June 16, 2025: Minnesota shootings suspect faces 6 federal charges and state 1st-degree murder charges

Our live coverage of the Minnesota lawmaker attacks has concluded. Get the latest here.

Wendy Thomas speaks during an interview.

Moments before police and SWAT teams dove into a grassy area to locate and arrest Vance Boelter, Sibley County resident Wendy Thomas came into contact with the suspect while leaving her neighbor Kevin Effertz’s house.

“I thought it was a SWAT team,” Thomas told CNN’s Laura Coates. Thomas then realized that authorities would’ve first asked Kevin for permission to be on the property. When Thomas saw just one person squatting in the grass, “my adrenaline started going in,” she said.

When exiting the property, Thomas flagged down a police officer. “There’s a person in the grassy area. He just went into the culvert,” she said.

Thomas then encountered more officers on a tar road who could tell she was visibly distraught. “I was shaken up, I could barely talk,” she said.

Effertz told Coates the grass in the meadow by his house is 3 to 4 feet tall and gave Boelter “great cover,” but Thomas had spotted him when he stood up.

“If he would’ve stayed crawling down, Wendy would have never saw him,” Effertz said.

Casey Jordan during an interview with CNN.

Vance Boelter’s alleged attempt to pursue and harm elected officials was a “planned campaign of stalking and violence,” an affidavit filed by the FBI noted.

“This is the thought process of an extremely dangerous, methodical criminal,” Casey Jordan, a criminologist and behavioral analyst, told CNN’s Laura Coates Monday.

Former FBI Agent Christopher O’Leary, who also spoke with Coates, said the FBI is likely trying to piece together Boelter’s “ideology and grievances,” and to see if there might be anyone else who is following his ideology.

“Did he just want to go after people? It’s hard to go inside his mind,” O’Leary said.

Sophie and Colin Hortman, the children of Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and husband Mark, released a statement Monday evening, just two days after their parents were shot and killed in their home.

“We are devastated and heartbroken at the loss of our parents, Melissa and Mark. They were the bright lights at the center of our lives, and we can’t believe they are gone. Their love for us was boundless. We miss them so much,” the statement, obtained by CNN affiliate KTTC, said.

The Hortman children said they are both safe with loved ones, and thanked law enforcement for trying to save their parents’ lives.

“Our family would like to thank law enforcement for their swift action that saved others and for the coordination across communities that led to the arrest of the man who murdered our parents. We especially would like to thank the officers who were first on the scene to our parents’ home and their heroic attempts to rescue our mom and dad,” the statement read.

They encouraged anyone looking to honor the memory of their parents to plant a tree, visit a local park, pet a dog, or “stand up for what you believe in, especially if that thing is justice and peace.”

Sen. Tina Smith told CNN that she confronted GOP Sen. Mike Lee in person on Monday over his social media post about the suspected assassin in the Democrat’s home state of Minnesota, saying she wanted to tell Lee “directly” about her concerns with his viral comments.

Smith added: “I wanted him to hear from me directly how painful that was and how brutal that was to see that on what was just a horribly brutal weekend.”

Smith was responding to Lee’s post on X, posted barely a day after a gunman shot two state Democratic lawmakers and their spouses. Melissa Hortman, the top Democrat in the Minnesota statehouse and a friend of Smith’s, was killed.

“This is what happens When Marxists don’t get their way,” Lee said in his X post. The post has not been removed and has more than 7.5 million views.

On Sunday, Lee posted on his other X account, @SenMikeLee,“These hateful attacks have no place in Utah, Minnesota, or anywhere in America. Please join me in condemning this senseless violence, and praying for the victims and their families.”

A Lee spokesperson couldn’t be reached for comment about the senator’s interaction with Smith.

Smith told CNN that Lee didn’t push back at her comments but also didn’t apologize during their Monday interaction.

“He didn’t say a lot,” Smith said. “Frankly, I think he was a bit stunned.”

Smith added: “He certainly didn’t promise to take it down or say anything publicly about it…He seemed kind of surprised to be confronted.”

Sen.Tammy Baldwin, Democrat from Wisconsin listens during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on June 3.

