a “hit list” in Boelter’s vehicle with the names of more than 50 Democratic public officials from Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Texas.

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Liberal lunacy: Foreign-born rapist becomes education director in Walz's Minnesota

Liberal wokeness appears to have no bounds in Minnesota, the home of radicals like Rep. Ilhan Omar, a male state representative who pretends to be a woman, and, of course, 2024 failed vice presidential candidate Gov. Tim Walz.

Now, an exclusive report from Alpha News has revealed that a foreign national who overstayed his visa became a director at the Minnesota Department of Education after he served a sentence for felony sexual assault.

Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images

A criminal legal alien

Wilson Nduri Tindi, a 42-year-old native of Kenya, began working for the state of Minnesota as a principal auditor in 2018, according to his LinkedIn profile, and eventually rose through the ranks to become the director of the Internal Audit and Advisory Services division of the Minnesota Department of Education. He also previously worked as the chief audit officer at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, according to an archived version of his MDE bio.

In November 2015, just three years prior to beginning his job with the state, Tindi submitted a petition to plead guilty to felony fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct in connection with a disturbing incident.

'You like this.'

On November 23, 2014, Tindi broke into the residence of a woman living below him in his Minneapolis apartment complex, court records claim. He then proceeded to assault another woman who happened to be sleeping over that night.

The victim awoke to Tindi touching her genitals and buttocks over her underwear before attempting to remove her underwear, court records indicated. A latent fingerprint from the scene matched Tindi's prints, which were on file.

When questioned, Tindi insisted he had been in his apartment all night. He "could not provide any explanation for why his fingerprint would be inside the other unit," court documents said.

Daniel Tamas Mehes/Getty Images

Tindi agreed to plead guilty to criminal sexual conduct in exchange for prosecutors dropping a first-degree burglary charge. He was given a two-year sentence, which was stayed for five years, and was ordered to register as a predatory offender, Alpha News reported. It appears he served 210 days at Hennepin County Adult Corrections Facility.

Court documents from that incident also suggest he had committed a similar assault in 2012. In that case, a woman awoke to find Tindi allegedly on top of her and penetrating her "with his finger and his mouth," the documents said. When she begged him to stop, he allegedly retorted, "You like this."

Tindi was never charged in connection with the 2012 case, though prosecutors introduced it in the 2014 case as Spreigl evidence meant to demonstrate a pattern of behavior.

And while these incidents are more than a decade old, they are not Tindi's only run-ins with the law. Just last month, Tindi was arrested after allegedly driving under the influence and then refusing a field sobriety test. He was assessed a bail of $12,000.

Jail records indicate he posted bond and was released from custody on June 10, three days after the arrest. He has been charged with three misdemeanors.

Tindi fights deportation — and wins

Tindi's immigration history indicates that he also tried to exploit the American court system and its attending appeals processes to stay in the country even after violating its laws.

According to documents related to a habeas corpus petition Tindi filed in 2018, Tindi entered the U.S. in 2005 on a B-2 visitor visa that allowed him to remain in the country legally for six months. When the six months expired, Tindi did not leave and instead applied for permanent residency. That application was denied in 2007.

'The government has provided no evidence that he is a flight risk or a danger to the community.'

ICE began processing him for removal the following year, and an immigration judge ordered him to be removed in 2009. However, an immigration judge then reversed the removal order in 2011, and Tindi became a lawful permanent resident in April 2014, just six months before he assaulted the sleeping woman.

Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Because of his aggravated felony conviction, removal orders were once again initiated for Tindi, and he was transferred from jail to ICE custody in August 2016. Though Tindi appealed, the Board of Immigration Appeals later upheld his removal, and a final order of removal was issued in May 2017.

Tindi then filed yet another appeal, this time for his conviction, arguing that he would never have pleaded guilty if he had known the conviction would jeopardize his ability to remain in the U.S. Federal courts later stayed his removal while the appeals process continued, and a magistrate judge recommended that Tindi's habeas corpus petition be granted.

In February 2018, Judge David Doty agreed with the magistrate judge and granted the habeas corpus petition. In his decision, Doty claimed, "The government has provided no evidence that he is a flight risk or a danger to the community," even though the decision likewise noted the 2014 burglary charge and the subsequent assault conviction.

Blaze News reached out to Judge Doty for comment.

Blaze News also reached out to the Department of Homeland Security to see whether it is looking into Tindi's case once again.

Silence from the state

It is unclear whether officials at the Minnesota Department of Education and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency were aware of Tindi's violent history when they hired him.

