TF
TruthOrFake
Fact Check: Vance Boelter has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree attempted murder in connection with the shootings of Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman and Minnesota Sen. John Hoffman, as stated in the criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County Court on June 16, 2025.

Fact Check: Vance Boelter has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree attempted murder in connection with the shootings of Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman and Minnesota Sen. John Hoffman, as stated in the criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County Court on June 16, 2025.

Published June 17, 2025
ByFactChecker 1.1 avatarFactChecker 1.1
✓
VERDICT
True

# Fact Check: Vance Boelter Charged with Murder in Minnesota Shootings ## What We Know On June 16, 2025, a criminal complaint was filed in Hennepin C...

Fact Check: Vance Boelter Charged with Murder in Minnesota Shootings

What We Know

On June 16, 2025, a criminal complaint was filed in Hennepin County Court against Vance Luther Boelter, charging him with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree attempted murder. The charges stem from a shooting incident that occurred on June 14, 2025, in which Minnesota state Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were killed, and state Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were wounded (The New York Times, CBS News). The complaint outlines that Boelter allegedly posed as a police officer and used a firearm to carry out the attacks (AP News, Washington Post).

Analysis

The evidence presented in the criminal complaint indicates that Boelter acted with intent to kill, as he was found to have approached the victims' residence wearing a tactical vest and a mask, announcing himself as a police officer before opening fire (The New York Times). Surveillance footage corroborates this account, showing Boelter's vehicle and actions leading up to the shootings (The New York Times).

The reliability of the sources reporting on this incident is high, as they include major news outlets such as The New York Times, CBS News, and the Associated Press, all of which have established reputations for accurate reporting. The details provided in these reports are consistent across multiple sources, further supporting the claim that Boelter has been charged with the specified crimes (CBS News, AP News, Washington Post).

Additionally, the context of the shootings has been described as politically motivated, with authorities indicating that Boelter had intentions to "inflict fear" among Democratic politicians (The New York Times). This adds a layer of seriousness to the charges, as they are not only about the violent acts but also about the implications for public safety and political discourse.

Conclusion

The claim that Vance Boelter has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree attempted murder in connection with the shootings of Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman and Sen. John Hoffman is True. The evidence from the criminal complaint and corroborating reports from multiple reputable news sources confirm the details of the charges and the context surrounding them.

Sources

  1. Read the document - The New York Times
  2. Suspect Planned to 'Inflict Fear' With Wider Killing Spree ...
  3. Suspect in Minnesota lawmaker shootings captured after manhunt
  4. Minnesota shooting suspect had dozens of potential ...
  5. Vance Boelter charged in shootings of Minnesota lawmakers and their ...
  6. June 16, 2025: Minnesota suspect Vance Boelter faces ...
  7. Vance Boelter captured in Sibley County MN, charged with murder
  8. Chilling details emerge in Minnesota shootings as Vance Boelter faces ...

Have a claim you want to verify? It's 100% Free!

Our AI-powered fact-checker analyzes claims against thousands of reliable sources and provides evidence-based verdicts in seconds. Completely free with no registration required.

💡 Try:
"Coffee helps you live longer"
✓100% Free
✓No Registration
✓Instant Results

Comments

Leave a comment

Loading comments...

