Accused assassin Vance Boelter ordered held for trial, tells judge he looks forward to the facts coming out



A federal judge in Minnesota on Thursday ordered accused political assassin Vance Luther Boelter held until his trial on charges he gunned down a former state House speaker and her husband, and shot a state senator and his wife on June 14.

Boelter, 57, of Green Isle, Minn., told U.S. Magistrate Judge Douglas Micko that he is “looking forward to the truth and facts of the 14th to come before you,” adding, “I think Minnesotans want to know what’s going on.”

Judge Micko found probable cause to hold Boelter for trial. There is no bail in federal criminal court. A Hennepin County judge set Boelter’s bail at $5 million on state murder and attempted murder charges.

Acting U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson said Boelter will be indicted by a grand jury by July 15 and then face an arraignment hearing on the charges handed down by the panel. The grand jury could add criminal counts to the six felonies listed in the June 16 criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court.

  A law enforcement honor guard leads the caskets of Melissa and Mark Hortman out of the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis after their June 28 funeral Mass.Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

Boelter is charged with first shooting state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette Hoffman, at the front door of their home in Champlin, Minn., just after 2 a.m. June 14.

Boelter was dressed as a police officer, wearing a disguise and driving a Ford SUV painted like a police vehicle. After the Hoffmans opened the door to Boelter, they quickly realized he was not a real police officer and tried to force him out of the house, according to an FBI affidavit filed in federal court June 16. The Hoffmans said they were shot a total of 17 times. They survived after emergency surgery and are recovering.

‘Minnesotans want to know what’s going on.’

Boelter had murder on his mind when visiting two other homes owned by Minnesota state legislators, Thompson has said. State Rep. Rep. Kristin Bahner (DFL-Maple Grove) was not home when Boelter pounded on the front door of her home, the FBI said. He next planned to go to the home of state Sen. Ann Rest (DFL-New Hope), but was scared away after a New Hope police officer spotted his SUV parked a block away.

He next went to the home of Speaker of the House Emerita Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park), parking his SUV in the driveway with its emergency lights engaged.

Before he could attempt to enter the home, he was confronted by two Brooklyn Park Police Department officers, the FBI said. He opened fire on them, and nine-year veteran Officer Zachary Baumtrog returned fire, according to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

Baumtrog was placed on critical-incident leave, which is standard in officer-involved shootings.

Boelter fired his 9mm Glock pistol into the front door as he forced his way inside the Hortman home. He then assassinated Hortman, her husband, Mark Hortman, and their golden retriever, Gilbert, the FBI said. He escaped out the rear of the home, setting off a more than 40-hour manhunt that ended with his arrest in a field near Green Isle at 9:15 p.m. June 15.

After the hearing, Thompson told reporters the investigation is ongoing “to determine exactly what happened and if anyone else was involved.”

Wearing a yellow jail uniform Thursday, Boelter repeated some of his complaints about conditions at the Sherburne County Jail in Elk River, where he is being held. He asked if the lights in his cell could be turned off at night.

At a hearing June 27, Boelter complained about a laundry list of things, drawing a strong rebuke from Sherburne County Sheriff Joel Brott. “He is not in a hotel," Brott said. "He’s in jail.”

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Accused assassin makes ‘disgusting’ attempt to paint himself a victim over jail conditions: Sheriff



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.

RELATED: ‘The face of evil’: What do we know about accused assassin Vance Luther Boelter?

  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.

RELATED: Vance Boelter’s wife speaks out for first time since June 14 shooting rampage

  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.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The left's new anti-Christian smear backfires — exposing its deepest fear



The left's new favorite boogeyman — so-called "Christian nationalism" — is back in the headlines. But don't be fooled by the narrative. The real story isn't about Christian extremism but an obsession with tarring faithful conservative Christians.

After police arrested Vance Boelter — the man accused of targeting two Minnesota politicians and their spouses, which included murdering state Rep. Melissa Hortman (D) and her husband — the media seized on Boelter's associations with charismatic Christianity and his background as a preacher.

If there is anything Americans should be concerned about, it's the leftist ideology that seeks to replace God with government and silence dissent in the name of progress.

Quickly, a narrative was born: Boelter is yet another example of "Christian nationalism" and far-right extremism.

