State Capitol sees enhanced security after suspected Minnesota shooter listed 11 Wisconsin lawmakers as targets

Wisconsin’s state Capitol has new security measures in place after several Wisconsin lawmakers were included in the hit list of the man accused of killing a Minnesota state lawmaker and wounding another.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin was among those on the list, a spokesperson told WPR on Monday. The list included 11 Wisconsin lawmakers in total, Democratic sources told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

“Senator Baldwin was informed by law enforcement that she was included on the alleged shooter’s list of names,” said Eli Rosen, a Baldwin spokesperson.

The suspect, Vance Boelter, went to the homes of two other legislators on the night of the shootings, intending to inflict more carnage against those on his hit list, a federal prosecutor said Monday.

But one of the other state lawmakers was on vacation and the suspect left the other house after police arrived early Saturday, acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson said at a press conference.

Boelter meticulously planned the attacks, carrying out surveillance missions, taking notes on the homes and people he targeted and disguising himself as a police officer just before the shootings, Thompson said.

“It is no exaggeration to say that his crimes are the stuff of nightmares,” Thompson said.

Boelter surrendered to police Sunday after they found him in the woods near his home following a massive manhunt that stretched over two days. He is accused of fatally shooting former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, in their home early Saturday in the northern Minneapolis suburbs.

Authorities say he also shot Sen. John Hoffman, a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, who lived just a few miles away.

Wisconsin state Senate Sergeant at Arms Timothy La Sage announced Monday that, in coordination with Wisconsin Capitol Police, updated security measures include:

• Increased situational awareness practices
• Strengthened access control points
• Updated emergency response protocols

“The safety of those who serve, work, and visit the Capitol is my top priority,” La Sage said in a news release Monday. “We remain vigilant and prepared. These enhancements are part of our ongoing commitment to security and public service.”

Rosen, the Baldwin spokesperson, also said, “She is grateful for law enforcement’s swift action to keep the community safe and remains focused on the things that matter most here: honoring the legacy and life of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, praying for the other victims who are fighting for their lives, and condemning this abhorrent, senseless political violence.”

Federal prosecutors announced Monday that they charged Boelter, 57, with federal murder and stalking offenses. He already faces state charges, including murder and attempted murder. Hours later at a federal court hearing in St. Paul, Boelter said he could not afford an attorney and a federal public defender was appointed to represent him.

Boelter had many notebooks full of plans that appeared to be months in the making, Thompson said. Underscoring what law enforcement officials said was the premeditated nature of the attacks, Boelter wrote out in one notebook a list of internet-based people search engines, according to court records.

But authorities have not found any writings that would “clearly identify what motivated him,” Thompson said. Though the targets were Democrats and elected officials, Thompson said it was too soon to speculate on any sort of political ideology.

His writings included the names of 45 state and federal elected officials in Minnesota, Thompson said.

“This was a targeted attack against individuals who answered the call to public service,” said Alvin Winston, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Minneapolis field office.

Boelter sent a text to a family group chat after the shootings that said: “Dad went to war last night … I don’t wanna say more because I don’t wanna implicate anybody,” according to an FBI affidavit.

His wife got another text that said: “Words are not gonna explain how sorry I am for this situation … there’s gonna be some people coming to the house armed and trigger-happy and I don’t want you guys around,” the affidavit said.

Police later found his wife in a car with her children. Officers found two handguns, about $10,000 in cash and passports for the wife and her children, according to the affidavit.

Suspect caught in Minnesota woods near his home

At one point, Boelter bought an electronic bike and a Buick sedan from someone he met at a bus stop in Minneapolis, the federal affidavit said. Police found the sedan abandoned on a highway Sunday morning.

In the car, law enforcement found a cowboy hat Boelter had been seen wearing in surveillance footage as well as a letter written to the FBI, authorities said. The letter said it was written by “Dr. Vance Luther Boulter” and said he was “the shooter at large in Minnesota involved in the 2 shootings.”

The car was found in rural Sibley County, where Boelter lived, and a police officer reported Sunday that he believed he saw Boelter running into the woods, narrowing the search to a wooded area.

Police used a helicopter and officers on foot to find Boelter. He gave himself up to police, crawling out before he was handcuffed and taken into custody in a field, authorities said.

A targeted attack

Drew Evans, superintendent of the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said the violence likely would’ve continued had Brooklyn Park officers not checked on Hortman’s home, causing Boelter to flee.

The Hoffmans were attacked first at their home in Champlin. A criminal complaint indicated their adult daughter called 911 to say a masked person had come to the door and shot her parents.

Boelter had shown up carrying a flashlight and a 9 mm handgun and wearing a black tactical vest and a “hyper-realistic” silicone mask, said Thompson.

He first knocked and shouted: “This is police.” At one point, the Hoffmans realized he was wearing a mask and Boelter told them “this is a robbery.” After Hoffman tried to push Boelter out the door, Boelter shot him repeatedly and then shot his wife, the prosecutor said.

When police in nearby Brooklyn Park learned that a lawmaker had been shot, they sent patrol officers to check on the Hortmans’ home.

Brooklyn Park police officers arrived just in time to see Boelter shoot Mark Hortman through the open door of the home and exchanged gunfire with Boelter, who fled into the home before escaping, the complaint said. Melissa Hortman was found dead inside, according to the document. Their dog also was shot.

No details on motive

Writings recovered from the fake police vehicle included the names of prominent state and federal lawmakers and community leaders, along with abortion rights advocates and information about health care facilities, said two law enforcement officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss details of the ongoing investigation.

A Minnesota official told the AP that lawmakers who had been outspoken in favor of abortion rights were on the list. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing.

Friends and former colleagues interviewed by the AP describe Boelter as a devout Christian who attended an evangelical church and went to campaign rallies for President Donald Trump.

Boelter also is a former political appointee who served on the same state workforce development board as Hoffman, records show, though it was not clear if or how well they knew each other.

Just hours after the shootings, Boelter texted friends to apologize for his actions, though he didn’t say what he had done.

“I’m going to be gone for a while. May be dead shortly, so I just want to let you know I love you guys both and I wish it hadn’t gone this way,” he wrote in messages viewed by the AP.

Editor’s note: This AP story was updated with information about Wisconsin lawmakers and the state Capitol.