More Fact Checks to Explore

Discover similar claims and stay informed with these related fact-checks

🔍
Partially True
🎯 Similar

Fact Check: Paul Krugman Paul Krugman We’re All Rats Now Time to take a stand, again, against racism Paul Krugman Jun 30, 2025 Zohran Mamdani’s upset victory in New York’s Democratic primary has created panic in MAGAland. Stephen Miller, the architect of Donald Trump’s deportation policies, waxed apocalyptic: Scott Bessent, the Treasury secretary, declared that New York is about to turn into “Caracas on the Hudson.” And Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama basically declared New York’s voters subhuman, saying: These inner-city rats, they live off the federal government. And that’s one reason we’re $37 trillion in debt. And it’s time we find these rats and we send them back home, that are living off the American taxpayers that are working very hard every week to pay taxes. These reactions are vile, and they’re also dishonest. Whatever these men may claim, it’s all about bigotry. Miller isn’t concerned about the state of New York “society.” What bothers him is the idea of nonwhite people having political power. Bessent isn’t really deeply worried about Zamdani’s economic ideas. But he feels free, maybe even obliged, to slander a foreign-born Muslim with language he would never use about a white Christian politician, even if that politician were (like some of his colleagues in the Trump administration) a total crackpot. And while Tuberville stands out even within his caucus as an ignorant fool, his willingness to use dehumanizing language about millions of people shows that raw racism is rapidly becoming mainstream in American politics. Remember, during the campaign both Trump and JD Vance amplified the slanders about Haitians eating pets. And now that they’re in office, you can see the resurgence of raw racism all across Trump administration policies, large and small. You can see it, for example, in the cuts at the National Institutes of Health, which are so tilted against racial minorities that a federal judge — one appointed by Ronald Reagan! — declared I’ve never seen a record where racial discrimination was so palpable. I’ve sat on this bench now for 40 years. I’ve never seen government racial discrimination like this. You can see it in the renaming of military bases after Confederate generals — that is, traitors who fought for slavery. You can even see it in a change in the military’s shaving policy that is clearly custom-designed to drive Black men — who account for around a quarter of the Army’s new recruits — out of the service. So racism and bigotry are back, big time. Who’s safe? Nobody. Are you a legal immigrant? Well, the Supreme Court just allowed Trump to summarily strip half a million U.S. residents of that status, and only a fool would imagine that this is the end of the story. Anyway, when masked men who claim to be ICE agents but refuse to show identification are grabbing people off the streets because they think those people look illegal, does legal status even matter? Does it even matter if you’re a U.S. citizen? And the One Big Beautiful Bill Act is set to massively increase ICE’s funding — basically setting up a huge national secret police force. Now, maybe you imagine that you yourself won’t suffer from this new reign of bigotry and imagine that everyone you care about is similarly safe. But if that’s what you think, you’re likely to face a rude awakening. I personally don’t have any illusions of safety. Yes, I’m a native-born white citizen. But my wife and her family are Black, and some of my friends and relatives are foreign-born U.S. citizens. Furthermore, I’m Jewish, and anyone who knows their history realizes that whenever right-wing bigotry is on the ascendant, we’re always next in line. Are there really people out there naïve enough to believe MAGA’s claims to be against antisemitism, who can’t see the transparent cynicism and dishonesty? The fact is that the Trump administration already contains a number of figures with strong ties to antisemitic extremists. The Great Replacement Theory, which has de facto become part of MAGA’s ideology, doesn’t just say that there’s a conspiracy to replace whites with people of color; it says that it’s a Jewish conspiracy. So I’m definitely scared of what the many antisemites inside or with close ties to the Trump administration may eventually do. And no, I’m not frightened at all by the prospect that New York may soon have a somewhat leftist Muslim mayor. Anyway, my personal fears are beside the point. Everyone who cares about keeping America America needs to take a stand against the resurgence of bigotry. Because the truth is that we’re all rats now. MUSICAL CODA Discussion about this post Michael Roseman Jun 30 Edited For a while, American bigotry was ashamed of itself. Or pretended to be. Now it runs the government. Reply Share 106 replies Megan Rothery Jun 30 Edited Take a stand - Call. Write. Email. Protest. Unrelentingly. Use/share this spreadsheet as a resource to call/email/write members of Congress, the Cabinet and news organizations. Reach out to those in your own state, as well as those in others. Use your voice and make some “good trouble” ❤️‍🩹🤍💙 https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13lYafj0P-6owAJcH-5_xcpcRvMUZI7rkBPW-Ma9e7hw/edit?usp=drivesdk Reply Share 31 replies 852 more comments... No posts Ready for more? © 2025 Paul Krugman Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice Start writing Get the app Substack is the home for great culture

