After a grueling two-day manhunt, Vance Boelter, the suspect accused of shooting two Minnesota state lawmakers, was captured and Minnesota lawmakers and the governor are expressing their appreciation for those who are helping bring him to justice.
House Speaker Lisa Demuth took to social media to express how glad she was that the suspect was now in custody and the nightmare was ending.
“I’m grateful that this nightmare has come to an end with the suspect captured so he can be charged, prosecuted, & punished for the horror he has wrought on MN. Thank you to the local, state, & federal officials who ensured this evil man faces justice,” she wrote.
SUSPECTED MINNESOTA LAWMAKER ASSASSIN VANCE BOELTER CAPTURED
More than 20 agencies worked together to bring in the suspect and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz thanked them for leaving their families “to run into danger and deliver justice for Melissa and Mark Hortman.”
Boelter, 57, was captured in Sibley County after a two-day manhunt. He allegedly killed Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, early Saturday morning at their Brooklyn Park home in Minneapolis before allegedly shooting State Sen. John Hoffman, also a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, in their nearby Champlin home in a related attack.
Walz made note that the people of the U.S. need to come together and shouldn’t accept violence as a norm.
“As a country we cannot become numb to this violence. We are a deeply divided nation. That has become even more clear over the last two days. The way we move forward and solve the problems facing our nation is not through hate. It is not through violence. It is through humility, and grace, and civility,” he said in a statement Sunday night.
He also asked that members of the community acknowledge the pain and grief endured by the Hortman’s family and that they take comfort in the couple’s memory.
“To Melissa and Mark’s family: I cannot fathom your pain, your grief. Let us take solace in their memory, in Melissa’s legacy of selfless, pragmatic, gentle public service. The state of Minnesota grieves with you” said Walz.
“To our law enforcement officers: thank you for your courage, your service, and your professionalism. You have saved lives,” Walz expressed to those involved in the arrest.
“As we heal, we will not let fear win,” he said.
U.S. Sen. Amy Klombuchar of Minnesota thanked all law enforcement officers involved in tracking down the suspect, calling their efforts “a mammoth and heroic effort.”
