Minnesota lawmaker shootings: Vance Boelter arraignment moved up to Aug. 7
Vance Boelter indicted on federal charges
A federal grand jury has indicted Vance Boelter on six charges related to the shootings of Minnesota lawmakers in June. FOX 9?s Maury Glover is live at the federal courthouse in Minneapolis with the latest.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The arraignment for the man suspected of shooting two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses in June have been moved up several weeks.
Arraignment set for Aug. 7
What we know:
Vance Boelter will be arraigned in Minneapolis Federal court at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 7. The arraignment was originally scheduled for 2 p.m. on Sept. 12, so it has been moved up about a month.
What we don't know:
It is unclear why the arraignment was moved up to Aug. 7.
MN lawmaker shootings: Vance Boelter's letter to FBI
Vance Boelter, the alleged gunman in the shooting of two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses, has been federally indicted on murder, firearm, and stalking charges. Prosecutors have revealed new evidence in the case, including a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel that contains an alleged confession and other claims. FOX 9's Maury Glover has more on the story.
Boelter indicted
Why you should care:
Boelter was indicted by a grand jury earlier this month. Prosecutors could seek the death penalty.
They asked a judge on Tuesday to mark the case as "complex," allowing them up to six months to prepare a case against Boelter. With the designation, prosecutors are looking for extra time to prepare a mountain of evidence, which prosecutors say will include hundreds of thousands of pages of documents for discovery and hours of body camera video. The prosecutor is asking the judge to allow for six months of preparation, which won't count towards the Speedy Trial Act, which requires the case to go to trial within 70 days of the indictment.
Boelter charges
The backstory:
Boelter is facing state and federal charges in the June 14 shooting deaths of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, at their Brooklyn Park home. He’s also accused of shooting lawmaker John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, multiple times at their Champlin home in a politically-motivated incident.
Boelter was indicted last week on six counts, including:
- Stalking of Melissa Hortman – use of interstate facilities
- Stalking of John Hoffman – use of interstate facilities
- Murder of Melissa Hortman through use of firearm
- Murder of Mark Hortman through use of firearm
- Shooting of Melissa and Mark Hortman – firearms offense
- Shooting of John and Yvette Hoffman and the attempted shooting of Hope Hoffman – firearms offense
Boelter's letter to FBI
What they're saying:
Prosecutors say they are confident that Boelter was acting alone and no one helped him. They say Boelter's motive was political extremism, reiterating that Boelter had compiled a list of targets of politicians, attorneys, and others, some of whom he surveyed before the shooting.
Before he was arrested, prosecutors say Boelter left a note in the vehicle he abandoned near his home that was addressed to FBI Director Kash Patel. In the letter, prosecutors say Boelter confessed to the shootings and said "he had been trained by the U.S. military off the books" and conducted missions for the military in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa. The letter further claims Walz approached him about killing Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar. Prosecutors say Boelter claims that unnamed people threatened to hurt his family if he didn't follow through.
The U.S. Attorney's Office says the letter is pure fantasy and delusion.