The 57-year-old is said to have possessed a manifesto with 70 names of public figures, including those who support abortion.
The man suspected of killing Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband has been apprehended after a two-day search, according to police.
Vance Luther Boelter, accused of impersonating a police officer during the attacks, is also alleged to have shot and injured State Senator John Hoffman and his wife in a separate incident. The 57-year-old was found near his home in Sibley County, Minnesota.
Authorities claim Boelter posed as a police officer to gain entry into his victims’ residences. He allegedly first attacked Senator Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, at their home in Champlin, Minnesota, early Saturday morning. Both suffered multiple gunshot wounds but survived. Boelter then allegedly went to Representative Hortman’s home in Brooklyn Park, where he fatally shot her and her husband, Mark.
“During a vehicle search, a manifesto was discovered containing the names of numerous lawmakers and other officials,” Brooklyn Park Police Department Chief Mark Bruley stated at a Saturday press conference. “We immediately alerted the state, who took action.”
Officers added that the vehicle “resembled an SUV squad car” and was equipped with emergency lights that made it appear “exactly like a police vehicle.”
The list of approximately 70 names reportedly included prominent legislators, community leaders, and information pertaining to healthcare facilities. According to the AP, a Minnesota official stated that the list included lawmakers who had publicly expressed support for abortion rights.
Governor Tim Walz characterized the shootings as “targeted political violence.” Boelter and Hoffman previously served on the same state workforce development board, although it is unclear if they knew each other. Boelter was known to hold conservative views and had voiced anti-abortion sentiments.
Reportedly, before the attacks, Boelter sent text messages to friends apologizing for his actions, without specifying what he had done. “I’m going to be gone for a while. May be dead shortly, so I just want to let you know I love you guys both and I wish it hadn’t gone this way,” he wrote in messages obtained by AP.
Boelter is facing multiple charges, including two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder.