The FBI has issued a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Vance Luther Boelter, a 57-year-old suspect accused of orchestrating the targeted assassination of Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark.
The brazen attack, which also left State Senator John Hoffman and his wife injured in a separate shooting in Champlin, has sent shockwaves through the state and nation, with authorities labeling it a “politically motivated” act of terror.
Boelter was appointed by Walz in 2019 to serve on the Governor’s Workforce Development Board, and leads an international security firm.
The FBI offers a reward of up to $50,000 for info leading to the arrest and conviction of Vance L. Boelter, suspected of shooting two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses at their residences on June 14, 2025: https://t.co/XjawGOt5lq pic.twitter.com/tZ9RE97OHk
— FBI Most Wanted (@FBIMostWanted) June 14, 2025
According to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), at approximately 2 a.m. on Saturday, Boelter, allegedly impersonating a police officer and equipped with an armored vest and Taser, struck the Hoffman residence in Champlin. Just over an hour later, at 3:35 a.m., he targeted the Hortman home in nearby Brooklyn Park, where a vehicle resembling a police squad car with flashing lights was spotted in the driveway.
Brooklyn Park police, proactively checking on Hortman due to her proximity to Hoffman, encountered the suspect, who opened fire before fleeing on foot. Officers returned fire, but Boelter escaped, leaving behind a manifesto and a list of other legislators and officials, according to law enforcement sources.
“No Kings” flyers were also found inside of his vehicle.
The FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office, alongside the BCA, Brooklyn Park Police, and Champlin Police, has launched a massive manhunt for Boelter, who is considered armed and dangerous.
Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said Boelter is 6’1’’ and weighs around 220 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. He appeared to be wearing a latex mask during the shooting rampage. He was last seen wearing a “light colored” cowboy hat and a “dark colored” long-sleeved collared shirt.
“We still don’t know if additional people are involved, but this individual is the one that we’re looking as a person of interest right now, but there may be other people with him, and we would like to speak to anybody that may have had contact with him at any point in time,” Evans told reporters during a press briefing.
The FBI is urging the public to come forward with any information about Boelter’s whereabouts, offering a toll-free tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or the BCA tip line at 877-996-6222. Tips can also be submitted online at tips.fbi.gov or via email at [email protected].
“The public is asked to call 911 immediately if they see Boelter. Do not approach him,” the FBI warned.