Minnesota Mom Convicted for Saying the N-Word

Ken Silva
-
0
Minnesota Mom Convicted for Saying the N-Word

(Ken Silva, Headline USA) In a blow to free speech in America, a jury has found a Minnesota mom guilty of disorderly conduct for using a racial slur on camera after a Somali child took her property last year.

The jury found the mother, Shiloh Hendrix, guilty on Thursday night after a four-day trial and nine hours of deliberation. Hendrix was found not guilty on one count of disorderly conduct for allegedly swearing at the child who stole from her, but was found guilty on another count for swearing on camera.

The charges stem from a video that went viral last April. Before the recording started, she allegedly berated an 8-year-old Somalian for allegedly taking items from her 18-month-old son’s diaper bag—calling the kid the “N-word.” Then, when another person confronted her on camera, she defended her actions.

“Don’t dig into people’s shit, you dumb fuck,” Hendrix told the Somali man recording her. “He took my son’s stuff.”

The recording went viral soon thereafter.

Hendrix was reportedly fined $1,000, given a stayed 90-day jail sentence and was ordered to perform 200 hours of community service.

Afterwards, Hendrix’s attorney, Brian Karalus, had scathing words for what he described as a show trial.

“I thought I was coming to Rochester to try a free speech case … Then the case took another turn,” he said.

Karalus accused the prosecution’s main witness—Shire Jimali, the father of the boy who stole Hendrix’s property—of perjury. Jimali, who testified through a translator because he doesn’t speak English, reportedly said he didn’t have a GoFundMe page, but Karalus said his investigators found one that’s still active.

Karalus also said that the cameraman who filmed Hendrix didn’t testify. Despite that, she was found guilty for swearing at him. Then, after being found guilty, prosecutors read the victim impact statement of the boy’s father—even though she was found not guilty of swearing at him.

“This whole thing is fucking bullshit,” he said, vowing to appeal.

Hendrix has established a GiveSendGo fundraiser titled “Help Me Protect My Family.” Originally setting a goal of $1,000,000, she has raised over $850,000 as of the time of this writing.

In her fundraiser description, Hendrix claims she has been “put into a very dire situation” following the incident. She alleges her personal information has been compromised: “My SSN has been leaked. My address, and phone number have been given out freely. My family members are being attacked. My eldest child may not be going back to school. Even where I exercise has been exposed.”

Ken Silva is the editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/jd_cashless.

Man Who Jumped from Building to Evade Arrest Pleads Guilty to Fraud: Report

Luis Cornelio
-
0
Man Who Jumped from Building to Evade Arrest Pleads Guilty to Fraud: Report

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) An alleged fraudster who gained national attention after jumping from a fourth-floor window to evade FBI agents has pleaded guilty to health care fraud, several news outlets reported Thursday.

Muhammad Abdulqadir Omar pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, according to court filings reviewed by KSTP and Fox 9 KMSP.

Omar made headlines in May after leaping from a fourth-floor window as FBI agents executed a search warrant and attempted to arrest him. He broke a leg and was taken into custody a few hours later at a relative’s home, according to Yahoo News.

Omar and Ibrahim Bashir Abdi were accused of siphoning more than $3 million in taxpayer funds through an alleged Medicaid fraud scheme.

According to KSTP, the pair of alleged fraudsters submitted false Medicaid claims through North Home Health Care LLC and South Home Health Care LLC.

Omar is one of at least 15 defendants charged in an alleged $90 million health care fraud scheme, according to a press conference held by the DOJ earlier this year.

The guilty plea comes as President Donald Trump has made eliminating government fraud a key priority of his administration.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, has faced criticism over allegations that his government turned a blind eye to warning signs of large-scale fraud. He has denied wrongdoing.

Walz suspended his reelection campaign amid mounting criticism after Vice President J.D. Vance’s government fraud task force referred him and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison to the DOJ for criminal investigation.

Trump Says US-Saudi Nuclear Deal Hinges on Saudi Normalization With Israel

Headline USA Editor
-
0
Trump Says US-Saudi Nuclear Deal Hinges on Saudi Normalization With Israel

(Dave DeCamp, Antiwar.com) President Donald Trump on Thursday said that the nuclear agreement the US and Saudi Arabia signed on Thursday will only move forward if Saudi Arabia normalizes relations with Israel, a statement that came after backlash from Israeli officials over the deal.

