'This was a political assassination', says Minnesota U.S. Attorney of lawmaker killing

Diario As

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00:00Although police have made an arrest, the investigation is ongoing, and so I'm limited in what I can share about it.

00:16On Saturday, our office filed charges against Mr. Bolton for second-degree murder and attempted murder,

00:23allowing us to obtain a nationwide arrest warrant, which would allow law enforcement across the country to arrest him.

00:31These are the highest charges we can file by complaint, and it needed to be done quickly to get the warrant out.

00:38Mr. Bolton was taken into state custody, and our office intends to pursue first-degree murder charges against Mr. Bolton.

00:46He would make an appearance, a first appearance, in state court here at 1.30.

00:51What I can assure our community is that we have filed charges, as you know.

00:58We intend to seek first-degree murder charges here.

01:01The penalty for that would be life without parole.

01:04So we intend to go forward on this case because we are accountable to protect our community

01:10and hold people who commit crimes in this county accountable.

01:13As we pursue justice and to help with whatever support...

01:18It was a relatively short period of time because they were moving in, and he was cooperative.

01:24So it wasn't a prolonged negotiation with him.

01:27It was more that they converged on him.

01:28And because of the extremely good coordination of what they're doing,

01:32I believe he's certainly in a position where he just had to give up

01:35because he knew he was surrounded by who was there.

01:37Late last night, the U.S. Attorney's Office filed a complaint

01:48bringing an array of federal charges against Vance Luther Belter

01:53for his horrific attack on our state and our elected representatives.

01:59Political assassinations are rare.

02:01They strike at the very core of our democracy.

02:05But the details of Belter's crime are even worse.

02:09They are truly chilling.

02:11It is no exaggeration to say that his crimes are the stuff of nightmares.

02:17Belter stalked his victims like prey.

02:20He went to their homes, held them out as a police officer,

02:25and shot them in cold blood.

02:27Is there a reason to believe that there was plans to commit additional violence

02:32at the state of the protest?

02:33Do you see a reaction?

02:34Look, I mean, this was a political assassination,

02:37which is not a word we use very often in the United States,

02:40let alone here in Minnesota.

02:42It's a chilling attack on our democracy, on our way of life.

02:47It's only the most recent example of violent political extremism in this country,

02:52and that's a trend that's been increasing in recent years, and that's unfortunate.

02:56And I hope it's a wake-up call to everyone that people can disagree with you without being evil

03:04or needing to be killed or hurt.

03:08Unfortunately, the Hoffmans survived, although they remain hospitalized.

03:12I've seen the footage from that camera, and it is chilling.

03:20Belter knocked on Senator Hoffman's front door and repeatedly shouted,

03:24this is the police, open the door.

03:27Senator Hoffman and his white Yvette came to the door.

03:32When they opened the door, Belter shined the flashlight in their faces

03:35and said there had been a shooting reported in the house.

03:39Belter asked if they had any weapons.

03:41When Belter lowered his flashlight, which he had shined in their face,

03:44they realized that he was not a police officer.

03:48They shouted out, you're not a cop, you're not a police officer.

03:53Belter then announced, this is a robbery, and forced himself into their home.

03:57When Senator Hoffman attempted to push Belter out and stop him from entering his home,

04:04Belter shot him repeatedly.

04:06Belter then shot Ms. Hoffman.

04:10Belter then traveled to the home of a Minnesota State Senator who lived in New Hope

04:16at about 2.36 a.m. on Friday night.

04:20After learning of the shooting of Senator Hoffman,

04:24New Hope police dispatched an officer to conduct a wellness check

04:28on the state senator who lived in New Hope.

04:31When the New Hope officer arrived at the scene,

04:36she saw Belter's black SUV parked down the block with the lights on.

04:42The New Hope police officer believed that Belter was a police officer

04:46who had been dispatched to the scene to check on the status of the state senator.

04:51The New Hope police officer pulled up next to Belter in his car,

04:56rolled down her window, and attempted to speak with him.

05:00Belter did not respond.

05:02According to the officer, he just sat there and stared straight ahead.

05:06I wonder if you have any details into that.

05:08And was he familiar to law enforcement,

05:09even though he didn't appear to have any kind of serious criminal record in the state?

05:13Officers recovered Belter's 9mm Beretta,

05:15along with the body armor and the mask behind the home

05:21along his path of flight when he fled on foot.

05:24They later searched Belter's car,

05:27where they found five more firearms,

05:29including assault-style rifles and a large quantity of ammunition.

05:35Belter also had in his car notebooks

05:37containing a list of more than 45 Minnesota state

05:40and federal elected officials,

05:42including Representative Hortman.

05:46...tactical vest and body armor,

05:48carrying a handgun and a flashlight,

05:51and wearing that...

05:52Counts three and four,

05:54charge Belter with the murder

05:56of Melissa

05:57of the Hortmans

06:01of the Hortmans

06:02using a firearm

06:03in violation of 18 U.S.C. 924 J.

06:09Count...

06:10And these are punishable

06:13by a term of life, imprisonment,

06:14or even death.

06:17And counts five and six

06:18charge him with shooting

06:20the Hortmans and the Hoffmans

06:23using a firearm,

06:24and both of those counts

06:25also carry a maximum sentence

06:27of life in prison.

06:30Is that true,

06:31and is the wife being investigated?

06:33Go ahead.

06:34Will we see the death penalty?

06:35It's too early to tell.

06:36That is one of the options

06:37for several of the charges, though.

06:39Senator Hoffman

06:40and his wife, the vet,

06:42came to the door.

06:43When they opened the door,

06:45they'll...

06:45Well, it's pretty clear

06:46from the evidence

06:47that he's been planning these attacks

06:48for quite some time.

06:49There's voluminous writings,

06:51as you've seen in the reporting,

06:52that were found both

06:53in his car and his house,

06:55about his planning,

06:56lists of names and individuals.

06:58In terms of the why,

07:00it's unclear.

07:02We're at the St. Paul

07:03Federal Courthouse.

07:04Beyond that,

07:05I'll defer to the marshals

07:06on where he'll be held.

07:07With respect to the potential motive,

07:09let me say this.

07:10There's been a lot of press coverage

07:12and speculation

07:13and discussion of a manifesto.

07:15I've seen nothing

07:16like a Unabomber-style manifesto

07:19in his writings.

07:20He had many, many notebooks

07:22full of plans,

07:24lists of names,

07:26surveillance,

07:27efforts that he took

07:27to surveil and locate

07:28the home addresses

07:30and family members' relationships

07:32with these elected officials.

07:33But I have not seen anything

07:35involving some sort of

07:36political screed

07:37or manifesto

07:38that would clearly

07:39identify what motivated him.

07:42He left and proceeded

07:43to Brooklyn Park

07:44and carried out

07:46the next shooting,

07:46so it got lost in the...

07:48Thank you.

07:57Guys, I'm going to be back

07:57in about three minutes.

07:58Thank you.

08:08Thank you.

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