Tindi's LinkedIn profile indicates he began working for the state in September 2018, nearly four years after the sexual assault, and was named chief audit officer in December 2023. The profile makes no specific mention of the state education department or the pollution regulation agency.

His bio also claimed he is 'passionate about ... building trust through transparency.'

Blaze News reached out to the MPCA, the office of Education Commissioner Willie Jett, as well as to Lee Her — the director of public engagement at MDE — for answers about what they knew about Tindi and when they knew it. We did not receive a response by deadline.

According to an archived version of his MDE bio, Tindi was responsible for "establishing and overseeing an independent internal audit function focused on evaluating risk management, governance, and compliance across the agency." His bio also claimed he is "passionate about ... building trust through transparency, collaboration, and a strong focus on adding value across the organization" (emphasis added).

His online bio appears to have been removed shortly after the Alpha News report broke. The Wayback Machine screenshot of his erstwhile profile provided by Alpha News is dated June 17, 2025.

Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images

On June 17, Tindi's profile was still listed among the list of directors with the MDE commissioner's office. As of Tuesday, Tindi is no longer listed there.

Blaze News reached out to Tindi's MDE email address and received an automatic reply, stating, "Wilson Tindi is no longer with MDE." Blaze News also reached out to an email address Tindi provided on a previous court document but did not receive a response.

As MDE remains under the general purview of the governor and some senior positions at state agencies are filled by appointment or with recommendations from influential individuals, Blaze News reached out to Democratic Gov. Tim Walz for comment.

Walz's office did not respond.

H/T: Dustin Grage

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Trump’s ICE busts 11 illegal Iranian nationals: Terror suspect, ex-sniper, and another with Hezbollah ties

Following the United States' weekend strike on Iranian nuclear enrichment sites, the Trump administration's Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced the arrest of nearly a dozen Iranian nationals who are illegally in the country.

The former Biden administration's open-border policies have sparked concerns that potential terrorists and other threat actors have flooded into the U.S. undetected, raising the risk of the formation of sleeper cells.

'We don't wait until a military operation to execute; we proactively deliver on President Trump's mandate to secure the homeland.'

ICE's arrests, which took place over the weekend, included a suspected terrorist, an individual with admitted ties to Hezbollah, and an alleged former Iranian Army sniper, according to a Tuesday press release from ICE.

The Department of Homeland Security stated that the arrests reflect the agency's "commitment to keeping known and suspected terrorists out of American communities."

Immigration agents in Mississippi apprehended Yousef Mehridehno. The U.S. government terminated his residency in 2017 after it determined that he made false statements on his original visa application and potentially committed marriage fraud. The federal government in February listed Mehridehno as "a known or suspected terrorist," the press release said.

Yousef Mehridehno. Image Source: Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Mehran Makari Saheli, a former member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps with admitted connections to Hezbollah, was arrested in Minnesota. He was previously convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and a judge ordered his removal in 2022.

Mehran Makari Saheli. Image Source: Immigration and Customs Enforcement

ICE Atlanta arrested Ribvar Karimi, who was reportedly carrying his Islamic Republic of Iran Army identification card, which noted that he was previously an Iranian Army sniper from 2018 to 2021. ICE determined that he was eligible for removal after he entered the U.S. on a marriage visa in 2024 and allegedly broke federal law by failing to adjust his immigration status.

Ribvar Karimi. Image Source: Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Behzad Sepehrian Bahary Nejad, who was reportedly carrying a loaded firearm when ICE Houston arrested him, entered the country on a student visa in 2016 and was arrested the following year in Texas for allegedly assaulting his wife, impeding her breathing. His wife obtained a restraining order, claiming that he had threatened her and her family in Iran. An immigration judge ordered his removal in October 2019 after his status was terminated due to academic suspension.

Behzad Sepehrian Bahary Nejad. Image Source: Immigration and Customs Enforcement

ICE Houston also arrested Hamid Reza Bayat, who was convicted of drug crimes and driving on a suspended license. An immigration judge previously ordered his removal nearly two decades ago.

Hamid Reza Bayat. Image Source: Immigration and Customs Enforcement

In Phoenix, Arizona, federal immigration agents apprehended Mehrzad Asadi Eidivand, an illegal alien who received removal orders after he was convicted for threatening a law enforcement office and unlawful possession of a firearm.

Mehrzad Asadi Eidivand. Image Source: Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Agents also arrested Linet Vartaniann, an American citizen, for allegedly harboring Eidivand and threatening to open fire on officers. The agency claimed that Vartaniann stated she would "shoot ICE officers in the head" if they entered her home.

