Minnesota Man Faces More Attempted Murder Charges in Lawmaker Killings

Vance Boelter faces upgraded state charges, including first-degree murder and additional attempted murder counts, for killing Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, and wounding Senator John Hoffman and his wife. Federal charges could carry the death penalty, with investigators linking the attack to planned assaults on other legislators.

Prosecutors in Minnesota have filed additional charges against Vance Boelter, 58, accused of killing former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, and wounding state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife in a politically motivated attack. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office announced Thursday that Boelter now faces two counts of first-degree murder, four counts of attempted first-degree murder, as well as charges of impersonating a police officer and animal cruelty for shooting a family’s dog.

Authorities say Boelter posed as a police officer during the early-morning attack on June 14, entering the victims’ homes in disguise and opening fire. The killings and attempted murders followed months of planning, with investigators revealing that Boelter also visited the homes of two other lawmakers that night, allegedly attempting to kill one who was not home at the time.

While the state case carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, it is currently secondary to the federal prosecution, where Boelter faces six counts of murder, stalking, and firearms violations. The federal charges could result in the death penalty, although prosecutors have not yet decided whether to pursue it.

Boelter pleaded not guilty to federal charges on August 7. He was arrested a day after the shootings following a large-scale manhunt involving local, state, and federal agencies. Authorities say the attack has left deep wounds in the community and raised alarms over political violence.

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The case remains under investigation, with both state and federal prosecutors working in parallel. Public defenders have yet to be assigned in the state case as Boelter remains in federal custody.