Authorities in Minnesota are ramping up their manhunt after locating a vehicle connected to the suspect in the shocking, politically motivated shootings of two state lawmakers and their spouses. The discovery, made Sunday morning in Sibley County, has triggered heightened alerts and door-to-door searches by multiple law enforcement agencies.
An emergency alert sent to residents in Sibley County announced that the suspect’s vehicle had been discovered near Minnesota Highway 25 and 301st Avenue in Faxon Township… approximately 60 miles from where the attacks took place. Locals were urged to lock doors, stay vigilant, and expect visits from law enforcement seeking permission to search properties.
Among the agencies on the scene… the Minnesota State Patrol and the U.S. Marshals Service. Investigators also found a discarded cowboy hat near the area where the vehicle was discovered.
Authorities have identified 57-year-old Vance Boelter as the prime suspect in the deadly ambush that left Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband dead, and Sen. John Hoffman and his wife wounded. The two attacks occurred just five miles apart in Brooklyn Park and Champlin early Saturday morning.
Gov. Tim Walz confirmed the shootings were politically driven. The FBI is now offering a $50,000 reward for information that leads to Boelter’s arrest and conviction.
Investigators recovered another vehicle believed to belong to Boelter outside Rep. Hortman’s home. Inside, they found a chilling list of additional potential targets, along with fliers connected to Saturday’s “No Kings” protest movement.
Boelter’s last known residence is a rural property near Green Isle, though recent reports indicate he had been staying at a home in north Minneapolis.
In another twist, the Mille Lacs County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Boelter’s wife and several relatives were inside a vehicle pulled over in Onamia on Saturday. No one was searched or questioned during the stop, according to Sheriff Kyle Burton.
