(NewsNation) — Authorities said Vance Luther Boelter, 57, is in custody after a two-day manhunt following the fatal shooting of a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband.
Police arrested Boelter on Sunday evening in a rural region of the state after a multiagency search closed in on him following a tip about his whereabouts, law enforcement officials said.
Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband were killed in their home in Brooklyn Park, just after 3:30 a.m. on Saturday.
Just a few miles away, Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were also shot around 2 a.m. at their residence in Champlain, Minnesota. Authorities said Hoffman and his wife are alive.
Boelter has been accused of both shootings.
Vance Boelter had dozens of potential targets: Prosecutors
Boelter had dozens of apparent targets, including officials in at least three other states, acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson said Monday.
All the politicians named in Boelter’s writings were Democrats, including more than 45 state and federal officials in Minnesota, Thompson said.
Elected leaders in Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin said they, too, were mentioned in his writings.
Investigators said Boelter appeared to spend months preparing for the shootings — the latest in a string of political attacks across the United States.
What did Minnesota shooting suspect Vance Boelter do for work?
State corporate records show Boelter’s wife filed to create a company named Praetorian Guard Security Services LLC with the same Green Isle mailing address listed for the couple. On a website for the business, Boelter’s wife is listed as president and CEO, and he is listed as director of security patrols.
The website says the business provides armed security for property and events and features a photo of an SUV painted in a two-tone black and silver pattern similar to a police vehicle, with a light bar across the roof and “Praetorian” painted across the doors. Another photo shows a man in black tactical gear with a military-style helmet and a ballistic vest with the company’s name across the front.
An online resume lists Boelter as a security contractor who has worked in the Middle East and Africa, in addition to past managerial roles at companies in Minnesota.
Boelter was also employed in the funeral industry, primarily removing the bodies of those who died in assisted living facilities. That job appeared to be one he took due to financial difficulties.
Boelter is a former appointee under Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and served a four-year stint on the non-partisan Governor’s Workforce Development Board. Hoffman also served on the board, though it is not clear if he and Boelter knew each other.
Minnesota shooting suspect Vance Boelter’s political affiliation
Minnesota voters do not register a party affiliation, but Boelter’s roommate told reporters he was a supporter of President Donald Trump and held anti-abortion views. Records also show Boelter was registered as a Republican while living in Oklahoma.
Boelter was an evangelical who reportedly went to the Democratic Republic of Congo where he spoke at a Pentecostal church. At least one sermon he gave there appeared to critique LGBTQ rights. He and his wife also once ran a ministry called Revoformation Ministries.
Boelter is married and a father of five. He shared a registered address with his wife but also rented a room in Minneapolis, where he stayed several days a week. His wife, Jenny Boelter, was found with passports and cash in her car during a traffic stop Saturday. She is not currently in custody.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.