At his arraignment in federal court on Thursday, Vance Boelter, the alleged assassin who is suspected of shooting two Minnesota senators and their spouses and murdering one pair, is anticipated to enter a not guilty plea, according to his lawyer.
Boelter was charged last month with six counts of murder, stalking, and firearms offenses in relation to the politically motivated shootings of Democratic senator John Hoffman and state representative Melissa Hortman, as well as their spouses.
According to investigators, Boelter knocked on Hoffman’s Champlin residence early on June 14 while impersonating as a police officer. The shooter started shooting as soon as the senator opened the door, hitting Hoffman nine times.While protecting their daughter, Hope, from the gunfire, his wife, Yvette Hoffman, was also wounded eight times during Boelter’s midnight spree.
Boelter, still in his disguise, arrived at Hortman’s house in Brooklyn Park, some eight miles distant, around ninety minutes later.
In the ensuing gunshots, Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, were both hit and declared dead at the site.Gilbert, their family dog, was also fatally injured, according to the police.
Meanwhile, the Hoffmans were taken to a nearby hospital and both had surgery. Since then, the pair has been free to recuperate at home.
Before arriving in Brooklyn Park, the shooter made two more stops at the residences of lawmakers, according to authorities, but he did not establish contact.
Boelter eluded police for days after the shooting, but after what Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley called the biggest manhunt in the state’s history, he was apprehended. He claimed that in order to fool the victims into believing he was police enforcement, Boelter, who was wearing a tactical vest at the time of the shootings, drove a black SUV with emergency lights. Flyers for the statewide No Kings protest, a manifesto, and a hit list with about 45 persons were discovered during a check of his fictitious police cruiser.
Additionally, prosecutors have made public a lengthy handwritten confession letter that they claim Boelter wrote to FBI Director Kash Patel. However, he did not disclose his motivation in the letter.
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