The manhunt for Vance Boelter, 57, the suspect in the Minnesota shootings that left two lawmakers shot and two others dead, took a new turn Saturday as law enforcement detained several of his relatives—including his wife Jennifer—during a traffic stop in Mille Lacs County.
Tom Hauser of ABC 5 Eyewitness News reported that the stop occurred between 10 and 11 a.m. Saturday near a convenience store outside Onamia, roughly 90 minutes north of the Twin Cities. “Law enforcement made a traffic stop involving a vehicle carrying several relatives of Vance Boelter, including his wife,” Hauser said.
An eyewitness told the station that about a dozen police vehicles converged on the car, surrounding it for two to three hours. The vehicle reportedly contained “a weapon, ammunition, cash, and passports,” according to Hauser’s law enforcement sources.
“At this point, no one in that group has been arrested, just detained for questioning,” Hauser noted. He added that it’s unclear why the group was stopped—whether it was planned or incidental—but later confirmed that at least one of his sources said the stop was no accident. “She was being tracked,” Hauser reported of Boelter’s wife. “So, this was not a random traffic stop. They had an idea of where she was, and they were able to track her down.”
The detentions occurred as the broader investigation into the shootings continues to unfold. Authorities still have not located Boelter. “He is still at large,” Hauser confirmed during the broadcast.
Briefings regarding the incident are reportedly ongoing, and more details are expected to emerge in the coming days.
For now, the situation remains fluid, with law enforcement widening its search and tightening its focus on anyone close to the suspect.
BREAKING: Minnesota Shooter's Wife Detained with Weapon, Ammunition, Cash, Passports
— Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) June 15, 2025
The wife of Vance Luther Boelter, Jennifer Boelter, was detained by police for questioning after a traffic stop late Saturday morning near Onamia, Minnesota.
Her husband, Vance Boelter, is… pic.twitter.com/L7j7Lp8nK3
Boelter reportedly dressed as a police officer before targeting state Sen. John Hoffman and former House Speaker Melissa Hortman early Saturday morning. Hoffman and his wife are expected to survive. Hortman and her husband were killed.
There are a lot of outstanding questions about Boelter’s motive in the shootings. As we previously reported, Vance Boelter was actually appointed by Gov. Tim Walz to serve on a state Workforce Development Board as a private-sector representative. That detail alone raises serious questions.
Boelter’s abandoned fake police vehicle contained “No Kings” flyers and a manifesto that reportedly contained a kill list of both Democrat and Republican public officials.
Jennifer ran a private security firm where Vance served as “director of patrols.” She may have also interned for Walz during his time in Congress. Investigators are now probing the couple’s potential ties to the Middle East and Africa.
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