  • Wired: The Minnesota shooting suspect’s background suggests deep ties to Christian nationalism
  • The Forward: Understanding accused Minnesota shooter Vance Boelter’s ties to Christian nationalism
  • Washington Post: Minnesota shooting suspect went from youthful evangelizer to far-right zealot
  • New York Magazine: The spiritual warfare of Vance Boelter
  • MSNBC: Killings in Arizona and Minnesota shine light on the crisis of Christian extremist violence

At the New York Times, evangelical columnist David French wrote about the "problem of the Christian assassin," using Boelter as a cudgel to smear Christians — and take a shot at President Donald Trump.

"And right now — at a time when the Christian message of grace and mercy should shine the brightest — America’s Christian extremists are killing people, threatening and intimidating public servants and other public figures who oppose Trump and trying to drive their political opponents from the public square," French claimed.

In the view of leftists and media pundits, this heinous act of violence wasn't the result of one individual's sin but the inevitable fruit of "Christian nationalism." If you hear them tell the story, Boelter's views of Christianity gave him license to act. But it's a lie.

Guilt by faith

Let's be honest about what's happening here: The media, leftists, and opponents of President Trump use the label "Christian nationalism" to smear conservative Christians.

In the media, "Christian nationalism" has become an elastic term that is stretched to cover anyone who believes a biblical worldview should influence public life and anyone who wants their communities to be more Christian.

Do you oppose the LGBTQ+ agenda? Christian nationalist. Do you oppose giving children "trans-affirming" drugs? Christian nationalist. Do you believe that life begins at conception? Christian nationalist. Are you a Christian who supports President Trump? Christian nationalist. Do you believe that America was uniquely founded on Judeo-Christian principles? Christian nationalist. Jesus is Lord? Christian nationalist.

The goal of the "Christian nationalist" panic is clear: to discredit and silence Christians for refusing to go along with the leftist agenda.

By connecting isolated violent acts to "Christian nationalism," they make all conservative Christians guilty by association. This is their narrative: Your faith is suspect, your convictions are dangerous, and your faith, if taken seriously, is a threat to democracy — or worse.

Faith, not extremism

The media and leftists who fearmonger about "Christian nationalism" are intentionally omitting basic truths.

Loving your country and wanting it to flourish is not the type of "nationalism" (i.e., fascism) they accuse conservative Christians of advocating for. Believing in biblical truth and voting in alignment with biblical values is not "extremism," and it certainly isn't an attempt to impose a theocracy on everyone else. Christians who speak about Christ publicly — and want their communities to reflect Christian values — aren't calling for a state religion.

Despite their accusations, conservative Christians are not inclined toward violence.

We want moral sanity. We don't want the progressive agenda shoved down our throats. We want to raise our families in healthy, peaceful communities. We want every American to know and experience the goodness of God and the riches of a relationship with Him.

It's not radical, and it's certainly not extreme.

What they really fear

The heinous acts that police accuse Vance Boelter of committing on the morning of June 14 are not Christian. They are pure evil.

No faithful Christian would disagree with that assessment. And yet, the media rushed to connect an isolated act of evil to all conservative Christians in the name of "Christian nationalism" when there is no link at all.

Not only is it dishonest, but it underscores yet another leftist double standard.

When far-left progressives commit violence, the media instructs us not to rush to judgment. When leftist ideologies produce bloodshed, we're told to wait for the full story. But when an alleged conservative or Christian commits violence (two claims about Boelter that remain more tale than truth), the entire conservative Christian movement is put on trial and swiftly condemned.

The distinction between what the media and leftists define as "Christian nationalism" and actual conservative Christianity is important. Not just for the sake of truth — although truth is important — but for the sake of every Christian trying to follow Jesus in a world that increasingly calls evil "good" and good "evil."

If there is anything Americans should be concerned about, it's the leftist ideology that seeks to replace God with government and silence dissent in the name of progress. The real story here isn't that Christianity turns people violent or results in extremism; it's that people with an agenda who hate Christianity use any excuse to try to turn Americans against faithful believers.

The real nationalism the left fears is a nation that still believes in God and Christians who won't be silent. Don't let them win.

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.

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

  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."

RELATED: Phone associated with accused assassin’s home traveled to Dubai, Nepal, India, and Turkey, report says

 

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."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

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.

Want more from Liz Wheeler?

To enjoy more of Liz’s based commentary, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

The plot thickens: No Kings flyers found in Minnesota suspect's car



The Minnesota man who is suspected of killing a Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband was caught by police hiding in a rural field, but who he is and possible motives only get murkier as more information is revealed.

