“Gov. Walz Told Me to Kill Them”: Minnesota Shooter’s Shocking Letter to FBI

Vance Boelter, the Minnesota man indicted for the fatal shooting of Democratic Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, allegedly claimed in a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel that Governor Tim Walz instructed him to assassinate other Democratic lawmakers, according to newly unsealed court documents.

In a letter recovered by authorities, Boelter introduced himself as the “shooter at large in Minnesota,” signing as “Dr. Vance Luther Boelter, Ed.D.” The FBI says the letter was found in a vehicle near Boelter’s home a day after the June 14 attacks, though ownership of the vehicle has not been confirmed.

According to prosecutors, Boelter, 57, was dressed in tactical gear and a rubber mask while driving a fake police cruiser when he arrived at the Champlin home of state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, around 2 a.m. Boelter allegedly opened fire on the couple—striking them nearly 20 times—but both survived. He is then accused of targeting two more homes: one in Maple Grove, where no one was present, and another in New Hope, where a police officer may have interrupted him.

Authorities say Boelter then proceeded to the Brooklyn Park residence of Rep. Hortman and her husband, fatally shooting both. Their dog was also critically injured and later euthanized.

Boelter was captured after a two-day manhunt near his family’s home in Green Isle, Minnesota.

The letter, released Tuesday after Boelter’s indictment, paints a disturbing picture. He claimed he had been working with “off-the-books” U.S. military personnel since college and was later approached for a covert operation supposedly orchestrated by Gov. Walz.

“Tim wanted me to kill [Senator] Amy Klobuchar and Tim [redacted],” Boelter allegedly wrote, suggesting that the governor aimed to become a U.S. senator and had already lined up a resignation plan for a sitting official. He further accused Walz, identified as Kamala Harris’s former running mate in the letter, of ordering the assassination of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison via “double poisoning.” Boelter claimed he rejected that plan, prompting threats of blackmail.

He also alleged a confrontation with Walz and unnamed individuals waiting “to kill me” upon returning home, which he said pushed him to follow through with the shootings.

On Tuesday, a federal grand jury indicted Boelter on six counts related to the killings of the Hortmans, the attempted murder of the Hoffmans, and the attempted shooting of their daughter, Hope Hoffman. If convicted, Boelter could face the death penalty.

“Vance Boelter planned and carried out a night of terror that shook Minnesota to its core,” said acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “These were politically motivated assassinations—targeted, calculated, and horrific.”

Boelter’s public defender, Manny Atwal, declined to comment on his client’s mental state but confirmed Boelter would plead not guilty at his upcoming arraignment.

Federal authorities continue to investigate and have not identified a definitive motive. Boelter is believed to have acted alone.