57yo man suspected of shooting two US politicians and spouses while posing as cop

Terrifying images have been released as the FBI hunt a man suspected of shooting two US politicians and their spouses while pretending to be a cop.

Authorities in the United States are hunting a 57-year-old man suspected of impersonating a police officer and shooting two Minnesota politicians and their spouses at their homes — killing one couple.

The FBI is offering a reward of up to $US50,000 ($A77,000) for information “leading to the arrest and conviction” of suspect Vance Luther Boelter, 57, who is still at large.

A hit list with nearly 70 names was reportedly found in the suspect’s car.

The FBI released terrifying images of a man wearing a Halloween-type mask attempting to gain access to one of the victims’ homes.

The FBI released these images in the hunt for the gunman. Picture: FBI

Boelter sent an eerie text message on Saturday morning (local time) to his roommates at a Minneapolis home where he rented a room part-time, local television station Fox 9 reported.

“David and Ron, I love you guys. I’ve made some choices and you guys don’t know anything about this, but I’m going to be gone for a while,” it said.

“I’ll be dead shortly. So I just want to let you know that I love you guys both. And wish it hand’s gone this way. I don’t want to say anything more, and implicate you in any way because you guys don’t know anything about this, but I love you guys and I’m sorry for all the trouble this has caused.”

David Carlson reads a text message he received from Vance Boelter. Picture: Stephen Maturen/Getty Images/AFP

Armed FBI agents search for an active shooter, sweeping a neighbourhood adjacent to the home of Minnesota state representative Melissa Hortman, in Brooklyn Park on June 14, 2025. Picture: Alex Kormann/Star Tribune via AP

Democratic state representative Melissa Hortman — the former House Speaker — and her husband were killed, and a senator and his wife seriously injured in a “politically motivated attack” when a man posing as a police officer turned up at their homes and opened fire, authorities said.

Ms Hortman and her husband, Mark, were gunned down in their Brooklyn Park home in the northern US state, shortly after 2am on Saturday local time (4pm AET), police said.

The pair was killed after the gunman targeted Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, in their Champlin home roughly 8kms away.

The Hoffmans were rushed into surgery and are in stable condition, officials said at a news conference.

US President Donald Trump called the attacks “absolutely terrible”.

“Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America. God Bless the great people of Minnesota, a truly great place!” he said.

Authorities do not know how many people are involved.

Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans said: “We still don’t know if additional people are involved, but this individual is the one that we’re looking as a person of interest right now, but there may be other people with him.”

Rep. Melissa Hortman. Picture: Minnesota Legislature via AP.

Mark Hortman died as cops attempted to deliver lifesaving measures. Melissa Hortman was pronounced dead at the scene. Picture: Facebook

Boelter is a former appointee of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.

Mr Walz, who was Kamala Harris’ running mate in the 2024 federal election, described the shootings as “an unspeakable tragedy,” and said the incident “appears to be a politically motivated assassination”.

Boelter was appointed by Walz in 2019 to serve a four-year stint on the Governor’s Workforce Development Board, documents show.

He previously served on the Governor’s Workforce Development Council in 2016 under then Governor Mark Dayton.

Vance Luther Boelter is the prime suspect. Picture: Facebook

Vance Luther Boelter. Picture: Facebook

The suspect reportedly had flyers with the words “No Kings” in his car, a reference to Saturday’s planned protests against the Trump Administration, as well as a “manifesto” and a list of other politicians’ names, said police, who briefly cornered the shooter at the Hortmans’ home before the suspect fled.

The anti-Trump rally in Minneapolis — part of the national wave of “No Kings” protests planned for Saturday — was cancelled after police issued a shelter-in-place order in response to the shootings.

US President Donald Trump and US Attorney-General Pam Bondi decried what they called “horrific violence” and said perpetrators would be prosecuted to “the fullest extent of the law”.

