Suspect Captured in Deadly Minnesota Attack Targeting State Lawmakers

The man accused of fatally shooting a Minnesota lawmaker and attempting to assassinate another has been arrested, bringing a two-day manhunt to an end. Authorities say the attack appears to have been politically motivated.

The suspect, 57-year-old Vance Boelter, was taken into custody without incident on Sunday, according to Minnesota law enforcement officials.

Boelter allegedly opened fire early Saturday morning, killing Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, and seriously injuring State Senator John A. Hoffman and his wife, Yvette Hoffman. Authorities say Boelter and Senator Hoffman had previously served together on a local workforce development board.

He now faces two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder, according to a criminal complaint unsealed Sunday evening.

Lieutenant Colonel Jeremy Geiger of the Minnesota State Patrol confirmed that Boelter surrendered peacefully, and no force was required during the arrest. Multiple agencies coordinated in the manhunt, aided by information from the community.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz praised the swift and courageous actions of law enforcement:

“You ran towards danger and served the state of Minnesota,” he said.

Walz also paid tribute to Representative Hortman, calling her “the core of who our values were” and credited the Hoffmans for taking “heroic actions” that may have saved “countless lives.”

The attack is the latest in a series of violent political incidents in the U.S. In April, an arson attack targeted the home of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. Last year, then-President Donald Trump narrowly survived an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. In 2022, the husband of then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi was attacked with a hammer inside their San Francisco residence.

Boelter, who describes himself as a “security professional,” is currently being held pending arraignment. Investigators are continuing to examine the motive and circumstances behind the attack.

With input from Al Jazeera