Suspect in Minnesota Lawmakers Shootings Allegedly Sent Chilling Texts to Roommates. He's Still on the Loose

The suspect in the Minnesota lawmakers shootings allegedly sent chilling texts to his roommate amid the tragedy.

Vance Boelter was identified as the suspect by officials during a press conference on Saturday, June 14. Police believe he murdered state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark Hortman during one shooting, and injured state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette Hoffman during a separate incident.

David Carlson, Boelter’s roommate and friend, spoke with reporters later in the day after the shootings, claiming that the suspect sent him, as well as another individual, text messages earlier that morning.

The text message from Boelter, 57, Carlson said, began, “I love you guys. I’ve made some choices, and you guys don’t know anything about this, but I’m going to be gone for a while. I may be dead shortly.”

The texts, per Carlson, continued, “So I just want to let you know that I love you guys both, and wish it hadn’t gone this way. I don’t want to say anything more and implicate you in any way, because you guys don’t know anything about this. But I love you guys, and I’m sorry for all the trouble this has caused.”

Police were first alerted to the attack that took place at the Hoffmann residence around 2 a.m. local time on June 14, Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said in an initial press conference. FOX 9 and local NBC affiliate KARE 11 reported that Hoffman resides in Champlin.

Authorities then “proactively” checked on Hortman, a Democratic representative in the state. There, they encountered the suspect, who “immediately” fired at them, Evans said, adding, “The individual was able to escape during that exchange of gunfire.” FOX 9 and local NBC affiliate KARE 11 reported that the Hortman couple lived in Brooklyn Park.

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During the June 14 press conference, Gov. Tim Walz said he was “cautiously optimistic that John and Yvette “will survive this assassination attempt,” which he also described as “an act of targeted political violence.”

The politician also remembered his late colleague, highlighting how Hortman “woke up every day determined to make this state a better place.” He added that she “is irreplaceable and will be missed by so many.”

During the early morning press conference on June 14, Brooklyn Park Police Department Chief Mark Bruley said the suspect was “absolutely impersonating a police officer” ahead of the shootings. He added that the alleged perpetrator fled the scene “on foot” and that a “manifesto” was discovered in a vehicle.

Later in the day, during the afternoon press conference where authorities identified Boelter as the suspect they believe to be connected to the shootings, police asked for the public’s assistance in helping to locate him.

Authorities said he 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.” Officials also urged the public to call 911 should they encounter the suspect, and they said not to approach him, as he is considered “armed and dangerous.”

Boelter is a father and husband who has previously worked full-time for Nestle, Del Monte, Tesoro, Marathon Speedway and 7-Eleven, according to his bio on the Minnesota Africans United website.

He was previously named by Walz, 61, to the Governor’s Workforce Development Board as the “Business & Industry Representative,” according to a news release on the state’s website. His four-year term spanned 2019 to 2023. Boelter was initially appointed to the same board under former Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton in 2016 to serve until 2018.