These flyers were found in the suspect’s car. Picture: Minnesota Department of Public Safety

Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband were both killed. Picture: Facebook

Senator John A. Hoffman was also targeting and rushed into surgery. Picture: Minnesota Legislature via AP.

The shootings came at a moment of deep political divisions in the US, as thousands prepared to take to the streets in protest at the policies of Mr Trump.

The Republican president has drawn criticism from Democrats over his harsh deportation policy, his assault on universities and the media and a perceived flouting of limits on executive power as he pushes his agenda.

“At this precipice moment we’re on, this tragic act here in Minnesota should serve as a reminder to all of us,” Mr Walz said.

“The democracy and the debates in the halls of Congress, in state houses, in school boards, is a way to settle our differences peacefully and move society to a better place.”

Senator John Hoffman (right) and his wife, Yvette (left). Picture: Facebook

Brooklyn Park police officers guard the entrance to the neighbourhood on June 14, 2025 in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. Picture: Getty Images via AFP.

Matt Oleg, a relative of the Hoffmans, told KARE 11 that “a bullet just very nearly missed Senator Hoffman’s heart, that his wife Yvette is in better condition, she had no organs pierced, and that she saved the couple’s daughter’s life.”

“The daughter Hope, who I believe is in her mid-twenties, was at home with her parents, and Yvette threw herself on top of her daughter,” Mr Lagoe continued, recalling the information shared with him by Oleg. He added that Hope “was not hit” by gunfire.

Mr Oleg said that John and Yvette Hoffman “are both out of surgery, they’re stable,” and “minutes ago had been trying to bring the senator out from under anaesthesia.”

Suspect on-the-run

The suspect is still on the run, despite making contact with police in the aftermath of the Hortman double homicide, according to Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley.

Officers dispatched to the Hortmans’ home as other units investigated the Hoffman shooting discovered a car outfitted with flashing lights to look like an SUV squad car.

“When they arrived at Melissa’s house, they noticed that there was a police vehicle in the driveway with the emergency lights on and what appeared to be a police officer at the door coming out of the house,” Mr Bruley said, adding that the suspect was wearing a vest, a badge and other equipment, such as a Taser, “very similar to mine.”

“When our officers confronted him, the individual immediately fired upon the officers, who exchanged gunfire, and the suspect retreated back into the home,” he continued.

Armed FBI agents have a meeting to strategize as they search for an active shooter by sweeping a neighbourhood adjacent to the home of Minnesota DFL State Representative Melissa Hortman. Picture: Alex Kormann/Star Tribune via AP

“It was not a real police officer. This is someone that clearly had been impersonating a police officer who uses the trust of this badge and this uniform to manipulate their way into the home.”

Gunfire was exchanged, but the suspect escaped on foot.

Mark Hortman was alive when Brooklyn Park police entered the home, but he died as they attempted to deliver lifesaving measures.

Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman addresses the house floor on Tuesday, January 3, 2023, in St. Paul, Minn. Picture: AP.

Melissa Hortman was declared dead at the scene.

As the mayhem unfolded, first responders rushed the Hoffmans to a nearby hospital.

The couple had each been pumped with multiple bullets, but survived the attack.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz pauses as he speaks about the murder of state Rep. Mellisa Hortman and her husband at the State Emergency operations Center in Blaine, Minn. Saturday, June 14, 2025. Picture: Jerry Holt/Star Tribune via AP.

Cops initially ordered a shelter-in-place for the 4km radius surrounding the Edinburgh Golf Course near the Hortman home, which was lifted Saturday afternoon.

“Police are looking for a suspect in multiple targeted shootings who is armed and dangerous,” Brooklyn Park Police said in an emergency alert sent to residents at 5:30am.

“Suspect is white male, brown hair, wearing black body armour over blue shirt and blue pants and may misrepresent himself as law enforcement.”

They city later said they had reason to believe the suspect was no longer in the area.

With AFP

Originally published as 57yo man suspected of shooting two US politicians and spouses while posing as cop