Linet Vartaniann. Image Source: Immigration and Customs Enforcement

ICE officials in Colorado Springs nabbed Mahmoud Shafiei and Mehrdad Mehdipour, two illegal aliens living together. Shafiei was convicted of drug crimes and previously arrested for alleged assault and child abuse. A judge ordered Shafiei's removal in 1987.

Mahmoud Shafiei. Image Source: Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Mehrdad Mehdipour. Image Source: Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Federal immigration agents in San Francisco apprehended Bahman Alizadeh Asfestani, who has a criminal history, including a conviction for theft and possession of a controlled substance for sale.

Bahman Alizadeh Asfestani. Image Source: Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Mohammad Rafikian, who has a lengthy rap sheet, was arrested on Monday by ICE Buffalo. He was previously convicted of grand larceny, schemes to defraud, criminal impersonation, and practicing as an attorney.

Also on Monday, federal agents in San Diego grabbed Arkavan Babk Moirokorli, an illegal alien convicted of forging an official seal.

'Very commonly, such groups are engaging in criminal acts to raise money, promote propaganda, recruit assets, or source technology and equipment.'

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated, "Under Secretary Noem, DHS has been full throttle on identifying and arresting known or suspected terrorists and violent extremists that illegally entered this country, came in through Biden's fraudulent parole programs or otherwise."

"We have been saying we are getting the worst of the worst out — and we are. We don't wait until a military operation to execute; we proactively deliver on President Trump's mandate to secure the homeland," she added.

When Blaze News contacted ICE for comment, it directed us to its press release. The agency would not respond to specific questions about the arrested illegal aliens' potential terrorist cell involvement, whether they had previously been under surveillance, or had known or suspected contact with Iranian officials.

Kyle Shideler, the director and senior analyst for homeland security and counterterrorism at the Center for Security Policy, told Blaze News, "While the term 'sleeper cell' captures the imagination, it's better to think of such cells as 'terrorist infrastructure.'"

"Very commonly, such groups are engaging in criminal acts to raise money, promote propaganda, recruit assets, or source technology and equipment," Shideler continued. "That doesn't mean they may not possess military or terrorist training and the ability to conduct attacks. But it does allow a proactive law enforcement approach, which seeks to find and remove such threats before it becomes truly dangerous. Aggressive immigration enforcement is good counterterrorism."

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If we can’t speak civilly, we’ll fight brutally

Last weekend in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, protesters gathered for a No Kings rally, holding signs that compared federal immigration officers to Nazis — one reading, “Nazis used trains. ICE uses planes.” These kinds of messages aren’t just offensive, they’re dangerous. And they’re becoming far too common in politics.

The same weekend, halfway across the country, Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman (DFL) was shot and killed in a politically motivated attack. While the investigation is ongoing, the timing is chilling — and it reminds us that words and rhetoric can have consequences far beyond the floor of a legislative chamber.

Most people don’t want politics to be a blood sport. They want real solutions.

When public servants are threatened, harassed, or even harmed for doing their jobs, something has gone deeply wrong in our democracy.

It’s time to turn down the temperature — not just in our political speeches, but on our main streets, in school board meetings, and even our protest signs.

Cool the rhetoric

Public service is about problem-solving, not posturing. I’ve always believed in working with my neighbors — even when we disagree — to make our community safer and stronger. But that’s becoming harder when disagreement is met with dehumanization and history is twisted into political theater.

We’ve seen it right here in my community. At a recent public hearing on how to protect children from online predators, a woman disrupted the meeting to shout that our Jewish sheriff, Fred Harran, was a “Nazi.” A week later, during a Bucks County Commissioners meeting about a law enforcement partnership with ICE, Commissioner Bob Harvie warned of “parallels” between modern politics and pre-war Nazi Germany.

I’ve worked hard in the state House to expand Holocaust education in Pennsylvania schools, because I believe history must be remembered — not weaponized. As the daughter of educators, I was raised to know that using Nazi references as political attacks not only dishonors the memory of those who suffered, it poisons the possibility of honest, civil debate.

Civil discourse is critical

None of this is to say we shouldn’t debate serious issues — immigration, public safety, fiscal priorities, and the future of our communities. Or that we shouldn’t take part in peaceful protest rooted in our First Amendment rights. We must. But we must also remember that democracy isn’t about shouting each other down — it’s about listening, questioning, and finding common ground.

Blaze Media Illustration

The truth is, most people don’t want politics to be a blood sport. They want real solutions. They want their kids to be safe, their neighborhoods to be strong, and their elected officials to focus on solving problems — not scoring points.

