Man charged in Minnesota shootings graduated from religious college in Dallas
The man arrested in the assassination of a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband Saturday graduated from a religious school in Dallas.
Christ For The Nations Institute, an interdenominational Bible college in Dallas confirmed that the suspected gunman, Vance Boelter, 57, was enrolled as a student from 1988 until 1990 and graduated with a diploma in Practical Theology in Leadership and Pastoral, according to a news release on Monday, June 16.
“We are absolutely aghast and horrified that a CFNI alumnus is the suspect. This is not who we are. This is not what we teach. This is not what we model,” the school’s news release stated. “We have been training Christian servant leaders for 55 years and they have been agents of good, not evil.”
Boelter was apprehended on Sunday, June 15, after a two-day search — described as the “largest manhunt” in Minnesota’s history — involving federal, state and local agencies, according to a news release from the Department of Justice. Law enforcement found Boelter in a field in Green Isle, about a mile from his family’s home.
Boelter faces federal charges for stalking and killing Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband and stalking and shooting state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife.
Boelter’s bail was set at $5 million for his state charges, but he is being held without bail for his federal charges of murder and stalking.
“CFNI unequivocally rejects, denounces, and condemns any and all forms of violence and extremism, be it politically, racially, religiously or otherwise motivated,” according to the news release from Christ for the Nations. “Our organization’s mission is to educate and equip students to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ through compassion, love, prayer, service, worship, and value for human life. These core Christian values and principles, which we highly esteem and embrace, are in stark contrast to the hateful beliefs, behavior and actions now being attributed to Mr. Boelter.”
Boelter carried out a “calculated plan” to target numerous Minnesota elected officials and their families, according to the release from the Justice department.
According to the release, Boelter disguised himself as a law enforcement officer and went to the home of Hoffman, wearing body armor and armed with firearms.
Boelter knocked on the Hoffmans’ door multiple times, claiming to be a police officer. After they opened the door and saw he was wearing a face mask, they tried to shut it. Boelter then shot both Hoffman and his wife multiple times, officials said.
According to the release he then went to the home of Hortman and her husband.
When officers arrived at the Hortman home for a welfare check they found Boelter’s black Ford Explorer SUV with flashing “police style” lights, the release stated.
Boelter was standing outside the front door. Moments later, he opened fire, fatally shooting the Hortmans inside the home and fled on foot.
Police recovered five firearms, including semi-automatic, assault-style rifles, a large quantity of ammunition, and several notes listing out the names of dozens of Minnesota state and federal elected officials in Boelter’s SUV, according to the DOJ release.