Minnesota suspect also went to homes of 2 other lawmakers

Minnesota State Patrol Special Response Team officers during a manhunt for a man suspected of assassinating a Democratic state lawmaker and attempting to kill another, in Green Isle, Minn., on Sunday, June 15, 2025. A suspect in the case was arrested later on Sunday, officials said, ending a two-day search that rattled the state. (Tim Gruber/The New York Times)

By Ernesto Londoño, Jeff Ernst, Yan Zhuang and David W. Chen

A man accused of assassinating a Minnesota state lawmaker and shooting another also visited the houses of two other lawmakers the same morning, in what authorities called a planned campaign designed to “inflict fear” and kill lawmakers and their families, federal officials revealed Monday.

The suspect, Vance Boelter, 57, will face federal murder charges in the attack, which could allow for the death penalty.

“This was a political assassination, which is not a word we use very often in the United States,” said Joseph H. Thompson, the acting U.S. attorney for the district of Minnesota, during a news conference in Minneapolis. He added that all of the targeted officials were Democrats.

Boelter was being held at the Hennepin County Jail in downtown Minneapolis. In an initial federal court appearance Monday, he was alert, direct and had a stern expression, and made no eye contact with members of the public. The judge set a preliminary hearing date for June 27.

Boelter has already been charged by state prosecutors with two counts of second-degree murder, for the fatal shootings of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and two counts of attempted second-degree murder for shooting and wounding state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette.

Here’s what else to know:

— The search: Boelter was captured late Sunday in the largest search in Minnesota’s history across a rural area southwest of Minneapolis, investigators said. He later confessed in a written note to the attacks, according to an FBI affidavit. Law enforcement officials found the suspect’s car and hat in Sibley County on Sunday. SWAT drones tracked him crawling through brush, and he surrendered near Green Isle, Minnesota, a town where he had a home with his wife and children.

— The victims: Melissa Hortman served as speaker of the Minnesota House for six years and helped pass key legislation on abortion rights, marijuana legalization and medical leave. John Hoffman, a fourth-term state senator, leads the Senate’s Human Services Committee. He and his wife were recovering, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota said Sunday.

— Other lawmakers: In between Boelter’s visits to Hortman and Hoffman’s homes, he visited two other lawmakers, authorities said. State Sen. Ann Rest, a Democrat from suburban Minneapolis, said in a statement that she was told Boelter was parked near her home Saturday. She thanked the New Hope Police Department for its “heroic work,” saying “their quick action saved my life.”

— State charges: The state is also expected to charge Boelter with first-degree murder, which would carry a mandatory sentence of life without the possibility of parole, the Hennepin County attorney said Monday.

— A list: The suspect had a notebook that mentioned about 70 potential targets, some in neighboring states, including politicians, civic leaders and Planned Parenthood centers, according to law enforcement officials.