Trump also said the deal won’t involve nuclear enrichment, though US officials have said it could lead to uranium enrichment on Saudi soil, and that it would be “non-military,” citing Iran’s nuclear program as an example, appearing to acknowledge the fact that Tehran doesn’t have a nuclear weapons program.

“The Civil Nuclear Deal (There will be no enrichment of material!) being made between the United States Department of Energy and Saudi Arabia, which pertains only to non-military use such as the ones that Iran and UAE (and others) already have, will be approved, but is totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords,” the president wrote on Truth Social.

“The United States is not opposed to Civil (Non-Enriched) Nuclear Facilities,” Trump added, appearing to conflate uranium enrichment with weapons proliferation despite the fact that several countries have an enrichment program and no nuclear weapons, including close US allies Germany and Japan.

There was no sign on Wednesday when the US Energy Department announced the US-Saudi nuclear deal that it hinged on Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords, and Saudi officials have maintained that the Kingdom won’t normalize relations with Israel until there’s a path toward a Palestinian state.

This article originally appeared at Antiwar.com. 

Laura Loomer Meets Zelenskyy in Ukraine After Her Major Reversal on the War

Headline USA Editor
-
0
Laura Loomer Meets Zelenskyy in Ukraine After Her Major Reversal on the War

(Headline USA) Laura Loomer, an ardent ally of President Donald Trump with a reputation for incendiary social media commentary, sat down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday after a dramatic turnaround on the war that could have political reverberations back in Washington.

Loomer had spent years minimizing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and amplifying Russian propaganda to her nearly 2 million followers. This week she had a change of heart.

“Just experienced my first air raid in Ukraine. Sirens blaring. This is everyday for every Ukrainian,” Loomer wrote on X during her visit to the country. “I often said I don’t care. Looking back, that wasn’t very nice of me to say.”

It was a stunning reversal for a woman who had spent years criticizing U.S. support for Ukraine’s defense, declaring it “a country full of Nazi apologists” — a claim used by Russia to justify its yearslong invasion — and “led by a Jihadi apologist.”

The skepticism of Ukraine has been shared by other major conservative influencers, including former Fox News host Tucker Carlson. The issue became a major point of contention between more traditional Republicans, like former Vice President Mike Pence, and Trump’s MAGA base. Vice President JD Vance was among the earliest and most vocal critics of continued U.S. military aid to the country, and he clashed with Zelenskyy in a heated Oval Office meeting.

It was unclear what had prompted Loomer’s trip or how she had arranged the meeting with Zelenskyy, which she plugged as an interview for her Rumble show, “Loomer Unleashed.” She posted a photo of the two that she said had been taken at Mariinsky Palace.

“No questions were off limits and I didn’t pull any punches,” she said.

She did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The meeting was confirmed earlier by Dmytro Lytvyn, a spokesperson for the president, who said that no Ukrainian government institution had organized the visit. He added that Zelenskyy’s office first learned that Loomer was in Ukraine through social media.

“It is really important that @LauraLoomer is in Ukraine and sees things with her own eyes as they are,” Zelenskyy’s office had written Tuesday.

“It takes courage to come to Ukraine and not be deterred by Russian propaganda or air raid sirens. Thank you, Laura,” the office added Thursday.

In addition to the meeting with Zelenskyy, Loomer also visited the Dormition Cathedral of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, one of the country’s most significant religious landmarks, which came under Russian attack last month.

The attack on the monastic complex of golden domes in the heart of Kyiv, which is also known as the Monastery of the Caves, sparked a fire that caused significant interior and exterior damage, according to UNESCO. Zelenskyy had called it Moscow’s “biggest crime yet against Christian culture.”

Russia denied responsibility for the attack, claiming, without offering evidence, that the complex was hit by one of Ukraine’s U.S.-made Patriot air defense missiles — saying that it might have veered off course due to its age.

In a video recorded from inside the church, Loomer accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of hypocrisy by portraying Russia as pro-Christian.

“I just don’t think that you should be allowed to say that you’re protecting Christianity if you’re trying to drone strike Jesus Christ,” she said.

