Suspect tied to Walz? Democrat governor may have appointed alleged Minnesota shooter to state board

The main suspect in the horrific fatal shooting of Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband may have played a role in state government after receiving an appointment from two Democrat governors, including Gov. Tim Walz, as first reported by Blaze News' Julio Rosas.

According to a law enforcement source, police suspect that Vance Luther Boelter gunned down Rep. Hortman (DFL) and her husband, Mark, in Brooklyn Park as well as state Sen. John Hoffman (DFL) and his wife, Yvette, in nearby Champlin.

Boelter appears to be the same individual who was first appointed to the Governor's Workforce Board in 2016 by then-Gov. Mark Dayton (DFL). He was then reappointed three years later by current Gov. Walz (DFL).

RELATED: 'Politically motivated assassination': Minnesota Democrat rep and husband gunned down — state senator, wife wounded

Composite screenshot of Minnesota state website (Left: Rep. Melissa Hortman | Right: Sen. John Hoffman)

A LinkedIn profile for Boelter shows that he has a doctorate in education and traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Minnesota State Patrol has indicated that a stack of flyers for the anti-President Trump 'No Kings' rally was found in the suspect's vehicle.

The attacks on the Hortmans and Hoffmans were discovered early Saturday morning. While the Hoffmans have undergone surgery and may yet survive multiple gunshot wounds, the Hortmans were found deceased.

Gov. Walz described the horrific violence as a "politically motivated assassination" and an "assassination attempt." He likewise described the incident as "an unspeakable tragedy."

Walz's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.

RELATED: Tim Walz grilled for comparing ICE agents to 'Nazi Gestapo'

Allison Robbert/Bloomberg via Getty Images

According to multiple reports, the suspect presented himself as a police officer and even arrived in a vehicle that resembles a police cruiser. He allegedly arrived at the victims' homes wearing a blue shirt and pants as well as a badge and Taser and asked the victims to come out of their homes.

Minnesota State Patrol has indicated that a stack of flyers for the anti-President Trump "No Kings" rally was found in the suspect's vehicle.

According to CNN, police sources said that a target list was found in the suspect's car. Sources further explained that around 70 names of lawmakers and abortion providers were allegedly on the list.

As of late Saturday afternoon, the manhunt for Boelter was continuing. CNN further reported that Border Patrol has been alerted to stop a potential border crossing into Canada.

This is a developing story.

Editor's note: This story has been edited after publication to note that Julio Rosas of Blaze News was the first to report the information and to add further information about the suspect.

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