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MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota officials on Sunday evening provided an update on what they described as a “fluid” search for lawmaker shooting suspect Vance Boelter.
Boelter, 57, is accused of killing Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, early Saturday morning at their Brooklyn Park home in Minneapolis. He is also accused of shooting State Sen. John Hoffman, also a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, in their nearby Champlin home.
Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) said Sunday that law enforcement officials are still trying to locate and arrest Boelter on federal and local warrants.
“There is information that led us to do the searches…in Sibley County,” Evans said, adding later that Boelter’s vehicle and a hat that appeared to belong to the suspect were located in that area. He encouraged anyone around the Sibley County area who sees anything suspicious to contact police.
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Evans said authorities are sifting through 400 tips and described Sunday’s search as “fluid.”
“This is a complex situation that our investigators are going to need time to sift through the information and evidence,” Evans said.
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Authorities have said the suspect targeted lawmakers in a planned attack, showing up at their homes wearing a police-like uniform and a mask.
A massive manhunt for Boelter began Saturday morning, after the shootings were reported, into Sunday. When asked whether the suspect might be trying to leave the country or get to Canada, police had this to say:
“We don’t have evidence that he’s intending a particular destination, but all options are open to the investigative team, and they’re exploring that right now,” Evans told reporters on Sunday, adding that authorities are unclear on how Boelter may be traveling, whether by foot, vehicle or another form of transportation.
Authorities are operating under the assumption that the suspect is still alive.
Late Sunday afternoon, the Sibley County Sheriff’s Office in Minnesota confirmed to Fox News that an alert was sent saying the suspect’s car had been found near Highway 25 and 301 Avenue in Faxon Township, Sibley County.
“I mean, we knew what it was about, so we just decided to stay indoors,” Sibley County, Minnesota, resident Nate Douglas told Fox News Digital on Sunday afternoon.
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The suspect, however, was not located, according to the alert.
The sheriff’s office warned residents to use caution and keep their doors locked.
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A tow truck arrived in the area empty and left with a vehicle. Minnesota state authorities have not yet confirmed whether the vehicle was related to Boetler.
Democratic Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar shared a message from Hoffman’s wife on Sunday, saying the state senator was shot nine times and she eight.
“John is enduring many surgeries right now and is closer every hour to being out of the woods,” Yvette wrote. “He took [nine] bullet hits. I took [eight] and we are both incredibly lucky to be alive. We are gutted and devastated by the loss of Melissa and Mark. There is never a place for this kind of political hate.”
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Officials said Boelter had signs in his vehicle that read “No Kings.” Cities across the United States had “No Kings” protests — expressing disapproval of the Trump administration’s ICE raids — scheduled for Saturday afternoon.
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