‘The stuff of nightmares’: The timeline of events leading up to and following Boelter’s attacks
Go Deeper.
Create an account or log in to save stories.
Like this?
Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.
Authorities have revealed a chilling timeline of events that led up to the fatal shooting of former DFL House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark early Saturday.
DFL state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette survived serious injuries in a shooting about 90 minutes earlier. Federal prosecutors allege that Vance Boelter also visited the homes of two other state lawmakers.
In a federal criminal complaint, Boelter is charged with stalking, murder and firearms offenses.
“It is no exaggeration to say that his crimes are the stuff of nightmares,” acting Minnesota U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson said.
Leading up to the targeted attacks
Thompson says Boelter planned the attacks carefully, researching the victims, conducting surveillance of their homes and buying police gear.
“He concealed himself as a police officer, outfitting his black SUV with police lights and a police license plate, wearing a black tactical vest and body armor, carrying a police flashlight and a handgun,” Thompson said.
The complaint includes disturbing security camera images of Boelter allegedly wearing a flesh-colored silicone mask that made him appear bald.
Timeline of the shooting and manhunt
Sen. John Hoffman’s house, Champlin
Just after 2 a.m. Saturday, June 14: Boelter knocked on the Hoffmans’ front door in Champlin. Several times he yelled “this is the police, open the door.” When the couple answered, Boelter allegedly said there’d been a shooting at their house.
“When Boelter lowered his flashlight, which he’d shined in their faces, they realized he wasn’t a police officer. They shouted ‘you’re not a cop, you’re not a police officer.’ Boelter then announced ‘this is a robbery’ and forced himself into their home.”
When the Hoffmans tried to push him out, investigators say Boelter opened fire, striking each of them multiple times. They continue to recover.
At 2:06 a.m.: Hoffman’s daughter called 911 to report the shooting. The Hoffmans were transported to the hospital and were stabilized although they suffered critical gunshot wounds.
He visited two legislators’ homes in Maple Grove and New Hope
2:24 a.m., Maple Grove: Thompson says Boelter then went to the home of a state representative in Maple Grove, rang the doorbell and announced himself as a police officer and said he had a warrant. The lawmaker — who’s not named in the complaint —wasn’t home, so Boelter left. DFL Rep. Kristin Bahner later confirmed it was her house.
New Hope: Police there knew about the attack on the Hoffmans, so they dispatched an officer to the home of DFL state Sen. Ann Rest. She’s not named in court documents, but confirmed in a statement that the suspect was parked near her house and credits the officer with saving her life.
2:36 a.m.: The officer dispatched to check on Rest encountered a man, now thought to be Boelter. Thompson says the New Hope officer thought that Boelter’s phony squad car was genuine, and that the man inside was a real cop sent to protect Rest. The officer pulled up next to Boelter, rolled down her window, and tried to speak with him.
“Boelter did not respond. According to the officer, he just sat there and stared straight ahead,” Thompson said. “So the New Hope police officer, who’d been dispatched to the scene, proceeded to the state senator’s home and she waited for other law enforcement to arrive. By the time they did, Boelter had left the scene.”
In response to a reporter’s question at a press conference on Monday, Thompson said that the officer knew something was awry, but probably didn’t know that the man in the fake police cruiser was suspected of shooting John and Yvette Hoffman.
Rep. Melissa Hortman’s house, Brooklyn Park
Around 3:30 a.m.: Law enforcement went to the home of the Hortman’s after Brooklyn Park sergeant Rielly Nordan suggested checking nearby legislators homes. Upon arriving, they saw a black Ford Explorer SUV that resembled a squad car parked outside the home with emergency lights flashing. They also saw the SUV’s license plate has been replaced with a fake “POLICE” plate.
Law enforcement saw Boelter standing near the front door, facing the Hortman’s house.
Moments after officers arrived to check on the couple, Boelter allegedly fired several shots into the house and walked inside. Dashcam footage captured that he moved inside and fired several more shots.
At the same time, police entered the home and found Mark Hortman lying on the floor where they tried to provide medical assistance. They also found Melissa Hortman mortally wounded, and their dog Gilbert had been shot as well. Mark and Melissa both died from their injuries. Boelter abandoned his fake cruiser and ran away.
Down the block, police found the pistol, tactical vest, flashlight and silicone mask seen in the security videos.
Hours after the shooting using cell phone data, they tracked Boelter’s wife to Onamia, where she agreed to a search of her phone. On it, they found texts from Boelter to his family. One said “Dad went to war last night.”
