US law enforcement agencies have intensified efforts to capture a 57-year-old man accused of killing a Democratic state representative and seriously injuring another in a series of politically charged attacks. Authorities placed a Ksh6.4 million (approx. $50,000) bounty on Vance Boelter, urging the public to remain alert while emphasizing the suspect is armed, dangerous, and willing to kill.
Tactical units were deployed on Sunday to a rural area in Sibley County, Minnesota, where officers found what they believed to be Boelter’s vehicle just a day after the attacks. The discovery spurred a flurry of activity, with police donning tactical gear and issuing emergency cellphone alerts urging residents to secure their homes and vehicles. A press conference was scheduled for later in the day to update the public on the investigation.
According to officials, Boelter impersonated a police officer to gain access to the homes of two lawmakers in separate Minneapolis suburbs early Saturday morning. Dressed in a ballistic vest, gloves, and a face-covering mask, the suspect fatally shot Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. He fled on foot after a dramatic exchange of gunfire with responding officers.
In a second attack, Boelter allegedly shot State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. Both survived, though Hoffman remains hospitalized in stable condition and may require further surgery. The incidents have rocked the local political community and triggered national concern about the escalating trend of politically motivated violence in the US.
Investigators are combing through surveillance footage, financial records, and the suspect’s known affiliations to trace his movements before and after the attacks. Boelter, reportedly politically active and critical of abortion rights, once served on a state workforce board alongside one of the victims, Senator Hoffman. He is also known to have supported former President Donald Trump.
The suspect and his wife operate a private security firm that mimics law enforcement operations, including using SUV-style vehicles resembling police cruisers. The couple is also linked to a religious nonprofit, previously described in online archives as a ministry led by Boelter. He was reportedly involved in overseas missionary work, including controversial outreach to radical Islamist groups.
The killings have reignited concerns about the growing normalization of political violence in the United States. Once considered fringe, violent rhetoric and actions are now seen by many as part of the country’s evolving political fabric. As law enforcement continues its search, the attacks serve as a grim reminder of the potential consequences of deepening political polarization.