Vance Boelter also allegedly took the life of the Hortmans' golden retriever, Gilbert; shot Democratic state Senator John Hoffman and his wife in their home; and had stacks of No Kings flyers that were recovered in his car. While some have claimed that Boelter was a Trump supporter, the discovered flyers, which simply said “No Kings,” in reference to the nationwide anti-Trump protests, have caused some confusion.

“I mean, none of this makes any sense,” BlazeTV host Pat Gray of “Pat Gray Unleashed” comments. “Nobody knows necessarily his motivation. They are calling it political.”


The last time Boelter is known to have been a registered Republican was over 20 years ago in Oklahoma.

But it gets weirder, as Boelter is married, but he has a roommate.

“How is he married, and he has a roommate? I don’t understand this situation. His roommate says he was a big Trump supporter,” Gray explains, noting that his wife was found with passports, food, cash and a loaded-up car.

“Was he going to abandon the roommate and take off with his wife?” Gray asks, dumbfounded, though he does know one thing. “I think we have an idea what kind of guy he is: a psycho murdering kind of guy.”

“Man, what a weird situation,” he adds.

Keith Malinak notes that even stranger, Hortman recently cast a vote that caused issues between her and her own party.

“She’s the one that crossed party lines to go and vote and stop this health care for illegals in Minnesota, which is strange because she’s really extreme left on many issues,” Malinak says.

Want more from Pat Gray?

To enjoy more of Pat's biting analysis and signature wit as he restores common sense to a senseless world, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

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.

RELATED: 'Politically motivated assassination': Minnesota Democrat rep and husband gunned down — state senator, wife wounded

  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."

RELATED: Suspect tied to Walz? Democrat governor may have appointed alleged Minnesota shooter to state board

  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.

RELATED: Florida woman poses as ICE agent to kidnap ex-boyfriend's wife, says victim must 'suffer consequences of husband's actions'

  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.

RELATED: Police detain suspected assassin’s wife with cash, passports, weapon, ammunition

  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.

RELATED: Minnesota 'assassination' suspect captured

  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.

RELATED: Alleged manifesto of murder suspect Luigi Mangione highlights lessons learned from Unabomber: Court docs

  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.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Survivors of Minnesota assassination attempt release statement: 'Incredibly lucky to be alive'



The surviving family that was targeted in an assassination attempt in Minnesota released a statement two days after the terrifying incident that shocked the nation.

Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman (DFL) and his wife, Yvette, were both shot numerous times at their home on Saturday in the same plot that led to the deaths of Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman (DFL) and her husband, Mark, according to police.

'There is never a place for senseless political violence and loss of life.'

"We continue our healing journey and are humbled by the outpouring of love and support our family has received from across the state and our nation," read the statement, according to ABC News. "We are devastated by the loss of Melissa and Mark, and our hearts go out to all those who knew and loved them both."

The family added that the two wounded victims were "both incredibly lucky to be alive."

Investigators released video of a man wearing a latex mask to obscure his identity and dressed up like a police officer to fool his victims into opening their front door. Once they did so, he fired at his victims.

The attack on the Hoffmans and the Hortmans led to a massive manhunt for a suspect who was later identified as Vance Leroy Boelter, a co-owner of a security company with political ties.

On Sunday, the suspect's wife, Jennifer Boelter, was detained after police stopped her vehicle and found passports, a weapon, ammunition, and a large amount of cash. She was driving with three of her relatives, but no other details were released about them.

Hours later, officials announced that Boelter had been arrested in Sibley County, Minnesota.

RELATED: Suspect tied to Walz? Democrat governor may have appointed alleged Minnesota shooter to state board

 Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband. Steven Garcia/Getty Images

On Monday, law enforcement officials said that Boelter had surveilled his victims and had left behind a list of numerous other targets, including other prominent politicians as well as media figures.

He was charged with two counts of murder, two counts of stalking, and two counts related to firearms crimes. His bail was set at $5 million.

Boelter had been appointed to the Governor's Workforce Board and later re-appointed by Dem. Gov. Tim Walz, as first reported by Blaze News' Julio Rosas.

"There is never a place for senseless political violence and loss of life," said the Hoffmans in their statement Monday.

A GoFundMe donation page has been set up for the Hoffmans and has raised over $129,000 so far.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Dems Lecture About ‘Political Violence’ After Years Of Leftist Threats, Attacks, And Assassination Attempts

Blue politicians never fail to use the acts of violent radicals, whose roots are assigned by the corporate media to the right, to grandstand about the evils of Republicans.