Minnesota shooter Vance Boelter arrested, 2 days after he killed Democratic lawmaker

The main suspect in the Minnesota shooting, which killed a Democratic lawmaker, has been taken into custody following a massive manhunt conducted by the state police and the FBI. Law enforcement apprehended Vance Boelter on Sunday night following a two-day search, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) announced at a press conference shortly before midnight.

Drew Evans, superintendent of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension in Minnesota, said that Boelter was taken into custody under a state criminal warrant that charged him with killing Minnesota Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband. Apart from this, State Senator John Hoffman and his wife were wounded in the incident.

“One man’s unthinkable actions have altered the state of Minnesota,” Walz said Sunday night, vowing justice for the alleged gunman. “This cannot be the norm, it cannot be the way we deal with our political differences,” the governor added, urging members of the public to “find common ground” with each other.

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The arrest of Boelter ended a sprawling manhunt following the fatal shooting of former Minnesota Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, who were killed at their home early Saturday. While speaking to the reporters, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz described the two-day manhunt as “complex and dangerous.”

Earlier on Sunday, Minnesota officials described the search as a multifaceted hunt for the suspect, with scores of law enforcement officials involved in the operation. Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said 20 different SWAT teams were utilised during the manhunt.

The officials noted that the suspect was armed when he was taken into custody. Evans said that Boelter has declined to share more information about the incident.

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Meanwhile, the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office on Sunday night shared a photo of the suspect wearing a jacket with his hands behind his back, apparently standing in a field while encircled by agents. “The face of evil. After relentless and determined police work, the killer is now in custody,” the sheriff’s office wrote.

It is pertinent to note that authorities issued state and federal warrants for Boelter, accusing him of murder and attempted murder as well as seeking to avoid prosecution. More than 400 tips poured in over two days as authorities suggested the gunman was using “various modes of transportation” to evade authorities.