Who is Vance Boelter? Tim Walz appointee with armed security training in Africa named as suspect in Minnesota Democrat shootings

The suspect named in the shooting that killed two Democratic Minnesota lawmakers has armed security experience and a history of public service.  

Vance Luther Boelter, 57, was named as the suspect for the death of Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman and the assassination attempt of Senator John Hoffman. 

Hortman and her husband were fatally shot at their home on around 2am on Saturday. Hoffman and his wife were also shot at their home around 4am and left critically injured. 

The alleged shooter has armed security experience in the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe, and North America through the Praetorian Guard Security Services, his biography on the site said. 

‘He brings a great security aspect forged by both many on the ground experiences combined with training by both private security firms and by people in the US Military,’ it read. 

‘Vance has focused all this experience to make sure Praetorian Guard Security Services covers the needs you have to keep your family and property safe.’  

Boelter has also lived a life of public service before today’s tragedies, and he even served on the Governor’s Workforce Development Board, which works closely with Governor Tim Walz to give advice on the state’s workforce. 

He served on the board from June 2016 to June 2018 as a private sector representative and from December 2019 to January 2023 as a board member. 

Vance Luther Boelter, 57, was named as the suspect for the death of Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman and the assassination attempt of Senator John Hoffman 

He was appointed under Governor Walz both times. 

Boelter was also the CEO of Red Lion Group, which was based in the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

Red Lion Group has since deleted its website and LinkedIn pages, but Boelter’s LinkedIn said he started at the company in December 2021.  

He announced two years ago that he was in the country with his company, working on ‘private business projects.’ 

He updated his LinkedIn a month ago to say he had returned to the US and was looking for work in the food industry on the corporate side. 

‘I’m looking for roles in Texas, Minnesota, Florida, and Washington DC-Baltimore area ideally, but would look at other locations if I felt it was a good fit,’ he wrote. 

He had previously worked at 7-Eleven and Geencore as a general manager, a system manager at Del Monte Foods, and a operational leader at Johnsonville Sausage, according to his LinkedIn.  

His LinkedIn also revealed his deep connections to politics, as he asked his followers to vote ahead of the 2020 election. 

Senator John Hoffman and State Representative Melissa Hortman  

He has armed security experience and a history of public service 

‘I normally don’t post much but I just wanted to put a note out there to encourage everyone to vote in the election on Tuesday,’ he wrote at the time. 

‘I have been in several countries where people don’t have the ability to vote for who their leaders are. I will just say they were not places that anyone of us would want to live in if we had any choice in the matter.

‘So I am very big on just telling people to be a part of the process and vote your values and be part of this adventure we are all a part of living in the United States of America.

‘I think the election is going to have more of an impact on the direction of our country than probably any election we have been apart of, or will be apart of for years to come,’ the St. Cloud State University graduate concluded. 

Boelter, a husband and father, holds degrees in international relations, management, and leadership for the advancement of learning and service from various Minnesota and Wisconsin universities. 

Police are still searching for Boelter as of Saturday afternoon. 

It comes after the at-large assailant is thought to have impersonated a police officer when he entered the Champlin residence of Senator John Hoffman and his wife early Saturday, shooting both and leaving them critically injured. 

The shooter then proceeded to the home of former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman, where she and her husband were fatally shot.

Boelter is a former appointee of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (center) 

His LinkedIn also revealed his deep connections to politics, as he asked his followers to vote ahead of the 2020 election. ‘I think the election is going to have more of an impact on the direction of our country than probably any election we have been apart of, or will be apart of for years to come,’ he said 

Local police, sheriff’s deputies, and the FBI have launched an extensive manhunt, with SWAT teams seen moving through the sleepy Minnesota neighborhood where the shootings took place.

During a Saturday morning press conference, officials said they are investigating the possibility of multiple shooters, however no one is in custody.

Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said the suspect’s vehicle contained a ‘manifesto’, a list of targets including both lawmakers, and signs for an anti-Trump ‘NO KINGS’ rally set to be held on Saturday.

 Bruley said the gunman’s vehicle bore a close resemblance to a police squad car, and the ‘manifesto’ had target list with names of individuals, including the two lawmakers who were shot.

‘I will tell you, when we did a search of the vehicle, there was a manifesto that identified many lawmakers and other officials,’ Brooklyn Park Police Department Chief Mark Bruley said.

‘We immediately made alerts to the state, who took action,’ he added. ‘Alerting them and providing security where necessary.’

The list found inside the suspect’s car contained nearly 70 names, a law enforcement official told CNN.

The list included abortion providers, pro-abortion rights advocates and lawmakers from Minnesota and other states.

A Father’s Day card was also reportedly discovered inside the vehicle, addressed to the suspect in a bag full of ammunition.

At a press conference on Saturday morning, the Minnesota State Patrol urged people in the state not to attend planned anti-Trump protests until the suspect or suspects in the shooting are apprehended, fearing the demonstrations could be targeted.