Minn. Lawmakers Shooter ‘Stalked His Victims Like Prey,’ Prosecutor Says: ‘Stuff of Nightmares’

The man arrested in connection with the murder of a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband, as well as the shootings of a state senator and his wife, allegedly stalked his victims before his attacks, authorities said. 

Minn. Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were killed in the early morning attack on Saturday, June 14.

Minn. State State Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette Hoffman were injured in a separate attack in their home.

Vance Luther Boelter, 57, has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree attempted murder in connection with the shootings.

As the investigation unfolds, officials are revealing details of his alleged crimes that Joseph Thompson, acting U.S. attorney for the District of Minnesota, says are “truly chilling.” 

“Political assassinations,” Thompson said during a press conference on Monday, “strike at the very core of our democracy.” 

“But the details of Boelter’s crimes are even worse,” he said at the briefing streamed by NBC News. “They are truly chilling.”

He added: “It is no exaggeration to say that his crimes are the stuff of nightmares.”

Boelter “stalked his victims like prey,” Thompson alleged, recounting the details of how the crimes were carried out. 

Related Stories

Children of Minn. Rep. Melissa Hortman and Her Husband Mark Break Silence After Parents’ Murders: ‘They Were the Center of Our Lives’

Audio of Emergency Dispatch Calls Reveals Harrowing New Details About Minnesota Lawmaker Shootings

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

Boelter allegedly showed up to his victims’ homes pretending to be a police officer before carrying out the shootings, investigators said.

The investigation has revealed the shootings were part of a larger plan targeting several other politicians, including abortion providers, pro-abortion rights advocates and lawmakers in multiple states, CNN previously reported. Prior to his arrest, police said they had recovered a “manifesto” from his vehicle that had a “list” of about 70 names.

The two federal murder charges against Boelter could land him the death penalty, CNN previously reported.