Suspect captured in politically motivated shooting in Minnesota that killed two

After a lengthy manhunt, the suspect in the fatal shooting of Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, as well as a separate shooting attack on another state lawmakers and his spouse, was captured on Sunday night.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced that the suspect, Vance Luther Boelter, 57, was found Sunday night armed and crawling in a field near his home in Green Isle, Sibley County.  Despite being armed, authorities said, Boelter was taken into custody without incident and no injuries were reported. Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said at the news conference that Boelter is in custody and has been charged in connection with the murders and the attempted murders.

The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office later posted a picture on social media that appears to show Boelter being taken into custody, writing: “The face of evil. After relentless and determined police work, the killer is now in custody. Thanks to the dedication of multiple agencies working together along with support from the community, justice is one step closer.” Hennepin County court records show Boelter is charged with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree attempted murder. He is due in court Monday afternoon.

State Rep. Melissa Hortman, 55, and her husband, Mark, 58, were shot and killed early Saturday in their Brooklyn Park home, around 11 miles northwest of Minneapolis. About 1 1/2 hours earlier State Sen. John Hoffman, 60, and his wife Yvette were shot “multiple times” 5 miles away in Champlin. Gov. Walz said that John Hoffman is out of his final surgery and is moving toward recovery and Yvette Hoffman is healing.Boelter is suspected of gaining entry to the lawmakers’ homes by disguising himself as a police officer and arriving at the victims’ home in a vehicle that looked like a police cruiser equipped with flashing emergency lights.

Following the shooting at Hoffman’s residence, officers were sent to Hortman’s home to check on her well-being, officials said. As officers arrived at the residence, they encountered the gunman at around 3:35 a.m. The suspect and the officers exchanged gunfire before the suspect escaped, flee on foot and leaving behind his fake police car, where investigators found his target list, authorities said. Law enforcement sources also found in the suspect’s vehicle an alleged target list of dozens of Minnesota Democrats, including Gov. Tim Walz, U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith and state Attorney General Keith Ellison.

The New York Post reported that Walz appointed Boelter to a four-year term on the Governor’s Workforce Development Board in 2019. He earlier served on the Governor’s Workforce Development Council in 2016 under former Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton.The suspect’s wife was detained for questioning after a traffic stop near Onamia late on Saturday morning; she was released without being arrested.

The FBI was offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to Boelter’s arrest. Superintendent Drew Evans of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said at a news conference that “right now we are asking the public if you do locate him, if you see him, to call 911. Do not approach him. You should consider him armed and dangerous.”

According to an online biography, Boelter is a husband and father, and touted an extensive background in security and military training. Boelter helped lead the private security firm Praetorian Guard Security Services, which is based in the Twin Cities area, according to the company website.

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Shooting at Salt Lake City, Utah ‘No Kings’ protest leaves one critically injured

At least one person was critically injured in a shooting during a ‘No King’ protest in Salt Lake City, Utah. Salt Lake City police said they have taken three people into custody after the “No Kings” march downtown Saturday evening from Pioneer Park to the Wallace F. Bennett Federal building left a man critically injured with a gunshot wound.  The “No Kings” protest in Utah was one of many that took place across the United States; according to preliminary estimates from the Salt Lake City Police Department, it was attended by some 10,000 people.

The incident took place @7:56 p.m, after officers heard gunshots in front of a luxury high-rise residential building on State Street – a main thoroughfare through the city leading to the Utah State Capitol in an area with local, state and federal government facilities. Police said in a news release that “officers responded to the scene and found one person with a critical gunshot wound. Those injuries are considered life-threatening.”

The Salt Lake Tribune reported that police tracked one of the involved parties and arrested him nearby, with two other people also later taken into custody. A motive has yet to be determined, and it was unclear if any of the people knew each other; however, Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd told KSL.com that it appeared the people were involved “at some level” in the protest.

Local news outlet KUER reported. Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall sharing in a statement that “the purpose of today’s demonstration was a powerful and peaceful expression until this event, and that cannot be overshadowed or silenced by a single act meant to harm. I want to urge everyone in the public to be calm, to give one another grace and to look out for one another tonight in the coming days.”  In addition, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox posted on X: “The shooting at tonight’s protest in Salt Lake City is a deeply troubling act of violence and has no place in our public square. This is an active situation, and we’re working closely with law enforcement to ensure accountability.”

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Lauren Alaina and husband Cam Arnold welcome their first child

Lauren Alaina and her husband Cam Arnold welcomed their first child on Wednesday, June 11, a daughter they named Beni Doll Arnold. This baby is the first for both Alaina and Cam, who were married on Feb. 4, 2024.

Alaina shared the news on social media, writing: “Beni Doll Arnold 6.11.25 – 7 lbs 13oz. 19 inches long. The right words are hard to find to describe how parts of my heart that I didn’t even knew existed were unlocked at 8:44 am when they laid you on my belly for the first time. I will never be the same. You, to your dad and me, are absolute perfection. We are honored God chose us to be your parents. Thank you to everyone for all of the love, prayers and support for our precious daughter.”