Detailed fact-check analysis of: Paul Krugman Paul Krugman We’re All Rats Now Time to take a stand, again, against racism Paul Krugman Jun 30, 2025 Zohran Mamdani’s upset victory in New York’s Democratic primary has created panic in MAGAland. Stephen Miller, the architect of Donald Trump’s deportation policies, waxed apocalyptic: Scott Bessent, the Treasury secretary, declared that New York is about to turn into “Caracas on the Hudson.” And Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama basically declared New York’s voters subhuman, saying: These inner-city rats, they live off the federal government. And that’s one reason we’re $37 trillion in debt. And it’s time we find these rats and we send them back home, that are living off the American taxpayers that are working very hard every week to pay taxes. These reactions are vile, and they’re also dishonest. Whatever these men may claim, it’s all about bigotry. Miller isn’t concerned about the state of New York “society.” What bothers him is the idea of nonwhite people having political power. Bessent isn’t really deeply worried about Zamdani’s economic ideas. But he feels free, maybe even obliged, to slander a foreign-born Muslim with language he would never use about a white Christian politician, even if that politician were (like some of his colleagues in the Trump administration) a total crackpot. And while Tuberville stands out even within his caucus as an ignorant fool, his willingness to use dehumanizing language about millions of people shows that raw racism is rapidly becoming mainstream in American politics. Remember, during the campaign both Trump and JD Vance amplified the slanders about Haitians eating pets. And now that they’re in office, you can see the resurgence of raw racism all across Trump administration policies, large and small. You can see it, for example, in the cuts at the National Institutes of Health, which are so tilted against racial minorities that a federal judge — one appointed by Ronald Reagan! — declared I’ve never seen a record where racial discrimination was so palpable. I’ve sat on this bench now for 40 years. I’ve never seen government racial discrimination like this. You can see it in the renaming of military bases after Confederate generals — that is, traitors who fought for slavery. You can even see it in a change in the military’s shaving policy that is clearly custom-designed to drive Black men — who account for around a quarter of the Army’s new recruits — out of the service. So racism and bigotry are back, big time. Who’s safe? Nobody. Are you a legal immigrant? Well, the Supreme Court just allowed Trump to summarily strip half a million U.S. residents of that status, and only a fool would imagine that this is the end of the story. Anyway, when masked men who claim to be ICE agents but refuse to show identification are grabbing people off the streets because they think those people look illegal, does legal status even matter? Does it even matter if you’re a U.S. citizen? And the One Big Beautiful Bill Act is set to massively increase ICE’s funding — basically setting up a huge national secret police force. Now, maybe you imagine that you yourself won’t suffer from this new reign of bigotry and imagine that everyone you care about is similarly safe. But if that’s what you think, you’re likely to face a rude awakening. I personally don’t have any illusions of safety. Yes, I’m a native-born white citizen. But my wife and her family are Black, and some of my friends and relatives are foreign-born U.S. citizens. Furthermore, I’m Jewish, and anyone who knows their history realizes that whenever right-wing bigotry is on the ascendant, we’re always next in line. Are there really people out there naïve enough to believe MAGA’s claims to be against antisemitism, who can’t see the transparent cynicism and dishonesty? The fact is that the Trump administration already contains a number of figures with strong ties to antisemitic extremists. The Great Replacement Theory, which has de facto become part of MAGA’s ideology, doesn’t just say that there’s a conspiracy to replace whites with people of color; it says that it’s a Jewish conspiracy. So I’m definitely scared of what the many antisemites inside or with close ties to the Trump administration may eventually do. And no, I’m not frightened at all by the prospect that New York may soon have a somewhat leftist Muslim mayor. Anyway, my personal fears are beside the point. Everyone who cares about keeping America America needs to take a stand against the resurgence of bigotry. Because the truth is that we’re all rats now. MUSICAL CODA Discussion about this post Michael Roseman Jun 30 Edited For a while, American bigotry was ashamed of itself. Or pretended to be. Now it runs the government. Reply Share 106 replies Megan Rothery Jun 30 Edited Take a stand - Call. Write. Email. Protest. Unrelentingly. Use/share this spreadsheet as a resource to call/email/write members of Congress, the Cabinet and news organizations. Reach out to those in your own state, as well as those in others. Use your voice and make some “good trouble” ❤️‍🩹🤍💙 https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13lYafj0P-6owAJcH-5_xcpcRvMUZI7rkBPW-Ma9e7hw/edit?usp=drivesdk Reply Share 31 replies 852 more comments... No posts Ready for more? © 2025 Paul Krugman Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice Start writing Get the app Substack is the home for great culture

Jul 20, 2025
Read more →
Fact Check: JD Vance made a rude gesture at public event in late June 2025
True
🎯 Similar

Fact Check: JD Vance made a rude gesture at public event in late June 2025

Detailed fact-check analysis of: JD Vance made a rude gesture at public event in late June 2025

Jul 1, 2025
Read more →
Fact Check: Did JD Vance harshly critiqued some countries such as Germany, UK and Romania over it free speech policies ?
True
🎯 Similar

Fact Check: Did JD Vance harshly critiqued some countries such as Germany, UK and Romania over it free speech policies ?

Detailed fact-check analysis of: Did JD Vance harshly critiqued some countries such as Germany, UK and Romania over it free speech policies ?

Jul 5, 2025
Read more →
Fact Check: Scammers stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency impersonating the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee.
True

Fact Check: Scammers stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency impersonating the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee.

Detailed fact-check analysis of: Scammers stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency impersonating the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee.

Jul 4, 2025
Read more →
Fact Check: Jd Vance changed his name
True

Fact Check: Jd Vance changed his name

Detailed fact-check analysis of: Jd Vance changed his name

Jul 2, 2025
Read more →
Fact Check: Victims have the right to be informed about court hearings in advance.
True

Fact Check: Victims have the right to be informed about court hearings in advance.

Detailed fact-check analysis of: Victims have the right to be informed about court hearings in advance.

Jul 2, 2025
Read more →
Explore All Fact Checks
Fact Check: Vance Boelter has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree attempted murder in connection with the shootings of Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman and Minnesota Sen. John Hoffman, as stated in the criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County Court on June 16, 2025. | TruthOrFake Blog