Minnesota lawmaker shootings: Boelter pleads not guilty in federal court

Vance Boelter pleads not guilty in federal court

Vance Boelter pleaded not guilty to charges related to the Minnesota lawmaker shootings during an arraignment in federal court. FOX 9's Bill Keller has the latest report.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The man accused of shooting two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses in June pleaded not guilty in federal court.

Vance Boelter also waived his right to have his charges read during the arraignment on Thursday morning. 

The hearing came about three weeks after he was indicted on six counts, including murder, stalking, and firearms offenses related to the shootings of Melissa and Mark Hortman as well as John and Yvette Hoffman.

Minnesota lawmaker shootings 

The backstory:

The Hortmans were fatally shot in the early morning hours of June 14 while the Hoffmans were seriously injured by gunfire. 

Police say surveillance photos showed Boelter disguised as a police officer during the shootings.

At the Hortman home, officers say they confronted Boelter and exchanged gunfire with him, forcing him to flee on foot and leave behind his vehicle, which resembled a police cruiser.

Dig deeper:

When the indictment was handed up, prosecutors also disclosed a letter that was found in Boelter's car. It was addressed to FBI Director Kash Patel and contained strange claims, what prosecutors said were works of fantasy. 

The claims included Boelter claiming he had been trained by the U.S. military "off the books" and being approached by Gov. Tim Walz to kill Sens. Klobuchar and Smith.

What's next:

Boelter's next court appearance is set for November 25. 

Last month, prosecutors asked the judge to designate the case as "complex," due to the volume of evidence, paperwork, and video attorneys will need to review, including potentially hundreds of thousands of pages of documents. The designation would delay "speedy trial" requirements in the case if granted. No ruling has been made on that motion.

Since Boelter faces federal murder charges, he could potentially be sentenced to the death penalty if convicted. Prosecutors say that decision would be up to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.