Sergiy Kyslytsya and Tetyana Berezhna, two top Ukrainian officials, were among those who met with Loomer and joined her for the visit.

The meeting comes amid continued hostilities between Russia and Ukraine that have overshadowed by the war with Iran.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday at an annual gathering of foreign ministers in Manila that the administration is poised to help end the “senseless war” in Ukraine but acknowledged there was no quick path to a deal.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the trip.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press. 

Video Shows Unfazed Passersby During Fiery Attack on New York Federal Building by Ex-Soldier

Headline USA Editor
-
0
Video Shows Unfazed Passersby During Fiery Attack on New York Federal Building by Ex-Soldier

(Headline USA) Some bystanders appeared to barely bat an eye when a man set off a fountain of fireworks then started a blazing fire outside a federal building in Lower Manhattan, according to security camera video released Wednesday.

The surveillance footage from the U.S. Attorney’s Office offered the most complete look yet at the bizarre episode Monday morning outside 26 Federal Plaza, which didn’t seriously injure anyone but led to arson charges against Andrew Arrabaca, a former U.S. Army soldier.

Prosecutors say Arrabaca, 43, confessed to carrying out the attack and has been jailed without bail.

The video shows Arrabaca, who arrived at the building with a little wagon filled with supplies, setting up a large fireworks dispenser, capable of rapidly firing off dozens of rockets.

He ignites it, and rockets start shooting out into the air — then everywhere as the tube shooting off the projectiles topples over.

One hits his wagon and explodes. Others shoot down the sidewalk and into the street as cars drive past.

New Yorkers are famed for their ability to coolly ignore outlandish things happening in front of them, but the reaction of some passersby showed an Olympic level of minding your business.

One pair calmly walks past Arrabaca and the spewing fireworks as if nothing is happening, even as a rocket narrowly misses them and explodes right next to them in a shower of red sparks and smoke. But they dash for cover when Arrabaca pulls out a weapon that looks like a rifle — authorities said it was a pellet gun — and points it toward them.

Finally, Arrabaca dumps out a bucket full of what appears to be bottles, lighting up a large blaze on the sidewalk that engulfs the steps leading to the building’s entrance. At one point during the commotion, a person rides by on a bicycle.

The building houses offices for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the FBI and other federal agencies and has been a hub of protests against President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.

Officials said Arrabaca was toting an anti-ICE sign and made “anti-government and anti-American statements” as he was being arrested. He also had with him two axes, three fixed-blade knives, a hammer and a machete.

Three people sustained minor injuries, including a person who had an immigration court hearing at the building. According to federal prosecutors, Arrabaca plotted the attack for months and considered striking other New York City targets.

He went to upstate New York to buy weapons and Pennsylvania to buy fireworks, prosecutors said. Outside the Manhattan building, he was tackled by a security officer after authorities say he dumped gasoline outside an employee entrance and set the sidewalk on fire.

At Arrabaca’s hearing Tuesday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Robyn F. Tarnofsky said he was “quite clearly ill.”

Arrabaca was living in his car and slept in a park the night before the attack, prosecutors said. In 2020, he was prescribed medication for a mental health condition, but he stopped taking it about a year later.

His defense attorney suggested that he be sent to a locked ward at a Veterans Health Administration facility for a mental health evaluation, but he was ordered jailed then evaluated there.

Arrabaca repaired Patriot missile systems while in the Army from 2001 to 2004. He also served a year in the New York Army National Guard. He had no deployments and left the Army as a specialist, an Army spokesperson said.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press.

Wisconsin Police Officer Shoots, Kills Knife-Wielding Man

Headline USA Editor
-
0
Wisconsin Police Officer Shoots, Kills Knife-Wielding Man

(Headline USA) A Madison police officer shot and killed a man who had injured him with a knife while resisting arrest, officials said Wednesday, prompting swift protests as crowds marched to the state Capitol to demand accountability.

Cellphone video of the shooting, where three gunshots could be heard, circulated on social media.

Madison Police Chief John Patterson stressed at a news conference that the footage circulating was just one perspective of what happened.

“I want to take a moment to honestly and sincerely offer my heartfelt sympathies to his family for this loss,” Patterson said. The man killed was in his 30s, Patterson said, but police did not release his name.