Let’s be better than the signs. Let’s be better than the sound bites. Let’s choose to be neighbors first and partisans second.

Because if we don’t change the tone now, we risk losing more than just elections — we risk losing one another.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published by RealClearPennsylvania and made available via RealClearWire.

Religious leaders distance themselves from onetime Christian preacher accused of Minnesota assassinations

Organizations that helped Vance Luther Boelter become a Christian preacher and hosted him as he gave his faith testimony quickly disavowed him after he was charged in federal court June 16 with the assassination of a top Democratic Minnesota representative and her husband and the serious wounding of a Democratic state senator and his wife.

Boelter, 57, of Green Isle, Minn., studied practical theology and pastoral leadership at the Christ for the Nations Institute in Dallas. He earned a diploma in 1990. The institute describes itself as a "Spirit-filled Bible school" that "offers a place to grow in faith, develop your ministry skills, and live out God’s calling in your life."

'He would likely have been killed or taken captive.'

Christ for the Nations Institute was quick to distance itself from Boelter and condemn his alleged violent actions in the early morning hours of June 14. The institute placed a prominent "Important Press Release" graphic at the top of its homepage.

"We are absolutely aghast and horrified that a CFNI alumnus is the suspect," the statement read. "This is not who we are. This is not what we teach. This is not what we model. We have been training Christian servant leaders for 55 years and they have been agents of good, not evil."

Infamous alumnus

While the institute said it educates future leaders for spiritual battle, it condemned the violence of Boelter’s alleged shooting rampage.

"CFNI unequivocally rejects, denounces, and condemns any and all forms of violence and extremism, be it politically, racially, religiously, or otherwise motivated," the statement continued. "Our organization’s mission is to educate and equip students to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ through compassion, love, prayer, service, worship, and value for human life.

"These core Christian values and principles, which we highly esteem and embrace, are in stark contrast to the hateful beliefs, behavior, and actions now being attributed to Mr. Boelter."

Boelter was charged in U.S. District Court in St. Paul with two counts of murder, two counts of stalking, and two firearms charges related to stalking. He is accused of the assassination of Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, and of shooting state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, a total of 17 times. The Hoffmans survived the brutal attack.

Boelter is being held without bond. He will next be in court June 27.

The FBI said Boelter burst into the Hortman home in Brooklyn Park about 3:30 a.m. June 14 after exchanging gunfire with police. He allegedly shot and killed the Hortmans and seriously wounded their golden retriever, Gilbert, who had to be put down due to his injuries.

About 90 minutes earlier, Boelter, dressed as a police officer and wearing a "hyper-realistic" silicone head mask, allegedly shot the Hoffmans when they opened the front door of their Champlin, Minn., home, police said. Mrs. Hoffman threw herself in front of their daughter to shield her from the gunfire.

Mourners lay down candles at a memorial on the steps outside the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul during a vigil on June 18, 2025.Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

After leaving the Hoffman residence, Boelter reportedly went to the home of state Rep. Kristin Bahner (DFL-Maple Grove), pounding on the door and demanding to be let in. The family was not at home.

"The past several days have been surrounded by so much grief and fear. This senseless violence came to my door as well, placing me and my family in harm’s way," Bahner said in a statement. "I do not know why this man was filled with such hatred that he would come to my door; divine intervention led my family to change our plans, keeping us safe."

Before allegedly driving to the Hortman residence and killing the couple, Boelter traveled to the home of state Sen. Ann Rest (DFL-New Hope), police said. As Boelter allegedly sat in his fake police squad vehicle down the block from Rest’s home, a New Hope police officer pulled alongside and tried to get his attention. He stared straight ahead and didn’t acknowledge the officer, who then continued driving to Rest’s residence.

As more squad cars arrived at Rest’s home, the suspect slipped away without notice and allegedly went on to murder the Hortmans.

Boelter evaded police for nearly 40 hours during the largest manhunt in Minnesota history. He was captured at 9:15 p.m. June 15 about a mile from his Green Isle home and 60 miles from where the murders were committed.

Christian ministry

Boelter founded a nonprofit charity called Revoformation Ministries Inc. in 2007, according to IRS records. The organization filed 13 annual tax returns between 2007 and 2023, each reporting less than $50,000 in donations.

Revoformation Ministries' website was initially set up to promote a 2006 book by Boelter, "Original Ability."

"It presents a different paradigm on the nature of man and our relationship with God," the website said. "Original Ability will be shown in Genesis all the way through to the teachings of Jesus Christ. The author considers the understanding of Original Ability to be the single most important factor in successfully explaining the Gospel, yet most people have never heard of it."

