The man suspected of shooting two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses was arrested Sunday night.
"After relentless and determined police work, the killer is now in custody," Ramsey County Sheriff's Office said in a post on Facebook.
Vance Boelter is accused of fatally shooting state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband early Saturday, and of wounding state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife in what authorities say were politically motivated attacks.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar shared a message she received from Hoffman's wife, who said they are recovering.
“John is enduring many surgeries right now and is closer every hour to being out of the woods. He took 9 bullet hits. I took 8 and we are both incredibly lucky to be alive,” the message from Yvette Hoffman says. “We are gutted and devastated by the loss of Melissa and Mark. We have no words. There is never a place for this kind of political hate. Thank you for your friendship always. Minnesotans are at our very best when we stand together.”
Details about Boelter's arrest have not been released. However, authorities had focused their manhunt on Sibley County, located about 60 miles southwest of Minneapolis, where a vehicle connected to Boelter was found. A cowboy hat he was seen wearing in an FBI-released photo was also recovered in the area on Sunday.
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Authorities have been trying to piece together a timeline of the events, which began early Saturday when police were first called to Hoffman’s home following reports of gunfire. After responding, officers began conducting wellness checks on other lawmakers. They encountered the suspect at Hortman’s residence, where he reportedly opened fire on officers before fleeing the scene.
Boelter allegedly impersonated a police officer and wore a latex mask to disguise his identity during at least one of the attacks, investigators said.
A friend told reporters that Boelter texted him, saying: “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. … I’m sorry for all the trouble this has caused.”
Drew Evans, superintendent of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said Sunday that authorities interviewed Boelter’s wife and other family members, who were cooperative and have not been arrested.
The FBI offered a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to Boelter’s arrest and conviction.
