Vance Boelter gets 2 life terms and more in Minnesota lawmaker shootings

Vance Boelter, the man who admitted in court to shooting two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses, was sentenced to two life terms in prison followed by 40 years Thursday morning.

Judge John R. Tunheim said it was "the longest sentence I have imposed after hearing thousands of cases over the years, but it is well deserved."

Boelter, who turns 59 Thursday, pleaded guilty to six federal charges against him in June. As part of his plea, he confessed to killing former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark and wounding Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette in a shooting that also targeted their daughter Hope.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced in June it would not seek the death penalty for Boelter.

In a pre-sentencing filing on Tuesday, prosecutors said, "Justice requires that Boelter never be free again." Thursday's sentence carries no possibility of parole.

The Hennepin County Attorney's Office previously said it plans to move forward with state charges against Boelter: two counts of first-degree premeditated murder, four counts of attempted first-degree murder and one count each of felony cruelty to an animal and impersonating an officer.

The Hoffman family is suing Boelter civilly, accusing him of assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence and negligence per se, according to the complaint.

The June 14, 2025, shootings in the Twin Cities suburbs of Champlin and Brooklyn Park prompted a manhunt that lasted 43 hours and ended in rural Green Isle, Minnesota. Officials said the attacks were politically motivated.

In the most recent legislative session, Hortman's colleagues approved a number of tributes to her, including a memorial garden for the State Office Building and the renaming of Highway 610 and Minnesota's community solar garden program in her honor. Lawmakers also passed two measures championed by Hortman's son Colin, which aim to ease the burdens on families following traumatic events.

Boelter gave a brief statement to the court before being sentenced.

"To every person I have caused loss, pain, heartache, confusion, shame or loneliness, I am truly sorry," he said.

Sophie and Colin Hortman, children to Melissa and Mark, told the court the pain they experienced after Boelter killed their parents is unforgettable.

"What I cared about is my entire life had been shattered in 30 seconds," Sophie Hortman said. "My parents were dead. The dog had been shot multiple times. My brother was wrecked."

Colin Hortman said he lives with post-traumatic stress disorder.

"The blood that was spilled is th