US Sen. Tammy Baldwin, a Democrat representing Wisconsin, was included on a list of names left by the suspect in Minnesota’s deadly shooting of state legislators over the weekend, a spokesperson confirmed to CNN.

“Senator Baldwin was informed by law enforcement that she was included on the alleged shooter’s list of names. She is grateful for law enforcement’s swift action to keep the community safe and remains focused on the things that matter most here: honoring the legacy and life of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, praying for the other victims who are fighting for their lives, and condemning this abhorrent, senseless political violence,” Baldwin’s spokesperson said in a statement.

While a motive isn’t yet known, the suspect had an apparent hit list with dozens of names, officials said. The list includes prominent Democrats and figures with ties to Planned Parenthood or the abortion rights movement.

The US Capitol Police is enhancing security for members of Congress “impacted” by the shootings in Minnesota over the weekend which left one state lawmaker and her husband dead, and another state legislator and his wife wounded at their home, the police force said in a Monday statement,

“We will continue to focus on continuing intelligence sharing with our partners and providing proactive enhancements,” it said.

The force’s efforts to ensure members have a robust security plan come a day after the shooting suspect, Vance Boelter, was captured by authorities in Minnesota, where he was on the run for two days.

During the manhunt for Boelter, Capitol Police reached out to each member of Minnesota’s delegation for security follow-ups, including offering 24-hour security, CNN previously reported. The police force also worked to notify Congress members who were listed in the shooter’s writings.

The pastor of a Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, church holding a vigil tonight for the victims of Saturday’s attacks told CNN “we felt it was essential to gather our community for a time of prayer, unity, and healing.”

“Grace Fellowship has a vision to help everyone experience grace, and we live that out by leading and loving our cities,” Joe Boyd, Grace Fellowship’s pastor, told CNN in a Monday email.

Then Rep.-elect Kelly Morrison arrives along with other congressional freshmen of the 119th Congress for a new member orientation program on Capitol Hill on November 14, 2024 in Washington, DC.

Minnesota Congresswoman Kelly Morrison said two officers came to her door Saturday morning informing her that a man was impersonating a police officer and that there were “scary things happening.” About an hour later she learned that her former colleague and friend State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband were fatally shot in their home.

“I have pretty much been holed up in my home since then, with an officer in my driveway,” she told CNN’s Phil Mattingly Monday. “I’m grateful to them for their protection and all of the extra work, but this is not a sustainable way for us to live.”

Morrison said capitol and local police are working on a plan to keep lawmakers safe, and indicated that it might be time to consider increased security for members of congress and even state legislators.

“It’s important that they are safe and able to do their jobs on behalf of the people,” Morrison said.

She added that people need to reject political violence and “be really careful with their rhetoric.”

Despite the targeted attacks in her state, Morrison doesn’t want people to be discouraged from running for office.

“We want to make sure that good people want to participate in our democracy,” the congresswoman said. “It’s important that people from a variety of backgrounds get involved in the political process. And the last thing I want to see happen is this to create another barrier for people to be willing to run.”

An image released by the US Attorney's Office shows Boelter knocking on a public official's door.

The suspect in the killing of a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband visited at least two more politicians’ homes that day, “with the intent to kill them,” Acting US Attorney Joe Thompson said Monday during a news conference.

Minnesota state Sen. Ann Rest — who represents part of New Hope –— said in a statement Monday that she had just learned that the shooting suspect was parked near her house early Saturday and that she was “so grateful for the heroic work of the New Hope Police Department and its officers. Their quick action saved my life.”

Here’s what we know about the four stops Vance Boelter made in the early hours of June 14.

Vance Boelter, the suspect accused of killing one Minnesota lawmaker and her husband and wounding a state senator and his wife, will remain in custody until his next court hearing.

He is currently in the custody of US Marshals.

Boelter, 57, made his first appearance in federal court Monday afternoon. His next hearing is scheduled for June 27.

Minnesota state Sen. Ann Rest

Minnesota state Sen. Ann Rest said the shooting suspect was parked near her house early Saturday.

“I have been made aware that the shooting suspect was parked near my home early Saturday morning,” Rest said in a statement released Monday. “I am so grateful for the heroic work of the New Hope Police Department and its officers. Their quick action saved my life.”

