Man Suspected Of Murdering 2 Minnesota Lawmakers Surrenders

The man suspected of killing a Minnesota lawmaker and wounding another surrendered to authorities after being found in the woods near his home, ending a nearly two-day manhunt that had put the entire state on edge, Steve Karnowski, Obed Lamy, Mike Balsamo, and Alanna Durkin Richer reported for the Associated Press (AP).

Boelter is accused of impersonating a police officer and fatally shooting former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. I Photo: Hennepin County Sheriff's Office

Vance Boelter was arrested and charged with two counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder.

He is accused of impersonating a police officer and fatally shooting former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, early Saturday at their home in a northern Minneapolis suburb.

Authorities say Boelter also shot Sen. John Hoffman, a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, at their residence roughly nine miles (about 15 kilometers) away. Both were injured.

“One man’s unthinkable actions have altered the state of Minnesota,” said Democratic Governor Tim Walz at a press conference following the arrest. Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley described the search for Boelter as the “largest manhunt in the state’s history.”

The hunt began when officers checking on Hortman’s home witnessed her husband being shot, prompting the suspect to flee.

On Sunday, authorities found a vehicle Boelter had been using abandoned in rural Sibley County, where he lived. A police officer later reported seeing Boelter run into the woods. He was eventually found and surrendered without further incident.