The shooting happened on a city street in a popular neighborhood lined with restaurants, bars, shops and residential homes less than 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from the state Capitol. Footage shows numerous cars stopped in the intersection with people watching as it unfolded.

A white police officer shot and killed Tony Robinson, who was biracial, on the same street in 2015, a shooting that spurred large protests. The district attorney did not file charges against police in that case, determining the officer was justified.

The race of the officer who fired his gun on Wednesday and that of the man killed were not released by police.

But Black advocacy groups in Madison quickly spoke out against the crime and said they believed the man was Black.

“Another Black man is dead on a Madison street, and our community watched him die before we even knew his name,” said Brandi Grayson, the head of the Madison-based Black community advocacy group Urban Triage. “That is the cruelty of state violence.”

A crowd formed near where the shooting occurred on Wednesday with people chanting, “Arrest the cops!”

They placed flowers and candles where the man was shot and held a vigil, the crowd continuing to grow as the sun set.

Protesters also marched to the Wisconsin State Capitol and took the stage at a summer concert series, demanding the name of the officer and that he be held accountable. The Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra announced on social media the show was canceled.

Police were responding to calls that someone was attempting to enter parked vehicles in the neighborhood, Patterson said. The suspect fled on a bike through nearby backyards in an attempt to get away before officers contacted him in the street, Patterson said.

The suspect either fell off of his bike or was taken off of his bike by officers and during the struggle pulled out a knife and injured an officer, Patterson said. Police posted a picture of the knife in a news release.

An officer deployed a taser but it was unsuccessful, the chief said. The same officer who was injured by the knife fired his weapon and the man who was shot died later at the hospital, the chief said. He described the officer who fired his weapon as a veteran officer, but did not reveal any other details.

Another officer was injured, but it is not clear how, Patterson said. The other two officers were uninjured.

The Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigation will investigate the shooting because it involves police officers. The four responding officers will be placed on administrative leave, per the police department’s policy.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press.

FDA Panel Narrowly Backs Peptides Touted by Joe Rogan and Other Influencers

Headline USA Editor
-
0
FDA Panel Narrowly Backs Peptides Touted by Joe Rogan and Other Influencers

(Headline USA) Health advisers met Thursday to review more than a half-dozen peptides, unproven substances that have become a growing wellness trend.

In the first of several votes, the panel of Food and Drug Administration experts narrowly voted 8-6 in favor of broadening access to a chemical called BPC-157, one of the most popular peptides among longevity and wellness influencers. One panel member abstained from voting.

The two-day meeting has the backing of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has described himself as a “big fan” of peptides and vowed to overturn FDA restrictions put in place under President Joe Biden.

The vote on BPC-157 reflected the unusual makeup of the panel. Before the meeting, more than a half-dozen people with connections to the peptide industry were added to the panel, including doctors, pharmacists or consultants who work with the chemicals.

All those experts voted in favor of allowing specialty pharmacies to produce their own formulations of BPC-157 for patients.

“I voted yes because it’s time to put this decision back in the hands of the patient, the physician and the pharmacist,” said David Pope, chief pharmacy officer of Xifin Pharmacy Solutions.

The vote came despite a highly critical review of the peptide from FDA’s staff scientists, who said there was little data suggesting BPC-157 is effective for medical use.

The panel is scheduled to take similar votes Thursday and Friday on six other popular peptides, recommending whether they should be added to a list of substances that are safe for compounding by pharmacies. The votes aren’t binding and the FDA has periodically bucked the recommendations of its outside experts.

In recent years, the FDA has warned Americans about the risks of injecting peptides like BPC-157 and TB-500, another compound set for review Thursday. Both are considered doping substances by international sports authorities.

Peptides are the building blocks of more complex proteins, triggering hormones inside the body needed for growth, metabolism and healing. Drug companies have brought several to market as medications, including mainstay treatments for diabetes and weight loss.

FDA convened this week’s meeting to discuss seven unapproved peptides that are under review for various medical conditions, including ulcerative colitis, migraines and opioid addiction. FDA’s staff reviewers said before the meeting they couldn’t find strong evidence to support any of those uses.

Social media platforms are brimming with testimonials from people claiming the substances helped them build muscle, recover from injuries or look younger. BPC-157 is among the most popular peptides sold online and via compounding pharmacies. It’s been cited by podcaster Joe Rogan who says it helped him treat a muscle injury.

