In a gruesome revelation, the Minnesota shooting suspect’s plot against Democrat lawmakers was far more extensive than initially reported.
Vance Luther Boelter has been charged with murdering a Democrat state representative and her husband.
He had a hit list containing 45 elected officials and had visited four lawmakers’ homes on his deadly mission, not just two as previously stated.
Acting U.S. Attorney for Minnesota Joe Thompson did not mince words about the gravity of Boelter’s crimes.
“It is no exaggeration to say that his crimes are the stuff of nightmares,” Thompson stated.
“Boelter stalked his victims like prey. He went to their homes, held himself out as a police officer, and shot them in cold blood,” he added.
Federal prosecutors have filed six charges against 57-year-old Boelter, including stalking, murder, and firearms offenses.
The suspect faces the death penalty after impersonating a police officer while carrying out what authorities described as a politically motivated assassination.
He murdered Democrat State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark. He also attempted to assassinate Democrat State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette.
The manhunt for Boelter became the largest in Minnesota history, lasting 43 hours and involving 20 SWAT teams before authorities captured him in a rural area of Sibley County.
Court documents reveal that Boelter had conducted extensive surveillance on his targets, using the internet to research his victims and their families.
He drove a black SUV disguised as a police vehicle and wore what officials described as a “hyper-realistic latex mask” during the attacks.
Most disturbing was what authorities found in Boelter’s possession: five firearms, large quantities of ammunition, and a list of over 45 elected officials.
Documents in his vehicle contained the names of prominent officials and community leaders.
The evidence points to what might have been a much larger planned attack against Democrat lawmakers that police thwarted by seizing his vehicle and materials.
The timeline investigators pieced together showed Boelter methodically visiting multiple lawmakers’ homes on the day of the shootings.
At some residences, lawmakers were fortunately absent, while at others, police intervention may have prevented additional bloodshed.
After the shootings, Boelter purchased a vehicle with cash in an apparent attempt to evade capture.
When authorities finally apprehended Boelter, they discovered a handwritten confession and other incriminating items in both his vehicle and his wife’s car.
“Words are not gonna explain how sorry I am for this situation. There’s gonna be some people coming to the house armed and trigger-happy and I don’t want you guys around,” Boelter seemingly wrote to his wife.
His family, including his wife, was interviewed by authorities and is said to be cooperating with the investigation.
While Sen. Hoffman and his wife were shot multiple times, they are expected to recover.
At the state level, Boelter faces two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder.
He has been appointed a federal public defender and is scheduled for a court hearing on June 27.
