A nationwide manhunt is in its second day for Vance Luther Boelter, 57, who has been identified by law enforcement agencies in Minnesota as the primary suspect in the targeted shootings early Saturday morning that left Democratic state lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband dead.
Authorities said Boelter disguised himself as a law enforcement officer during the attack and news reports have focused on his apparent work as a security professional. But NPR's review of Boelter's online records and employment history found many of those claims about his professional life appear untrue.
In social media posts and websites, Boelter said he had extensive experience as a security professional with "training by both private security firms and by people in the U.S. Military."
NPR found little evidence to support Boelter's account. He appears to have worked most of his career in the food service industry and one long-time friend described parts of Boelter's narrative about his life as "fantasy."
Boelter is also being sought for the shooting of Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, who were wounded at their home. Authorities say Boelter should be considered armed and dangerous. They asked the public for help identifying his location and are offering a $50,000 reward, but said anyone seeing Boelter should call 911 and avoid contact.
On the website for a company called Praetorian Guard Security Services, LLC, Boelter described himself as part of the "leadership team."
NPR found no record of the firm having clients or providing any services. A call to the company's phone number connected to what appears to be a private phone line, not a business. The address listed in incorporation papers appeared to be that of a law firm specializing in divorce litigation.
Boelter himself appears to have no history working in law enforcement, the military or private security.
During a press conference Saturday, Drew Evans, commissioner of Minnesota's state Bureau of Criminal Apprehensions [BCA], said part of the investigation is now focused on Boelter's background, possible training and alleged motives.
"We are working diligently on that," Evans said, noting Boelter left a written message recovered by law enforcement, which hasn't yet been made public.
"It would be premature for me at this point to really say exactly what the motivation might be from these writings," he added, adding that it's unclear whether he had any specialized experience or training.
According to authorities, Boelter abandoned an SUV that resembled a law enforcement vehicle at the scene of one of the shootings after he was confronted by police. He then apparently fled the scene on foot.
Numerous lawmakers and public officials in Minnesota, including Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, a Democrat, have said publicly they were on a list of other individuals allegedly considered targets by Boelter.
Evans said investigators aren't yet certain Boelter acted alone. "We still don't know if other people may be involved," Evans said. "This individual is the person of interest right now, but there may be other people with him."
"I've made some choices"
In an interview with Fox News 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul, one of Boelter's long-time friends, David Carlson, downplayed the idea that he had any real-world military or security experience. "He was always kind of into the military stuff, but it was just, we were always like that. Me and him, we would play army men," Carlson said.
According to Carlson, Boelter did hope to open a security firm and purchased police-style automobiles to eventually use for the business, but the project never came to fruition. "That was some fantasy. There was talk about it, but there was no movement," he said.
In a video posted by the Minnesota Star Tribune newspaper, Carlson read a text message he said came from Boelter on Saturday.
"I love you guys and I've made some choices," Carlson read. "I may be dead shortly...I wish it hadn't gone this way." According to Carlson, Boelter strongly opposed abortion rights but hadn't spoken about the issue in years.
Boelter may have met one of targets of Saturday's attack
In public records and his LinkedIn profile, Boelter also claimed to have worked in Africa, activities that may have included an evangelical ministry.
"I'm currently in the Democratic Republic of Congo working on several projects," Boelter wrote on LinkedIn two years ago.
He said he had made the trip to talk with officials about "our private business projects That are all moving forward." NPR wasn't able to confirm the veracity of that claim.
Boelter apparently worked for a number of years as a convenience store and food services manager, posting this spring on LinkedIn that he was "looking to get back into the U.S. food industry."
"I'm pretty open to positions," Boelter wrote. "Other Leadership positions outside of the Food Industry I'm willing to hear about as well. I have been doing projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo in central Africa the last three years."
Boelter did serve multiple terms on the Minnesota governor's Workforce Development Board, where authorities say he may have met state Sen. Hoffman, one of the shooting victims.
"We are still exploring that," said Evans with the Minnesota BCA. "There are certainly some overlap with some public meetings, I will say, with Senator Hoffman and the individual but we don't know the nature of the relationship or if they actually knew each other."
Speaking on Saturday, Gov. Tim Walz called the incident "an unspeakable tragedy."
"This was an act of targeted political violence. Peaceful discourse is the foundation of our democracy. We don't settle our differences with violence or at gunpoint," said Walz, who ordered flags in the state flown at half-staff in honor of Hortman, calling her "a great leader."
"Melissa Hortman woke up every day determined to make our state a better place," Walz said in the order, according to Minnesota Public Radio. "She served the people of Minnesota with grace, compassion, and tirelessness."
NPR's Susie Cummings provided research that helped with this report.
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