But FDA scientists said they could find little data on the medical use of BPC-157 and raised concerns about risks of contamination, allergic reactions and quality control.

Five studies of BPC-157 reviewed by the agency “were of short duration, had small sample sizes and evaluated doses that were likely exploratory in nature,” the staffers said.

Even determining which form of the drug should be used was unclear to regulators, since BPC-157 is not recognized as an official pharmaceutical ingredient in the U.S.

“There’s no way to know what the substance actually is, was or will be tomorrow because that name has no legal meaning,” said Russell Wesdyk, an associate director in FDA’s drug center.

The panel votes are only one part of more than 18 hours of discussions and presentations scheduled across the two days.

During a public comment period, the panel heard from more than 20 speakers — including doctors, lawyers and peptide entrepreneurs — urging that BPC-157 and other substances be made more widely available.

Brigham Buhler, a wellness clinic owner whose clients include Rogan and other celebrities, said allowing U.S. pharmacies to compound peptides would steer Americans away from unvetted products imported from China and other foreign countries.

“It’s crucial to allow patients to have safe and effective access to these treatment options,” Buhler said. “Individuals who have gotten these resources are going to continue to utilize these products.”

After the meeting, the FDA will review the votes, discussion and public comments before making a decision on each of the peptides.

FDA-watchers say the most likely outcome may be a temporary policy reassuring pharmacies that they won’t be targeted for compounding the peptides under review. 

Formally placing the substances on FDA’s list of drugs that are safe for compounding would require new regulations, which can take months or years to draft.

“We’re still going through this process, but I think it’s more than likely that the process will end up at the result that Secretary Kennedy wants,” said Nathan Beaver, an attorney specializing in FDA issues.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press. 

House GOP Targets Jack Smith

Headline USA Editor
-
0
House GOP Targets Jack Smith

(Headline USA) A key Republican lawmaker says he believes that special counsel Jack Smith may have made false statements to Congress while testifying about his investigation of President Donald Trump and that the Justice Department should consider prosecuting him. Lawyers for Smith deny the allegation and say he testified truthfully.

Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, referred Smith to the Justice Department for possible prosecution related to closed-door testimony about whether he had obtained records of lawmakers while investigating Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss.

The referral, sent Wednesday, centers on a December 2025 exchange in which Smith was asked about subpoenas that prosecutors had issued for the toll records of some Republican lawmakers as part of the investigation. Toll records show the time, date, length of call and phone numbers involved but do not reveal the content of the communication.

“Did the toll records that you requested from the senators, did they include the content of the phone calls?” Smith was asked.

“No,” he said. He again answered no when asked whether the toll records he had requested included the content of text messages.

Jordan, in his referral, says that answer was misleading in light of newly released records from Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa showing that Smith had obtained the contents of 44 lawmakers’ text messages in a separate subpoena to the National Archives and Records Administration that sought the communications of various Trump advisers and aides.

“The responses provided by Mr. Smith gave the impression that neither Mr. Smith nor his team had access to the content of Members’ privileged text messages. We now know this to be false,” Jordan wrote.

He said a false statement under the law can encompasses instances in which “the witness provides a half-truth or excludes information necessary to make statements accurate.”

In a letter to Jordan and Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, Smith’s lawyers called his answers “unimpeachably truthful” and noted that he was responding explicitly to questions about toll records, which did not include the contents of any text messages.

“The toll record subpoenas that were the focus of those questions did not call for the content of text messages,” wrote Smith’s lawyers, Peter Koski and Lanny Breuer. “The questions and answers preceding and following these exchanges also make clear that the focus of the question was on the toll records subpoenas. Notably, the referral letter does not contest the truthfulness of Mr. Smith’s answers.”

Raskin said in his own statement that House Republicans had “embarrassed themselves” with the referral and that Smith answered accurately when asked if the toll records subpoenas sought the content of lawmakers’ communications. He said Republicans were faulting Smith for not volunteering information he was not asked.

“Wishing that you had asked different questions while you had the opportunity to examine a witness is not a proper basis for a referral of a witness for criminal prosecution. Congressional Republicans never asked Jack Smith about presidential records. Not during his 9-hour closed-door testimony or his 4-hour public hearing,” Raskin wrote.

