Suspect in Minnesota attacks is detained, ending search

A man suspected of assassinating a Minnesota state lawmaker and shooting another was in custody Sunday, according to three officials who were briefed on the situation, ending a two-day search that rattled the state.

State officials had pursued the suspect, identified as Vance Boelter, 57, throughout the weekend, as Minnesotans reeled from the killings of state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. In a separate attack, the gunman also wounded state Sen. John A. Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, at their home in the Minneapolis suburbs.

Boelter was charged with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder, according to a criminal complaint obtained by The New York Times.

Investigators detained him after tactical teams conducted a search Sunday in Sibley County, about an hour’s drive away from the site of the attacks, where investigators found a vehicle and hat belonging to the suspect.

Officials said the gunman had impersonated a police officer during the attacks, wearing a rubber mask and a bogus badge, and had a notebook that mentioned the names of about 70 potential targets that included both of the lawmakers. They said he fired at officers responding to one of the homes before escaping.