Minnesota suspected shooter
sent eerie final text to friends
‘I’m Going to Be Gone for a While’
Published June 15, 2025 6:06 AM PDT
The best friend and roommate of suspected Minnesota gunman Vance Boelter says he received a haunting message from Boelter just hours after Saturday’s shocking shooting spree that left two people dead and two others wounded.
David Carlson told Minnesota news station KARE that around 6 AM Saturday — shortly after former Democratic state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband were found shot to death, and Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were injured in another shooting — Boelter sent him and another friend a disturbing farewell text.
“David and Ron, I love you guys. I made some choices, and you guys don’t know anything about this, but I’m going to be gone for a while. May be dead shortly, so I just want to let you know I love you guys both and I wish it hadn’t gone this way,” he allegedly wrote.
Boelter added in the message that he didn’t want to say more or implicate them, but apologized “for all the trouble this has caused.”
Carlson says he immediately contacted police, fearing his friend may have taken his own life. He expressed disbelief that Boelter could be connected to the politically charged attacks. “He wasn’t a hateful person. But he needed help,” Carlson said.
According to Carlson, Boelter had been struggling financially and professionally despite pursuing multiple business ventures, including one in private security. He described Boelter as someone who had been growing increasingly disillusioned.
Carlson said the 57-year-old had once served as a political appointee under Minnesota’s Democratic Governor Tim Walz but had since voted for President Donald Trump. He was also strongly anti-abortion, though Carlson insisted those views didn’t define him.
As we reported … Saturday morning, a man — who officials say was dressed as a police officer, driving around in a vehicle that looked like a police car — showed up to the houses of Minnesota State Assemblywoman Melissa Hortman and Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman.
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The man allegedly shot both of the lawmakers and their spouses. Melissa and her husband, Mark, were both killed. John and his wife, Yvette, were both shot multiple times. The Hoffmans underwent surgery and are expected to live.