A criminal referral to the Justice Department from Congress or any other party has no legal authority and does not compel prosecutors to act. But the department under the Trump administration has proved to be eager to investigate and in some cases prosecute foes of the president. Smith is certainly one such adversary, with Trump having called him “deranged” and urging his prosecution.

“During his testimony, Mr. Smith provided truthful, responsive answers and candidly discussed his work as Special Counsel,” Smith’s lawyers wrote. “This referral reflects a chilling eagerness to weaponize the justice system by attacking a career, nonpartisan public servant who faithfully and fearlessly performed his duties by following the facts and the law.”

The Justice Department in a statement Wednesday night confirmed receipt of the referral and said it “will investigate all evidence of criminal conduct.”

Smith charged Trump with conspiring to undo the election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden and with hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, after his first term in the White House. Smith abandoned both prosecutions after Trump’s election win in November 2024, citing longstanding Justice Department opinions that say sitting presidents cannot face federal indictment.

Smith resigned from the Justice Department in early 2025, 10 days before Trump was inaugurated again.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press.

House Passes 2027 NDAA With Section to Integrate US and Israeli Militaries

Headline USA Editor
-
0
House Passes 2027 NDAA With Section to Integrate US and Israeli Militaries

(Dave DeCamp, Antiwar.com) The House on Wednesday passed its version of the massive $1.15 trillion 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes Section 219 (formerly Section 224), a provision to further integrate the US and Israeli militaries, a scheme Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described as “my plan.”

The NDAA passed largely along party lines in a 216-212 vote. Seven Republicans voted against it, and two didn’t vote, meaning that the Democrats could have blocked the legislation, but six Democrats voted yes on the sweeping military spending bill despite President Donald Trump’s continued war against Iran, which was launched without congressional authorization.

The Democrats who voted for the bill include Reps. Henry Cuellar (TX), Donald G. Davis (NC), Jared F. Golden (ME), Vicente Gonzalez (TX), Adam Gray (CA), and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA).

The Republicans who voted against the legislation include Reps. Thomas Massie (KY), Chip Roy (TX), Anna Paulina Luna (FL), Harriet M. Hageman (WY), Elijah Crane (AZ), Tim Burchett (TN), and Josh Brecheen (OK).

The vote came after the House Rules Committee didn’t allow a vote on an amendment introduced by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) to strip Section 219 from the NDAA. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), who supported Massie’s effort, has said he would “fight to strip this amendment in the conference between the House and the Senate,” when the two chambers negotiate the final NDAA.

The Senate’s version of the NDAA also includes a provision to integrate the two militaries, but the legislation was blocked by Senate Democrats last week over President Trump’s war with Iran, which hasn’t been authorized by Congress and has continued despite both chambers passing a concurrent War Powers Resolution directing the president to end the conflict.

This article originally appeared at Antiwar.com.  

Minnesota Assassin Sentenced to Life

Headline USA Editor
-
0
Minnesota Assassin Sentenced to Life

(Headline USA) Friends and family of Minnesota Democratic lawmaker Melissa Hortman said the man sentenced Thursday to two life terms plus 40 years after pleading guilty to her murder failed to eliminate her legacy but caused enduring fear and fury as he changed their lives forever.

Fellow lawmakers and survivors of the shooting spoke Thursday at the sentencing hearing for Vance Boelter, the man who pleaded guilty last month to federal charges related to the killing of former House Speaker Hortman and her husband Mark, as well as critically wounding state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette.

Boelter, 59, agreed to plead guilty in June, almost a year after the Minneapolis-area attacks, so federal prosecutors would not seek the death penalty. Mark Hortman’s father and siblings voiced anger that he could not be sentenced to death.

U.S. District Judge John R. Tunheim said it was “the longest sentence I have imposed after hearing thousands of cases over the years, but I do believe it is deserved.”

In court Thursday, Sen. Hoffman said he and his family are constantly reminded of the extraordinary violence of that night, even in the mundane details of day-to-day life. He said they don’t receive mail at home anymore, they have installed solid steel doors for protection, and they have changed how they do everyday tasks because of their injuries.

