Vance Boelter sentencing set in Minnesota lawmaker shootings
Vance Boelter faces a plea-deal sentence of two life terms plus 40 years after admitting to the Minnesota attacks.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
2 min read
Vance Boelter sentencing is set for Thursday morning in federal court after he admitted shooting two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses, including the fatal attack on former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark.
Boelter, who turns 59 on Thursday, pleaded guilty in June to six federal charges. As part of that plea, he admitted killing Melissa and Mark Hortman and wounding state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, in attacks that also targeted the Hoffmans’ daughter, Hope.
The hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. Under the plea agreement, Boelter is expected to receive two consecutive life sentences followed by 40 years.
The U.S. Department of Justice said in June that it would not seek the death penalty. In a filing submitted Tuesday before sentencing, prosecutors wrote, “Justice requires that Boelter never be free again.”
What sentence does Vance Boelter face?
Boelter is expected to be sentenced to two life terms served one after the other, plus an additional 40 years, according to the plea deal described in court proceedings. Consecutive life sentences mean the terms do not run at the same time.
The federal sentence will not be the only legal matter tied to the case. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office has said it plans to proceed with state charges against Boelter, including two counts of first-degree premeditated murder and four counts of attempted first-degree murder.
The county attorney’s office has also listed one count each of felony cruelty to an animal and impersonating an officer among the state charges it intends to pursue.
Boelter also faces a civil lawsuit filed by the Hoffman family. According to the complaint, the family accuses him of assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence and negligence per se. No response from Boelter to the civil lawsuit has been reported.
What happened in the Minnesota lawmaker shootings?
The shootings took place June 14, 2025, in the Twin Cities suburbs of Champlin and Brooklyn Park. Officials said the attacks were politically motivated.
The case triggered a 43-hour manhunt that ended in rural Green Isle, Minnesota, according to officials. Boelter later admitted in court to the shootings as part of his federal plea.
Hortman’s colleagues in the Legislature have since approved several tributes in her honor. Those include a memorial garden for the State Office Building, the renaming of Highway 610 and the renaming of Minnesota’s community solar garden program.
Lawmakers also passed two measures backed by Hortman’s son, Colin, that are aimed at easing burdens on families after traumatic events.
Hoffman continues to serve in the Minnesota Legislature.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS News.