Officers later obtained a warrant to search the vehicle where investigators allegedly found five firearms, ammunition and the license plates for the SUV, which is registered to Boelter and his wife. They also found notebooks containing the names and addresses of several dozen state and federal public officials. Thompson says all are Democrats.
The manhunt
Around 7 a.m.: A shelter-in-place was issued in Brooklyn Park for a 3-mile radius. Police said in the alert that the suspect may be misrepresenting himself as law enforcement and was considered armed and dangerous.
Around 9 a.m.: The public was made aware that the shootings targeted state legislators, but authorities were not naming who they were. Gov. Tim Walz activated the State Emergency Operations Center.
Just before 10 a.m.: Walz gives a press conference naming Melissa and Mark Hortman as those who were fatally shot in a “politically motivated assassination.”
“Our state lost a great leader, and I lost the dearest of friends,” Walz said. “Speaker Hortman was someone who served the people of Minnesota with grace, compassion, humor and a sense of service.” Boelter’s identity was still unknown.
11 a.m.: Minnesotans gather at the state Capitol for the “No Kings” protest. The Minnesota State Patrol asks the public not to attend out of caution after finding flyers from the protest in Boelter’s abandoned vehicle.
Around 3 p.m.: Officials gather for a press briefing and name 57-year-old Vance Boelter as the suspect in the killings and ask for the public’s help in finding him.
Around 2:30 a.m., Sunday, June 15: Law enforcement receive word of a possible sighting of an individual riding an e-bike about two miles northeast of Boelter’s home in Green Isle.
Sunday morning: The shelter-in-place is no longer in effect for Brooklyn Park with authorities saying Boelter left the area. Boelter was living in Green Isle, but it is revealed he was renting a room at a home in north Minneapolis. KARE 11 reports that one of Boelter’s roommates got a text message Saturday morning telling him he would be gone for a while “and may be dead shortly.”
10:30 a.m.: Residents in Sibley County receive an emergency alert around 10 a.m. telling them to lock their homes and vehicles. Authorities say they have found a car police believe was used by Boelter. Authorities began going door-to-door to search residences. A cowboy hat believed to be worn by Boelter is found in the area.
5:30 p.m.: Boelter is still at large. At a press conference authorities say they are searching a six-mile radius from his Green Isle home.
Vance Boelter was arrested and is in custody on Sunday.Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher“We continue to conduct interviews on the investigative piece, not only to learn his whereabouts, but also to follow up on the case and gather the information as part of the prosecution related to him,” said Drew Evans, the superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Around 9:10 p.m.: Law enforcement found Boelter hiding in the woods a mile from his home. After what law enforcement leaders call the largest manhunt in Minnesota history the 57-year-old surrendered without a fight.
Around 9:30 p.m.: A law enforcement source tells MPR News that Boelter has been taken into custody in Sibley County.
Just before 11 p.m.: Walz and law enforcement officials brief the public. Evans said Boelter’s been charged in the shootings and that the case will be reviewed for possible federal charges.
Walz praised law enforcement for capturing Boelter. He mourned Melissa Hortman, saying “One man’s unthinkable actions have altered the state of Minnesota.” He vowed to “put every ounce of energy the state of Minnesota has to make sure the justice is served.” He also pleaded for civility in American life.
The next day
10 a.m.: The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office holds a press conference saying they will seek first-degree murder charges for Boelter — which will require a grand jury proceeding. “I want to assure people that we will seek first-degree murder charges,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty told MPR News host Cathy Wurzer on Monday morning.
11:10 a.m.: Federal authorities unveil their own murder and stalking charges against Boelter. Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson said Boelter had been planning detailed attacks on politicians for “some time,” including surveillance.
He said more than 45 Minnesota state and federal officials were on Boelter’s target list, all of them Democrats. Thompson declined to speak to a motive. It’s not clear yet if federal authorities will pursue the death penalty.
Mark Bruley, the Brooklyn Park police chief, said his officers’ confronting Boelter at Hortman’s house likely stopped Boelter from more violence. Officers “essentially took his vehicle from him, his maps, his names, his weaponry.”
Early afternoon: Boelter appears in federal court in St. Paul wearing an orange jail-issued shirt and pants. Clean shaven and subdued, Boelter stared straight ahead and answered questions from the magistrate judge with either “yes” or “yes sir.”
Federal public defender Matthew Deates appeared with Boelter, who indicated he could not afford a private attorney. The next hearing is set for June 27 at 11 a.m.
Turn Up Your Support
MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.