“The defendant looked me in the eyes and pulled the trigger. The defendant looked at my wife and chose to do the same,” Hoffman said. “My wife and I now live with injuries. We live with our bodies remembering the gunfire.”

Yvette Hoffman said she has been too traumatized to work since the attack in their home, and that she sees a therapist weekly.

“I will never forget looking down and watching my blood slowly stream down that white washing machine as I felt myself sinking to the floor,” she said, barely holding back tears. “We always have an escape plan now. This isn’t how people should live.”

Boelter admitted in court last month that he spent months identifying and stalking his targets before driving to their homes disguised as a police officer with the intention of killing them. The killings sparked the largest police search in state history.

Democratic State Rep. Kristin Bahner was one of two other legislators whose homes Boelter visited that night, but she and her family were on vacation. Bahner said the shootings had left her shaken.

“I could not fathom why I was spared and (Hortman) was not,” she said. “You failed because I carry her with me. In my mind and in my heart, she guides me.”

Mark Hortman’s parents and siblings spoke of their anger Thursday, both at the man who killed him and the justice system.

“It will not offer me peace of mind that he will have room and board provided for the rest of his life, paid for by my tax dollars,” said Lisa Hortman Bean, Mark’s sister.

Melissa Hortman’s mother and father and the Hortman’s children changed the tone of the statements when they spoke, remembering them as attentive, loving parents and grandparents and people who had a positive impact on thousands of lives.

Sophie Hortman, their daughter, described in vivid detail having to say goodbye to Gilbert, the golden retriever, also shot by Boelter but who was still alive when they arrived at the veterinary hospital. She talked about the bedtime routine her mother had with Gilbert, who failed his service dog test because he was too friendly, and the care and love she gave him.

“I miss my mom. I miss my dad. I miss my best friends. And I miss believing in the goodness of humanity. I hope that one day these aches feel less sharp. And I know just like the love I feel for my parents, the pain will never go away,” she said through tears.

Colin Hortman talked about his parents not being at his recent wedding, about not dancing with his mother who he had hoped would make his wedding cake. He described the horror of the house and the panic attacks and crying that have persisted in the year since they were killed.

“My days are filled with gray, and the blood that was spilled is the last thing I see before I go to sleep and the first thing I see when I wake,” he said. “There is no sentence that weighs 15 gunshots, a murdered dog and the rest of my life.”

“It is impossible to realize the damage that has been done not only to our family, but to our society,” said Melissa’s father Harold Haluptzok, who repeatedly referred to her as his “little girl.”

“I wish the perpetrator would have sat down and talked to Melissa about his political positions. … if only he did that before he decided to kill them,” Haluptzok added.

Federal defender Manny Atwal spoke only briefly after the victim impact statements Thursday, saying Boelter showed remorse for his actions by pleading guilty and accepting the life sentences.

Boelter remained silent and sat extremely still for most of the hearing, showing little emotion or reaction to the anguish expressed by the survivors and family members.

“To every person I have caused loss, pain, heartache, confusion, sadness, shame or loneliness, I am truly sorry,” Boelter said.

Boelter went to Hortman’s home, wearing a tactical uniform and mask, about 3:30 a.m. on June 14, 2025. He rang the doorbell while shouting he was a police officer doing a welfare check, according to court documents.

Mark Hortman answered the door. Boelter gave him a fake name and badge number before requesting he summon Melissa Hortman to the door as well. He shot Mark Hortman multiple times before pushing into the house and shooting the lawmaker as she fled upstairs. Melissa and Mark Hortman were killed.

Boelter had already visited the Hoffmans’ home that night, shooting and critically injuring the senator and his wife, according to police and court documents. Court documents said Boelter also went to Bahner’s house that night as well as the home of another lawmaker.

Boelter also faces state charges, including two counts of murder, four counts of attempted murder, impersonating a police officer and animal cruelty. Hoffman and his family filed a personal injury lawsuit against Boelter in April.

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in a statement Thursday that Boelter’s state prosecution would move forward immediately noting a first appearance is scheduled for Aug. 3.

“The targeted political violence he committed was horrific,” Moriarty wrote. “My thoughts are with Melissa and Mark’s family, as well as John, Yvette, and Hope, as the state prosecution moves forward.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press. 

1...565758...3,812Page 57 of 3,812