US EditionFact Check: Did Suspect in Minnesota Shootings Have Close Ties to Gov. Tim Walz?
- On June 14, 2025, Vance Luther Boelter allegedly fatally shot former Minnesota Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman and her spouse, and separately injured State Senator John Hoffman and his wife in Minnesota.
- Boelter previously served on the Governor's Workforce Development Board, appointed first by Gov. Mark Dayton and reappointed by Gov. Tim Walz in 2019, though Walz had no personal relationship with him.
- Authorities discovered a manifesto inside a counterfeit police vehicle used by Boelter, who impersonated a law enforcement officer during the shootings; the suspect allegedly targeted nearly 70 people, including Democratic legislators and healthcare facilities.
- Governor Walz described the shootings as deliberate acts of political violence and emphasized the importance of unity in Minnesota and nationwide to reject any kind of politically motivated aggression. Following the attacks, authorities called off protests against the Trump administration.
- Conservative influencers circulated unsubstantiated theories linking Boelter to Walz and the shootings, but official sources emphasize the workforce board appointments are volunteer roles without direct governor interaction or political influence.
16 Articles
16 Articles
What are Vance Luther Boelter’s politics? Alleged Minnesota assassin was appointed by Tim Walz, ‘voted for Trump’
Cops are building up a picture of Vance Luther Boelter, the former 7-Eleven manager and Tim Walz appointee accused of assassinating one Minnesota lawmaker and her husband, and of trying to kill a Senator and his wife.
Hastings Tribune
Pittsburgh Post-GazetteFact check: Did suspect in Minnesota shootings have close ties to Gov. Tim Walz?
Questions and misinformation have spread on social media and other platforms about the political views of the man suspected of assassinating Minnesota House DFL leader Melissa Hortman, and any connections that alleged gunman had to Gov. Tim Walz.
JUST THE FACTS: THE VANCE BOELTER CASE
The profile of Vance Luther Boelter, a man twice appointed to Minnesota's nonpartisan Governor’s Workforce Development Council, presents a man of varied public roles, now set against the backdrop of what Governor Tim Walz called a “politically...
Fact check: Did Vance Boelter have close ties to Gov. Tim Walz?
Vance Boelter was appointed to a Minnesota advisory board in 2019 before he allegedly shot and killed former House Democratic speaker Melissa Hortman, but one member says the board does not interact with the governor on a regular basis. Boelter served with Sen. John Hoffman, who he is accused of shooting and wounding, on that board.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 58% of the sources lean Right
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