There is no indication that Boelter ever published the book. The title does not appear in Google Books, on Worldcat, or at Amazon.

Boelter is listed as an author on Worldcat for "The Impact of Training on Performance," his 2016 master’s thesis from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee.

According to the Revoformation website, Boelter also did missionary work overseas, including travel to dangerous hot spots.

'Such reports … strike at the honor of God.'

"Prior to 9-11, Vance had already made several trips to violent areas in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, where suicide bombings were taking place," the website said. "He sought out militant Islamists in order to share the Gospel and tell them that violence wasn’t the answer."

Robert Spencer, director of the Jihad Watch website, said Boelter should consider himself fortunate to be alive.

"Islamic law forbids adherents of other religions to proselytize, on pain of death," Spencer told Blaze News. "If Boelter actually did this, he would likely have been killed or taken captive, unless the 'militant Islamists' with which he was conversing realized he was a fool and decided to give him a pass."

Author of more than 30 books including "The Truth About Muhammad" and the forthcoming "Holy Hell: Islam’s Abuse of Women and the Infidels Who Enable It," Spencer said approaching jihadis would not be smart.

"Trying to convert Muslims to any other religion, however, is extremely dangerous, as in Muslim countries there is generally no shortage of believers who would be only too happy to implement Islam’s death penalty for proselytizing."

Boelter gave several sermons at the Centre Évangélique Francophone La Borne Matadi in far Western Democratic Republic of the Congo. The church’s YouTube channel has videos featuring Boelter from 2021, 2022, and 2023.

In his 2021 talk, Boelter danced in front of the huge gathering.

"When I was 17 and I first got saved, I was excited about Jesus. I’m just as excited about Jesus, right here, right now," Boelter said. "When I get excited, I want to dance!"

He then virtually flew around the stage with his arms outstretched. "What Jesus did for me! Ho-ho!" he said.

'These allegations run contrary to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.'

Officials at the Matadi church released a statement in French and English disavowing Boelter after the Minnesota murders. It said Boelter visited the church as part of a group from the Minnesota-based Global Impact Center and had no affiliation with the church.

"It is with deep sorrow and profound sadness that we have learned of the serious allegations involving Mr. Boelter," the statement read. "We are heartbroken and grieved by such reports, which strike at the honor of God, the integrity of the local church, and the unity of the Body of Christ."

The Global Impact Center in Columbia Heights, Minn., also released a statement distancing itself from Boelter.

To fulfill the organization’s mission, "we collaborate with church organizations and individual volunteers," the statement said. "It is within this context that Mr. Vance Boelter has, on occasion, appeared in some of our meetings and ministry platforms, as seen in various media.

"However, we want to clearly state that Mr. Boelter is neither a member of Global Impact Center’s leadership team nor affiliated with any of our local or international church partners." Boelter's visits to the Democratic Republic of the Congo were all less than two months, the statement said.

"Like many, we are deeply saddened by the recent developments and the serious allegations involving Mr. Boelter," the statement continued. "These allegations run contrary to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and undermine the integrity of the church’s calling and mission."

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Hypocritical Democrats ‘Released The Whirlwind’ Of Political Violence

Hate-filled Democrats have shown us time and time again that their compassion is privileged and division is their politics.

Who is Vance Boelter — the enigma allegedly behind the deadly Minnesota attacks?

Last weekend on June 14 — the same day No Kings protests ignited across the country — a gunman carried out targeted shootings in Minnesota, killing Democratic state Rep. Melissa Hortman (DFL) and her husband, Mark, and wounding Democratic state Senator John Hoffman (DFL) and his wife, Yvette.

The suspect is Vance Luther Boelter, whose identity was first reported by Blaze Media’s Julio Rosas. Boelter, who allegedly disguised himself as a police officer to carry out the attacks, has been charged with six federal counts, including two counts of stalking, two counts of murder through use of a firearm, and two counts of firearms offenses. On the state level, he faces four felony counts: two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder.

However, it’s been nearly a week, and Boelter’s exact motive remains unclear. He was appointed to the Minnesota Governor’s Workforce Development Board by two Minnesota governors — first in 2016 by then-Governor Mark Dayton (D) and again in 2019 by Governor Tim Walz (D). The shootings took place on No Kings Day — a series of nationwide, mostly left-wing protests in the U.S. advocating against perceived authoritarianism in the Trump administration. Further, No Kings fliers were found in the suspect's vehicle.

