The man suspected of killing a Minnesota lawmaker and wounding another has been taken into custody, two law enforcement officials said, bringing an end to a nearly two-day search that put the state on edge.

Vance Boelter was arrested in the evening on Sunday. The arrest was confirmed by law enforcement officials who were not authorised to publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were killed in their Brooklyn Park home early on Saturday in the northern Minneapolis suburbs.

Senator John Hoffman, also a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, were injured at their Champlin home, about 15 kilometres away.

Boelter was captured in Minnesota, though officials didn’t immediately say where.

Earlier on Sunday Drew Evans, superintendent of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said authorities found a car very early on Sunday they believed Boelter was using a few kilometres from his home in Green Isle, in the farm country about an hour west of Minneapolis. He also said they found evidence in the car that was relevant to the investigation, but did not provide details.

Authorities named Boelter, 57, as a suspect, saying he wore a mask as he posed as a police officer, even allegedly altering a vehicle to make it look like a police car.

Evans confirmed that investigators found a cowboy hat near the vehicle and believe it belonged to Boelter. The superintendent also said authorities interviewed Boelter’s wife and other family members in connection with Saturday’s shootings. He said they were cooperative and were not in custody.

The FBI had issued a reward of up to US$50,000 for information leading to his arrest and conviction. They circulated a photo taken on Saturday of Boelter wearing a tan cowboy hat and asked the public to report sightings.

More than 100 law enforcement officers including SWAT teams were searching the area, including nearby homes, Evans said. He also said they had received more than 400 tips from the public.

The earlier search happened in rural Sibley County, roughly 80 kilometres southwest of Minneapolis, where Boelter had a home with his wife and five children. Residents in the area received an emergency alert about the located vehicle that warned them to lock their doors and cars.

The shootings come as political leaders nationwide have been attacked, harassed and intimidated amid deep political divisions. Lawmakers said they were disturbed by the attacks as Twin Cities residents mourned.

Brightly colored flowers and small American flags were placed on Sunday on the gray marbled stone of the Minnesota State Capitol along with a photo of the Hortmans. People scrawled messages on small notes including, “You were our leader through the hardest of times. Rest in Power.” (AP)
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Last updated: 2025-06-16 HKT 13:25