Around 24 hours after police say a gunman killed a Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband, plus wounded another lawmaker and his wife, suspect Vance Boelter remains on the run, authorities have said.
The suspect’s wife was detained for questioning after a traffic stop near Onamia, Minnesota, late on Saturday morning, multiple law enforcement sources told Minnesota ABC News’ affiliate KSTP. She was released without being arrested, according to KTSP, which reports it’s unknown why her vehicle was stopped.
The shootings began around 2 a.m. Saturday, when Minnesota State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were both shot multiple times at their home in Champlin, Minnesota, authorities said.
Soon after, State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were shot and killed at their home in Brooklyn Park.
Police encountered the gunman leaving Hortman’s house at around 3:35 a.m., the officers heading there to check on the lawmaker after responding to the earlier shooting at Hoffman’s home.
Photos of murder suspect Vance Boelter obtained by ABC News show him at one of the homes that he allegedly went to this morning.
Obtained by ABC News
Authorities said they’ve identified 57-year-old Vance Boelter as a person of interest.
FBI
The suspect exchanged gunfire with police and was able to escape and flee on foot, authorities said.
The FBI is “using every available resource to locate Vance Boelter,” FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. said in a statement.
The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to Boelter’s arrest.
The 57-year-old suspect is alleged to have gained access to the victim’s homes while posing as a police officer. Police believe that when the shooter opened fire, he was wearing a latex mask that looked realistic, sources said.
Boelter — a husband and father, according to an online biography — has touted an extensive background in security and military training, according to an ABC News review of his online presence and professional history.
Boelter helped lead the private security firm Praetorian Guard Security Services, which is based in the Twin Cities area, according to the company website.
Dozens of Minnesota Democrats were on a target list written by the gunman, according to law enforcement sources.
Those on the list included Gov. Tim Walz, U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith and state Attorney General Keith Ellison, according to law enforcement sources familiar with the matter.
Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman are shown in these undated file photos.
Minnesota House of Representatives | Minnesota Senate
Police said the list — which was retrieved from the suspect’s vehicle, which looked like a police vehicle and had police lights — also named Hortman and Hoffman. Both victims are Democrats and Hortman was formerly the Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives.
The shooter’s list of potential targets also included the names of abortion providers and pro-choice activists, several sources told ABC News. Many of the Democratic lawmakers on the list have been outspoken about pro-choice policy positions, two sources said.
ABC News’ Sasha Pezenik, Jenny Wagnon Courts, Chris Looft, Josh Margolin, Luke Barr, Mike Levine and Katherine Faulders contributed to this report.