At first glance, he appears to be aligned with the Democrat Party. And yet he is accused of specifically targeting Democrat representatives. In fact, the list allegedly found in his vehicle supposedly named Democrat officials exclusively. Reports that Boelter was vehemently opposed to abortion further muddy the waters.

“People on the right and on the left, we want to put suspected killers in a box,” says Liz Wheeler. “We want to say, ‘That person's left-wing; that's the Democrats’ fault.’ The left wants to say, ‘That person's a Trump supporter; it's Trump's fault.”’ But neither one of those approaches, she says, give us “a complete picture” of Boelter.

To get a better understanding of the complex character that is Vance Luther Boelter, Liz invited Blaze News managing editor Rob Eno to “The Liz Wheeler Show.”

“We know that he at one point in time had a security company of some sort with his wife, who it looks like he wasn't living with,” says Eno. “He was living at this 57-year-old guy’s house, renting a room” and “[working] at a 7-Eleven supposedly.”

Boelter’s friend David Carlson indicated in multiple reports that Boelter was a hardcore “Trump supporter,” but Eno says “there's no video” confirming this.

Liz then brings up a good point: Boelter’s alleged “manifesto” that was recovered from his vehicle has not been released to the public. “The only time that manifestos aren't released,” she says, “is when it's a left-wing ideologue who commits this violence and they don't want all left-wingers to be smeared.”

“But then we have the acting U.S. attorney for Minnesota … Joe Thompson, who said that he hasn't even seen a manifesto and that there isn't one,” she adds.

“I don’t know what the guy’s motivation was,” says Eno, noting that it’s possible he thought his actions would “save children.”

But Liz sees a glaring contradiction: Boelter was “appointed by Governor Tim Walz” — one of the most progressive governors on abortion, which Boelter supposedly despises. But if Boelter is a secret Republican who wanted to get back at Democrats, why would he target Melissa Hortman, who had just recently “voted with Republicans to prevent taxpayer money from going to criminal illegal aliens?”

That makes him seem like “a Democrat that's disgruntled,” says Liz. “I don't think that he fits into a left versus right ideological box.”

To hear more of Boelter’s conflicting characteristics, watch the video above.

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'Weak, emasculated leader': Ex-Vikings player blames Tim Walz for Minnesota killings

A former NFL player blamed Democrat Minnesota Governor Tim Walz for the "chaos" that has engulfed the state in recent years.

Jack Brewer, who played for the Minnesota Vikings and the University of Minnesota, said Walz and Minn. Attorney General Keith Ellison have put the state in a spiral, turning it into a place that does not reflect the people of Minnesota.

'Whenever you give Satan power, he shows his face.'

"We need to start calling this what it is. These people have lost their minds," Brewer told Fox News. "I am heartbroken to see one of the most amazing states in America completely turned around under Gov. Tim Walz. Minnesota is confused."

After a man named Vance Luther Boelter was charged with the murder of a top Minnesota lawmaker and her husband, Brewer said the incident was a direct result of Democrats and Walz's leadership. The former NFL player said there needs to be a "return to masculinity" in order to turn the state around.

"On this Father's Day, I wish Minnesota would focus on restoring fatherhood — protecting women, protecting families. Tim Walz is the example of a weak, emasculated leader. That is not what God made fathers to be. It's pathetic," Brewer told Fox News.

A Homeland Security K-9 officer walks around the Warren E. Burger Federal Building, where Vance Boelter had a court appearance on June 16, 2025, in St. Paul, Minnesota. Photo by Steven Garcia/Getty Images

Brewer described Minnesota as the "capital of chaos in America" and said Democrats have gone "so far left" that their party members attack anyone who does not agree with their principles.

"They are forcing everyone in the party to conform," Brewer's comments to Fox News continued.

The former defensive back added that the "root cause" of the problem in the state can simply be labeled "evil."

"Whenever you give Satan power, he shows his face. That's what we’re witnessing now."

Brewer has also been a Donald Trump supporter for years and was allegedly a Democrat until he was inspired by the president to change course.

Jack Brewer, #42 of the Minnesota Vikings, is congratulated after intercepting a pass against the Green Bay Packers on November 17, 2002. Photo by Elsa/Getty Images

In early 2020, Brewer declared Trump the "first black president" and said he was "changed" and "inspired" by him to keep doing God's work by reaching out to inmates in prison, according to the Hill.

In 2019, Brewer predicted that a "black awakening" would give Trump a 20% black vote in the upcoming election, but only 12% was garnered, per the Roper Center.

Brewer was in the NFL for four seasons, playing for the Vikings, New York Giants, and Philadelphia Eagles.

