These Black Democrats Were Allegedly Next on the Minnesota Gunman’s Hitlist

The man accused of gunning down a Minnesota Democratic representative and her husband was captured by authorities this weekend after a short shooting spree. The investigation has yet to reveal his motive, but it would appear the late representative wasn’t the only Democrat on his hit list.

Vance Boelter, 57, was found armed, crawling in a field in Minnesota Sunday night following the fatal shooting of state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, in their home in Brooklyn Park, in what Minnesota Gov. Tim Waltz called a “politically motivated assassination.”

Police say Boelter also tried to kill Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, sending a flurry of bullets through their front door, per ABC News. The report says the couple sustained injuries but managed to escape the incident with their lives.

Though he spent 24 hours on the run, authorities identified Boelter as a suspect and tracked him down after community members familiar with him spoke up. The police investigation led them to his vehicle and cowboy hat, both of which were located not far from his home, per NBC News.

When police responded to the home after reports of gunfire, they found him outside the home with a police uniform, latex face mask and an SUV that looked like a patrol car. He managed to flee the scene before they got a chance to grab him, per ABC.

The chilling part about the case is that authorities say there’s no evidence to suggest the married father ever threatened the lawmakers before he allegedly went rogue. However, he was seemingly strategic in his plot as the cops claim he impersonated a police officer when he approached the Hortman home, authorities say.

Police say Boelter also left behind a notebook in his vehicle with a list of Democratic politicians he planned on targeting, including Black Democrats U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar and state Attorney General Keith Ellison, per ABC News. Besides being on the left, the other thing these politicians had in common was their advocacy for abortion rights, authorities say.

The slaying came at the same time the cities all over the country protested President Donald Trump’s mass deportation efforts in Los Angeles as he hosted a parade of armed military soldiers to celebrate the U.S. Army’s 125th anniversary. In response to this alleged politically motivated slaying, Waltz said there has to be another way to handle political tension.

"This cannot be the norm. It cannot be the way that we deal with our political differences," said Gov. Waltz in a news conference.

Boelter is charged with four counts in connection to the Hortman killings as well as the murder attempt on Sen. Hoffman and his wife.