Who is Vance Boelter? A suspect in the politically motivated shootings of 2 Minnesota lawmakers

57-year-old Vance Boelter has emerged as a primary suspect in the politically motivated shootings of two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses. After CNN had reported Boelter’s name as a primary suspect, Superintendent Drew Evans of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension confirmed the authorities were looking for Boelter in connection with the crimes.

Former Speaker of the Minnesota House Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, were killed in the attack. State Senator John Hoffman and his wife were also targeted, and though they were left in critical condition, they are expected to survive.

Boelter is alleged to have impersonated law enforcement to gain access to the homes of the leaders. The state’s Public Safety Commissioner confirmed in the hours following the shootings that the suspect wore a police uniform and was driving a vehicle designed to appear as if it belonged to law enforcement.

After emergency services were made aware of the shooting at Sen. Hoffman’s home, the residences of other leaders in the area were visited by police. When agents conducted a patrol of the Hortman residence, they found that the suspect was still in the house. State officials reported that gunfire was exchanged, but the suspect was ultimately able to escape.

Investigators later found a “manifesto” which included a hitlist of 70 lawmakers, two of whom were the targets of Saturday’s attacks.

Boelter’s work in private security

Vance Boelter is the Director of Security Patrols at Praetorian Guard Security Services, which offers services ranging from residential patrols to personal security services, as well as those for events. According to the company’s website, Boelter has vast security experience in major conflict regions, including Gaza and Southern Lebanon. His short bio also indicates that he worked for Nestle, described as “the world’s largest food company based in Switzerland.”

His LinkedIn profile features a post from a month ago, in which Boelter explained that he was looking for work. He claims that he has been living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for the last few years before returning to his home state of Minnesota. The suspect also posted before the 2020 election that his connections on the employment-based social media platform should make their voices heard at the ballot box.

Boelter’s ties to Governor Tim Walz

As Boelter’s name began to circulate, before he was eventually confirmed by authorities as the primary suspect, his connections to Minnesota politics came into focus.

In 2019, Boelter was reportedly appointed by Governor Tim Walz to the Governor’s Workforce Development Board, a 41-member board that serves three-year terms and comprises businesspeople, community organizers, educators, local and state workers, and labor leaders. If Gov. Walz appointed Boelter, his term would have expired years ago.

Right-wing influences have attempted to cast this connection as proof that Boelter was a Democrat, but that fails to consider that a Republican could be appointed to the board. Elon Musk has chimed in, calling the political left murderous, citing the most recent attacks in Minnesota. However, as highlighted by political streamer Hasan Piker, the fact that many progressive leaders, including Governor Walz and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, were on the hitlist found by investigations, casts doubts over the theory that the killer was associated with Democrats and the left.

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