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The stuff of nightmares: Boelter allegedly sought to kill 4 lawmakers

The U.S. Department of Justice charged Vance Luther Boelter with murder and stalking in the assassination of a top Minnesota lawmaker Monday and revealed he allegedly went to four state legislators’ homes Saturday intending to kill them.

Boelter, 57, of Green Isle, Minn., was captured at 9:15 p.m. Central on Sunday, June 15, after the largest police manhunt in Minnesota history. He was about a mile from his home and 60 miles from where the murders took place.

He is charged with killing Minnesota Speaker of the House Emerita Melissa Hortman (DFL) and her husband, Mark, as he burst into their Brooklyn Park home just after 3:30 a.m Saturday. About 90 minutes earlier, authorities said, he shot state Sen. John Hoffman (DFL) and his wife at their home in Champlin. The Hoffmans had emergency surgery and are expected to recover.

Boelter was charged in U.S. District Court in St. Paul with two counts of murder, two counts of stalking, and two firearms offenses related to stalking. He is being held without bond. He is also charged in Hennepin County with first-degree murder and attempted murder, but the federal charges will be prosecuted first.

“Vance Luthor [sic] Boelter went on a violent rampage against our elected officials,” said acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson. “These were targeted political assassinations the likes of which have never been seen before in Minnesota. It was an attack on our state and on our democracy. We will not rest until he is brought to justice.”

The crimes “have shocked the nation and united us in grief,” said U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. “These horrific acts of violence will not go unanswered.”

The story laid out in the criminal complaint and accompanying FBI affidavit is unprecedented in Minnesota history — literally the stuff of nightmares.

Boelter surveilled the homes of the victims and researched their lives using commercial data sites such as Been Verified, Whitepages, Intelius, and numerous others, the affidavit says.

Boelter carried out his rampage disguised as a police officer, wearing a "hyper realistic" silicone mask, a police uniform, and a black tactical vest with body armor, the complaint continued. He allegedly drove a Ford SUV detailed to look like a squad car, including emergency lights.

Screenshot of FBI affidavit

At just after 2 a.m. on June 14, Boelter allegedly drove to the Hoffman home in Champlin. He knocked on the front door and shouted, “This is the police. Open the door,” the affidavit reads.

The senator opened the door to Boelter, who said there had been a shooting reported at their address. “He asked whether the Hoffmans had any guns,” the affidavit said. “Senator Hoffman responded that there were but that all firearms were locked away.”

Although Boelter had been shining a flashlight in their faces, Mrs. Hoffman realized Boelter was wearing a mask. The couple told Boelter he was not a real police officer, to which he responded, “This is a robbery.”

Senator Hoffman tried to push Boelter back out the front door but was shot repeatedly, the complaint says. Mrs. Hoffman then tried to shut the door on the suspect, but she was also shot multiple times.

The Hoffmans’ daughter called 911 at 2:06 a.m. to report that her parents had been shot.

Boelter then allegedly left the Champlin home and drove to the home of another legislator, identified in the affidavit as “Public Official 1,” in Maple Grove. He repeatedly rang the doorbell at 2:24 a.m., shouting: “This is the police. Open the door. This is the police. We have a warrant,” the affidavit said. The lawmaker was not at home, so the suspect left the area.

Boelter then drove to the New Hope home of another lawmaker and parked down the street. A New Hope police officer saw Boelter’s vehicle and believed it “was in fact a law enforcement officer providing protection for Public Official 2,” the FBI affidavit said. The officer tried to speak to Boelter through the vehicle window, but Boelter stared straight ahead and did not respond.

The New Hope officer continued driving to the home of the lawmaker and waited for backup to arrive. By that time, the suspect had left the area.

Around 3:30 a.m., police in Brooklyn Park sent squad cars to check on Hortman and her husband. Officers saw a black Ford Explorer SUV parked outside the home with its emergency lights flashing. The license plate had been replaced with a fake plate that read "POLICE."

The FBI said Vance Boelter used materials he bought at a Fleet Farm store to make this fake license plate.Screenshot of FBI affidavit

Officers said they spotted Boelter on the porch of the home and he opened fire on them. As Boelter “moved into the house, a second set of gunshots can be heard. At the same time, several flashes appear in the entryway window,” the affidavit says.

Brooklyn Park officers approached the front entrance, where they found Melissa Hortman, who had been shot multiple times. They tried to provide medical aid to Mark Hortman. Both died from their wounds. Boelter also allegedly shot and killed the family dog.

