Fact check: Did suspect in Minnesota shootings have close ties to Gov. Tim Walz?

Questions and misinformation have spread on social media and other platforms about the political views of the man suspected of assassinating Minnesota House DFL leader Melissa Hortman. One question centers on any connection the alleged gunman had to Gov. Tim Walz.

Police also have named Vance Boelter as a suspect in the shooting of state Sen. John Hoffman.

Here’s what we know:

Boelter was appointed to a state advisory board by Walz.

Some on social media have claimed he had longstanding ties to the Minnesota’s DFL governor or was an associate of his. Benny Johnson, a right-wing YouTuber, referred to Boelter as a “left-wing Tim Walz appointee.”

It’s true that Walz reappointed Boelter in 2019 to a workforce development advisory board, one that Hoffman also served on at the time.

But the governor did not know Boelter, a source in his office said, and emphasized these are not appointments to a position in the governor’s office or Cabinet. Boelter was first appointed to the board in 2016 by then-Gov. Mark Dayton.

Boelter’s friend and roommate David Carlson told reporters on Saturday that Boelter voted for President Donald Trump and was a “strong supporter” of the president but was “hardly ever talking about politics lately.”

Data released by the Minnesota DFL Party on Sunday showed Boelter voted in last year’s presidential primary election, but not as a Democrat. The Republican Party of Minnesota declined to share its presidential primary election voter data on Boelter, with a spokesman saying the party considers that data to be private under current law.

The workforce board has about 60 members, many of whom are not politically connected or would have meaningful access to the governor or interactions with him. The workforce board is tasked with recommending policies to Walz and the Legislature.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of people apply to serve on these state boards, task forces, advisory councils and commissions each year. There are more than 130 in total, including high-paying jobs on powerful councils, but they mainly are volunteer positions.

Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans said on Saturday that there is “certainly some overlap with some public meetings” between Hoffman and Boelter, but that law enforcement didn’t know anything about their relationship or if they knew each other.

Steve Kalina owns a small manufacturing business and has been on the governor’s workforce board since 2019 and said he’s on the opposite end of the political spectrum from Walz.

Kalina said the governor appoints people to represent the views of industry, and not to represent Walz’s political views. Kalina said the board does not interact with the governor on a regular basis. Boelter is listed in a 2020 state report for the board as having no party preference.

Kalina said he’s seen people post on social media trying to criticize Walz but that it’s a “shameless way of attacking the governor at a time we should be mourning the leaders of our state.”

“It’s goofy to make those stretches that the suspect was a close tie to the governor, a close appointee,” he said.

Kalina, who said his prayers go out to the Hortman and Hoffman families and called the violence senseless, said he recognized Boelter’s face and was probably in a few meetings with him but hasn’t worked with him directly.

There also is speculation on social media that Boelter’s wife, Jenny, was an intern for Walz. A spokesperson for the governor said that’s not true.

The Walz intern is a different person who appears to be married to someone else, the spokesperson said.

Some on social media have speculated about Boelter’s political views and what motivated him to carry out the shootings.

One theory is that the shooter had left-wing politics and targeted Hoffman and Hortman for stripping state health care coverage from adult undocumented immigrants.

Those allegations have been spread by prominent political figures with huge followings, but so far there is no evidence to support them.

Elon Musk posted on his social media platform X that “the far left is murderously violent” while quoting a post alleging “the left” killed Hortman. Right-wing influencer Mike Cernovich suggested it was at Walz’s direction “to send a message.”

Laura Loomer, a prominent far-right personality who has spread 9/11 conspiracies and lodged racist attacks against former Vice President Kamala Harris, claimed “Walz’s goons are now assassinating lawmakers who support legislation Walz opposes,” and called the Democratic party “a terrorist organization.”

Right-wing commentator Nick Sortor claimed Hortman sounded “absolutely terrified” speaking to media after voting to end the health coverage for undocumented adults.

There is no evidence that Walz played a role in the killing or that Boelter targeted Hortman and Hoffman because of left-wing politics. Walz and Hortman are close political allies and friends who have worked together at the Legislature since the governor was elected in 2018.

Hortman this year was the only Democrat in the Minnesota House to vote for a bill to end that health care coverage for undocumented adults, which she did to honor an agreement with Republican legislative leaders to pass a two-year state budget on Monday.

Hortman was opposed to the measure, like nearly all of her DFL colleagues at the Capitol, and was heartbroken about the vote, not terrified of violent repercussions from the governor.

Walz agreed to that budget deal in writing, and also signed the legislation removing health care for undocumented adults on Saturday after the attacks on Hortman and Hoffman. Walz praised that deal on Saturday.

“We proved that it’s possible, even in these politically charged times, to find compromise and adhere to the principles of democracy and civil discourse,” the governor told reporters.

Boelter also shot and injured Hoffman and his wife, even though Hoffman, unlike Hortman, voted against the bill to remove health coverage.

A manifesto found in Boelter’s vehicle included a list of “prominent pro-choice individuals in Minnesota, including many Democratic lawmakers,” sources familiar with the investigation said.

Boelter’s friend and roommate David Carlson said he was staunchly against abortion. “He thought it was murder.”

Carlson added: “He hasn’t talked about abortion for years. This goes back, through the ’90s he really hated abortion.”

Grok, X’s AI bot, said Vance Boelter’s wife, Jennifer, worked at CentraCare.

St. Cloud-based CentraCare indeed does employ a doctor named Jennifer Boelter. However, she is not married to Vance Boelter.

The CentraCare physician is married to Dr. Chris Boelter, another physician employed by the health system.

Jennifer Boelter, the physician, did not intern at Gov. Walz’s office, a spokesperson said.

Ryan Faircloth, Allison Kite and Louis Krauss of the Minnesota Star Tribune contributed to this report.