Car Belonging to Suspect in Minnesota Lawmakers Tragedy Discovered More Than 50 Miles from Where Shootings Occurred: Reports

A car allegedly belonging to Vance Boelter, the man suspected of shooting two Democratic lawmakers and their spouses over the weekend, has reportedly been discovered a day later and more than 50 miles away from where the tragedy took place in Minnesota.

On Sunday, June 15, an emergency alert went out to residents of Sibley County, stating that authorities found the vehicle near Minnesota Highway 25 and 301st Avenue in Faxon Township. The notice also said that the suspect was “not located,” according to screenshots shared by ABC affiliate KSTP, the Minnesota Star Tribune and CNN.

“Keep your doors locked and vehicles secured. Report suspicious activity to 911,” the alert read, per the outlets. “Law enforcement will be going to area residences to ask to search properties.”

The Sibley County Sheriff’s Office, which verified the alert to CNN, did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for additional information on June 15.

A discarded cowboy hat was also found at the scene, according to CBS News, which shared an image of the item. Area resident Mike Liebhard said he spotted the cowboy hat lying on the gravel road near the intersection while speaking with the Star Tribune.

He described the vehicle itself as an “older little car, like a Buick.” Officers were seen searching around the car at 1:40 p.m. local time, per the Star Tribune.

“It’s just unfortunate,” Liebhard said. “The whole situation is unfortunate.”

Officials previously announced that Boelter was last seen “wearing a light-colored cowboy hat with a dark-colored long-sleeve collared shirt or coat, light pants, and carrying a dark bag.”

As of July 2024, Sibley County had a population of 15,194 people. A law enforcement source told CBS News that the suspect has a known address in Sibley County, but was most recently living in north Minneapolis.

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On the early hours of Saturday, June 14, state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark Hortman were killed in an attack at their home, while Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette Hoffman both survived a separate shooting.

Brooklyn Park Police Department Chief Mark Bruley revealed later in the day that the suspect was “absolutely impersonating a police officer” and fled “on foot” before authorities discovered a “manifesto” inside a vehicle.

The FBI is currently offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the Brooklyn Park Police Department are being assisted by the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office in the search for Boelter.

Sibley County resident Jennifer Brown told Fox affiliate KMSP that the latest development in the case was “nerve-racking” and that she wouldn’t be opening her “doors to anyone who doesn’t look like they belong in the neighborhood.”

“We don’t know him, for sure,” she said. “He’s not around this neighborhood, so we don’t know who he is.”