Boelter fled the home, leaving the SUV out front, according to the affidavit. As he ran, he reportedly ditched the silicone mask, the body armor vest he wore, and a flashlight.

Vance Boelter wore a hyper-realistic silicone mask that covered his entire head, the FBI said.Screenshot of FBI affidavit

Police began tracking the locations of cell phones “known to be used by Boelter and his wife,” the affidavit says. She was in a vehicle near Onamia, Minn., police said June 15.

Mrs. Boelter allowed officers to search her phone. Her husband apparently sent a group text message at 6:18 a.m., in which he wrote: “Dad went to war last night. … I don’t wanna say more because I don’t wanna implicate anybody.”

A short time later, Boelter reportedly sent a text to his wife: “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.”

When police searched Mrs. Boelter’s vehicle, they found two handguns, about $10,000 in cash, and passports for her and the couple’s children, who were in the vehicle when stopped by police.

Police said Boelter was seen on security video behind a home on Fremont Avenue in North Minneapolis. A man who lives there told reporters on June 15 that Boelter rented a room in the home. The man, David Carlson, said he had known Boelter since grade school.

David Carlson reads text messages he said he received from Vance Boelter after the shootings of two lawmakers and their spouses.Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

Security video showed a man identified by police as Boelter walking around a black SUV parked in the alley. He smashed the front passenger window with a blunt object, then opened the door.

After leaving the area, Boelter reportedly approached a man at a bus stop about 7 a.m. at 48th Avenue North and North Lyndale Avenue in North Minneapolis. The man said Boelter wanted to buy an electric bicycle from him. The men boarded a bus and traveled to the witness’ home. Boelter allegedly asked to also buy the man’s Buick sedan.

The men drove to a U.S. Bank branch in Robbinsdale, Minn., where Boelter reportedly withdrew $2,200 — all of the funds in the account. The suspect was captured on bank security video wearing a dark jacket and cowboy hat. He gave the witness $900 for the e-bike and the vehicle.

By this time, Blaze News’ Julio Rosas reported exclusively that Boelter was the person believed to have committed the Hortman murders and the Hoffman shootings.

Around 2:30 p.m. on June 15, police received a tip that someone was riding an e-bike about two miles north of the Boelter family home in Green Isle. Police could not find anyone.

At the time, tactical officers began flooding the area in Sibley County looking for Boelter.

A short time later, police discovered the Buick that Boelter reportedly purchased earlier in the day, abandoned on Highway 25, not far from the e-bike sighting. Inside, officers discovered Boelter’s cowboy hat and a letter addressed to the FBI. In the letter, Boelter allegedly admitted to being “the shooter at large in Minnesota involved in the 2 shootings the morning of Saturday June 15th [sic].”

Police located Boelter in a field in Green Isle about 9:10 p.m. June 15 and arrested him.

Screenshot of FBI affidavit

When they searched the 2015 Ford SUV abandoned at the Hortman home, police said they found license plates for the vehicle, registered in the names of Boelter and his wife. They found five firearms, including semiautomatic rifles, “as well as a large quantity of ammunition organized into loaded magazines,” the FBI affidavit said.

Police found several notebooks in the SUV with handwritten pages. They included the names of 45 Minnesota state and federal public officials, including Hortman. Her Brooklyn Park address was written next to her name.

Police found several notebooks they said belonged to Vance Boelter.Screenshot of FBI affidavit

A Garmin GPS device found in the SUV had a trip history that included the addresses of Hortman, Hoffman, and one of the unidentified legislators in Maple Grove. The trip history included home addresses “for at least two other state officials,” the affidavit says.

Police found components of a disassembled Beretta 92 9mm semiautomatic handgun with at least three magazines "strewn across the ground a few blocks from Representative Hortman’s home." Rounds contained in the magazines had the same head stamp as those found on expelled cartridges from the Hortman crime scene. Boelter purchased the handgun in or around January 2000.

When they searched the North Minneapolis home where Boelter occasionally stayed, police found a handwritten list of names containing “many of those same public officials named in the notebooks found in Boelter’s SUV,” according to the affidavit.

Police found a receipt from a Fleet Farm store that showed purchase of a flashlight, tactical rifle case, two types of ammunition, and “materials believe to have been used to create the fake 'POLICE' license plate attached to Boelter’s SUV.”

In one of the notebooks found in the North Minneapolis home, officers found lists of names along with addresses and personal details. For Hortman, a notation read, “Married Mark 2 children 11th term.” Another notebook had more details about Hortman: “Big. House off golf course 2 ways in to watch from one spot,” the affidavit reads.

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