A massive two-day manhunt ended Sunday with the arrest of Vance Belter, 57, on suspicion of impersonating a police officer and killing a Democratic Minnesota congresswoman and her husband, Governor Tim Walz announced.
Beltre allegedly killed Minnesota House Democratic Leader Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark in their home on Saturday – a crime that Governor Walz called a "politically motivated assassination."
Authorities said Belter also allegedly wounded another Democratic lawmaker, Senator John Hoffman, and his wife, Yvette, at their home a few miles away.
"After a two-day manhunt, two sleepless nights, law enforcement officers arrested Vance Belter," Waltz said at a news conference, Reuters reported.
“The actions of one man of unimaginable proportions have changed Minnesota. At a time when we are witnessing outbursts of violence across the country, this must not become the norm. This must not be the way we resolve political differences. Now is the time for us all to rededicate ourselves to the core values of this country – and each of us can do it.”
The governor said Hoffman, who was shot nine times, has recovered from his latest surgery and is on the road to recovery.
Belter has ties to evangelical missions and claimed to be a security expert with experience in the Gaza Strip and Africa, according to online postings and publicly available documents reviewed by Reuters.
Belter has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder, the indictment states.
Three of those counts carry a maximum sentence of up to 40 years in prison.
According to a Hennepin County criminal complaint, Belter was impersonating a police officer during the shooting – wearing a police uniform and driving a Ford SUV with police lights.
Belter fled on foot early Saturday when officers tried to arrest him at the Hortman family's home in Brooklyn Park, authorities said, warning residents to stay indoors and launching the largest manhunt in state history.
In his vehicle, police found three AK-47 assault rifles, a nine-millimeter pistol and a list of other public officials with addresses, the indictment shows.
Based on a tip that Belter was near his home in the town of Green Isle, more than 20 special operations forces (SWAT) searched the area, assisted by surveillance aircraft, officials said. Although armed, Belter surrendered without an exchange of fire.
"The suspect crawled up to the security forces and was then arrested," said Lt. Col. Jeremy Geiger of the Minnesota State Patrol. "He was arrested without the use of force."
The operation to arrest Belter, which involved hundreds of detectives and numerous federal, state and local agencies, was the largest manhunt in the state's history, said Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley.
"Now comes the hard work: to discover what the motive was," Bruly added.
This murder is the latest case of political violence in the United States.
Similar incidents include the 2022 attack on the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the attempted assassination of Donald Trump last year, and the arson attack on the home of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro in April.
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