Vance Luther Boelter, the suspect in the weekend shooting of Democratic Minnesota lawmakers, is a former pastor and an appointee to the Governor's Workforce Development Board. He was named to the board by both current Gov. Tim Walz and former Gov. Mark Dayton.
The 57-year-old is accused of fatally shooting state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, at their home in a Minneapolis suburb on Saturday. He is also suspected of shooting state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, at their residence farther north.
His ministry background includes international missionary work, particularly in Africa, where he preached at LaBorne Matadi, a church in the Congo, according to The Wall Street Journal.
An archived site for Revoformation Ministries states that Boelter preached in the Congo and once sought out "militant Islamists" to share the Gospel. In a sermon posted online, he said, "I met Jesus when I was 17 years old, and I gave my life to him."
LaBorne Matadi has posted photos of his sermons on Facebook. He and his wife, Jenny, have five children and once operated a dog breeding business called Praetorian Shilohs, which specialized in Shiloh shepherds.
A longtime roommate, David Carlson, told WSJ that Boelter was deeply religious, opposed abortion and voted for President Donald Trump. However, Carlson was quoted as saying he saw no warning signs that he might commit violence.
Minnesota shooting suspect is former pastor, Tim Walz appointee | U.S.
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