Manhunt for Minnesota shooter continues; wife subject of reported traffic stop

By Jon Styf
The Center Square

The wife of the man accused of shooting two Minnesota state lawmakers was reportedly stopped near Onamia, Minnesota, on Saturday and found with a weapon, ammunition, cash and passports, according to KSTP Channel 5.

The manhunt continues for Vance Boelter, 57, with authorities believing he is no longer in the area of the shootings.

KSTP reported that Boelter’s wife was the subject of a traffic stop at a convenience store located near Onamia late Saturday morning in a vehicle carrying at least three other relatives of the accused shooter.

House Speaker Emeritus Melissa Hortman and her husband were shot and killed in what Gov. Tim Walz called a politically-motivated assassination early Saturday.

State Sen. John Hoffman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, and his wife also were shot about 2 a.m., and Hortman and her husband were found about 90 minutes later.

The gunman allegedly escaped through a back door of Hortman's house following an exchange of gunfire with police. Media outlets reported that Boelter had a list of about 70 names in his vehicle which included the lawmakers who were shot, other lawmakers and abortion providers.

The shootings happened seven miles away from each other, and law enforcement officials have called both shootings “targeted.”

The suspect, Boelter, was appointed by Walz to serve on the Governor's Workforce Development Board in 2019. Various media outlets reported that he is the director of Praetorian Guard Security Services, where he had access to police-like security equipment.

The FBI said it is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest of Boelter.