Vance Boelter, 57, is facing murder charges in the fatal shootings of a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband.

“While I am thankful the suspect has been apprehended, I grieve for the loss of Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, and I am praying for the recovery of John and Yvette Hoffman,” Rest said.

Vance Boelter’s first state court hearing began around 2:45 p.m. ET on Monday, shortly after he made his first appearance in federal court. The suspect did not appear at the state court hearing.

During the proceeding, the state court judge issued a bench warrant for Boelter and set a $5 million bail.

The next court date for the case was not scheduled.

Boelter remains in federal custody.

This post has been updated to clarify that Boelter had a hearing in state court but did not appear. He remains in federal custody.

Vance Boelter, the suspect charged with murder in the fatal shootings of a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband, has left federal court.

He was flanked by three deputy marshals.

The next hearing in the case has been scheduled for June 27 at 11 a. m. local time.

In federal court Monday, Vance Boelter said he cannot afford a private attorney to represent him against the six federal charges he faces, including murdering state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband with a firearm.

Boelter said he has a part-time job and makes about $540 per week, and has no other sources of income. He told the judge he owns his own home and has seven cars in his name.

The judge said it’s unlikely Boelter can afford a private attorney, given the seriousness of the charges and is going to recommend a federal public defender. He asked the public defender’s office to run a financial inquiry.

The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office in Minnesota is still receiving calls from the surrounding communities “asking for extra presence” one day after the arrest of the suspect in the shootings of two Democratic state lawmakers and their spouses, the sheriff’s office said in a post on X.

Vance Boelter, the 57-year-old suspect, was captured Sunday night after law enforcement worked for nearly two days to locate him. Officials said it was the “largest manhunt in the state’s history.”

Vance Boelter makes his first appearance in federal court on Monday, June 16.

Vance Boelter, the 57-year-old charged with murder in the fatal shootings of a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband, has arrived for his first court appearance in federal court Monday afternoon.

He wore an orange jumpsuit and slippers and was unshackled while sitting next to a defense attorney in court.

Boelter faces six federal charges, including murder, stalking and firearms offenses. This is his first court appearance since he was arrested late Sunday night.

Sen. John Hoffman.

Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette, who both were shot more than once Saturday, are “incredibly lucky to be alive,” they told CNN affiliate WCCO on Monday.

Here’s the Hoffmans’ full statement:

Both the state senator and his wife underwent surgery after the shooting.

Suspect Vance Boelter was held at the Hennepin County Public Safety Facility in Minneapolis before Monday court hearings.

The first court appearances for Vance Boelter – who faces both federal and state charges in the murders of state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, as well as the shootings of state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife – will happen at the same time in adjacent cities.

Boelter, who is in the custody of US Marshals, is not expected to be present for his first appearance at 1:30 p.m. local time at the Hennepin County Public Safety Facility in Minneapolis, where the state charges against him will be read. He will instead make a virtual appearance from federal custody in St. Paul, according to a court spokesperson.

Boelter will then appear in person at the federal courthouse in St. Paul, where he will face six charges filed by the US Attorney’s Office. That appearance, listed as a Criminal Duty Hearing, is also scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

Boelter’s earlier jail record from the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office indicated he was being held without bond on a federal hold. It is not clear whether bond will be discussed at the federal hearing.

Vance Boelter's booking photo from Hennepin County Jail.

Vance Boelter, the 57-year-old accused of killing one Minnesota lawmaker and her husband and injuring another and his wife, is facing both federal and state charges.

He’s currently in federal custody. Acting US Attorney Joe Thompson said Monday the federal case will likely proceed first, but the state charges remain in place. Boelter could be eligible for the death penalty for the federal charges.

Here are all of the charges Boelter faces, and the maximum sentences if convicted:

Federal charges:

State charges:

Additionally, Boelter will face first-degree murder charges in Minnesota, the Hennepin County prosecutor said. Minnesota does not have the death penalty, so the maximum sentence would be life in prison without parole, if convicted.

“It is common practice for the office to charge second-degree murder to secure a warrant as quickly as possible, which occurred in this case,” says a news release from the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.