The suspected assassin who ambushed a Minnesota state senator and lawmaker in a deadly attack was a “strong” supporter of President Donald Trump, his roommate revealed.
David Carlson told reporters Saturday that suspected killer Vance L. Boelter voted fro the MAGA president last year. The revelation came after Republicans such as Elon Musk painted Boelter, who was appointed to Governor Walz’s Workforce Development Board in 2019, as a violent leftist—despite his pro-life views and his plans to target dozens of Democratic leaders.
Boelter and his wife, who was detained for questioning on Saturday, were registered Republicans while living in Oklahoma in the early 2000s, according to public records. However, Minnesota does not require people to select a party when registering to vote.
Carlson told CNN that he received a text message from Boelter around 6 a.m. on Saturday, hours after he allegedly gunned down Democratic state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband at their home in Brooklyn Park and critically wounded state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife at their home in Champlin.
Hoffman and his wife underwent surgery for multiple gun shot wounds, CBS reported.
“I just want to let you know that I love you guys both,” Boelter allegedly said in a text, according to Carlson.
Boelter added, “I don’t want to say anything more and implicate you in any way, because you, you guys don’t know anything about this. But I love you guys, and I’m sorry for all the trouble this has caused.”
BBC reported that Boelter traded gunfire with police at Hortman’s home but managed to escape.
Gov. Tim Walz called the attack a “politically motivated assassination” amid reports that Boelter allegedly compiled a list of other potential Democratic targets, including Walz and House Rep. Ilhan Omar, and local health care facilities.
Yet Carlson described Boelter to local news outlets as a “loving, caring guy” who “loved his family, loved his friends, loved God”—but also someone who was struggling to find work and “needed help,” according to CNN.
“Maybe things didn’t work out and he just gave up and decided to go out in the blaze of glory,” Carlson said. “I have no idea what he was thinking.”
Carlson said he reported Boelter’s text messages to authorities shortly after receiving them. Carlson added, “It’s just it’s not Vance. … He had lots of friends, trust me, and I wish I could have been there to stop him.”
The FBI has launched a manhunt for Boelter, who is still considered armed and dangerous, and Trump said on Saturday that Attorney General Pam Bondi was leading the investigation.
