Tragedy struck in Minnesota within an hour and a half on Saturday morning: A Democratic lawmaker and her husband were killed, and another Democratic lawmaker and his wife were seriously injured by a man who came to their home pretending to be a police officer.
Vance Bolter, 57, has been charged with murder and other federal and state charges in the deaths of Melissa Hortman, the top Democrat in the Minnesota House of Representatives, and her husband, Mark, at their home in New Hope, Minnesota, on Saturday.
Bolter is also accused of shooting and injuring another Democratic lawmaker, state Sen. John Hoffman, and his wife, Yvette, at their home in Maple Grove, Minnesota.
The following timeline of the defendant's actions on Saturday morning is based on a federal affidavit.
In this promotional material provided by the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, Vance Luther Bolter poses for a photo during his arrest on June 16, 2025, in Green Isle, Minnesota.
2:06 a.m. The Hoffmans' daughter calls 911 to report her parents have been shot. Earlier, video from their New Hope home shows a man in a black tactical vest and a mask covering his face standing at their door with a flashlight, knocking and yelling, “It's the police. Open the door.”
02:24 Surveillance footage from an unnamed government employee's home in Maple Grove shows a man ringing the doorbell and repeatedly yelling, “It's the police. Open the door. It's the police. We have a warrant.” No one was home.
2:36 a.m. A police officer conducting a security check at the home of another government employee in New Hope notices a man, now believed to be a suspect, sitting in a black SUV on the street. The officer believes it is another officer. The man sits staring straight ahead and does not respond when the officer attempts to speak to him.
3:30 a.m. Police, by this time aware of the Hoffman shooting, arrive at the Hortman home to check on the shooting and see a man at the front door. The man opens fire as he enters the home and then flees, leaving behind a black SUV.
6:18 a.m. Bolter sends a group text message to his wife and other family members saying, “Dad went to war last night.”
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
