Vance Boelter sentenced to life for Minnesota shootings

A Minnesota man who pleaded guilty to a politically motivated shooting spree that killed two people and wounded two others is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court on Thursday, July 23, 2026. Vance Boelter, 59, is expected to receive two consecutive life sentences plus 40 years in prison under the terms of a plea agreement reached in June.

Boelter admitted to carrying out the attacks in the early morning hours of June 14, 2025, targeting Democratic state lawmakers at their suburban Minneapolis homes. He fatally shot former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, at their Brooklyn Park residence. Earlier that night, he shot and critically wounded state Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, at their home in Champlin. The couple's daughter, Hope, was present but not physically harmed. The Hortmans' golden retriever was also shot and later euthanized.

According to court documents and prosecutors, Boelter spent months planning the attacks, stalking his targets and researching the political makeup of the closely divided Minnesota Legislature. Disguised as a police officer in a tactical uniform and mask, he arrived at the Hortman home around 3:30 a.m.,...