Alaina then shared that she was releasing her new song called “Heaven Sent” in honor of the birth of her daughter: “I have a little surprise for everyone. To celebrate the most precious miracle on Earth I have decided to release a song I wrote about my daughter. We learned she was coming in a time of deep sadness after the loss of my daddy. I wasn’t sure when I would share Heaven Sent but watching my own husband become a father the last couple of days has made me want to share it with you now. She came just before Father’s Day. My first without my own father. A day that will forever be hard to me, but I now have a new and perfect reason to celebrate it. Beni’s daddy. My sweet and steady husband. Beni truly is a gift from God that my old man sitting up there in Heaven Sent. It’s out now everywhere.”

Alaina first shared the news of her pregnancy in January, debuting her baby bump at the end of the music video for her song “Those Kind of Women.”

Listen to ‘Heaven Sent’ – HERE.

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Cole Swindell shares the song ‘Dale, Jr’

In honor of Father’s Day, Cole Swindell shared the song “Dale, Jr.” – written by Swindell, Greylan James and Matt Alderman. ‘Dale, Jr.’ will be included on Cole’s upcoming fifth studio album Spanish Moss, scheduled to be released June 27th.

The song is a true story about Cole and Jr. connecting on and reminiscing and remembering the memory of their Dads. Swindell shares: “It’s one of the most emotional songs on this album. It’s track three, obviously, on purpose as a little nod to Dale, Sr and I don’t think you would expect what you’re about to hear. It’s just a true story. Dale Jr. reached out to me years back when I had, ‘You Should Be Here’ and he said he could relate to the song after the loss of his Dad, Dale, Sr. Obviously, he had never heard of my dad or met him, but it just shows you that people are real people. They’re dads, too. It’s not about what their occupations were. Dale Jr. and I connected over a common bond of loss. ‘We just did what missing dads sons do’ is one of my favorite lines I’ve ever been a part of writing. I hope Dale finds his song as special as I do.”

Swindell has previously released the singles “We Can Always Move On,” and Spanish Moss’s debut No. 1 single “Forever To Me,” as well the tracks “Bottom Of It,” “Dirty Dancing,” “We Can Always Move On,” “Spanish Moss,” “Kill A Prayer,” and “One Day”.

Pre-order Spanish Moss: HERE.

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CBS renews Morris Chestnut’s ‘Watson’ for Season 2

CBS announced it has renewed the drama series Watson, starring Morris Chestnut as the titular sleuth, for Season 2. The new episodes are slated to air during the 2025-26 television season.

Chestnut, 56, wrote on Instagram“Thank you for all the love and support! I can’t wait for Season 2 of @watsoncbs.” 

Set in Pittsburgh, the show is a contemporary re-imagining of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson detective adventures, which took place in 19th century London. Chestnut plays Dr. John Watson, who returns to his medical career at a clinic that treats rare disorders six months after the death of his friend and partner, Sherlock Holmes.

Eve Harlow, Peter Mark Kendall, Ritchie Coster, Inga Schlingmann and Rochelle Aytes also star, and Randall Park guest stars as Holmes/Watson nemesis Moriarty.

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Mary Steenburgen joins Ted Danson on Season 2 of Netflix’s ‘Man on the Inside’

Variety reports that Mary Steenburgen has joined Season 2 of A Man on the Inside, which stars her husband, Ted Danson. Netflix renewed the show in December, shortly after its November premiere.

Per the official logline, the show follows Charles (Danson), “a retired man who gets a new lease on life when he answers an ad from a PI and becomes a mole in a secret investigation.”

Inspired by the documentary The Mole Agent, Charles (Danson) works for private detective Julie (Lilah Richcreek Estrada). In Season 1, she hired Charles to live in a retirement home to investigate thefts in residents’ apartments. The season finale set up Charles agreeing to work for Julie on future undercover cases. Steenburgen will play Mona Margadoff, a musician involved in Charles’ (Danson) next case.

A Man on the Inside also reunites Danson with The Good Place creator Mike Schur.

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Over 240 killed, 1 survivor after Air India Dreamliner plane crash in Ahmedabad

More than 240 people were killed when an Air India plane bound for London crashed moments after taking off from the city of Ahmedabad on Thursday, in what authorities called the world’s worst aviation disaster in a decade. Ahmedabad police chief G.S. Malik said among the dead included Vijay Rupani, the former chief minister of Gujarat state, of which Ahmedabad is the main city.

Police in Ahmedabad also said at least one person survived the crash of an Air India plane; that survivor has been identified as a British citizen named Vishwash Kumar Ramesh. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, with 242 people on board, lifted off from Ahmedabad Airport at about 1:38 p.m. local time en route to London Gatwick Airport. It gave a Mayday call, signaling an emergency, but there was no response from the aircraft before it crashed onto a medical college hostel after reaching an altitude of 625 feet shortly after takeoff.  The passengers included 217 adults, 11 children and two infants, with Air India confirming that 169 were Indian nationals, 53 were Britons, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian. Parts of the plane’s body were scattered around the smouldering building into which it crashed. The tail of the plane was stuck on top of the building.

Part of the plane struck the dining area of B.J. Medical College. Federation of All India Medical Association Vice President Dr. Divyaansh Singh announced in a X post that reports indicate there are 10 to 20 casualties from its student body and resident doctors.

U.S. aerospace safety consultant Anthony Brickhouse told Reuters that videos of the aircraft show that the landing gear was down at a phase of flight when it would typically be up. India’s Civil Aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu said that a formal investigation has been initiated by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau.

According to the Aviation Safety Network database, it was the first crash of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which was introduced in 2009 and has more than 1,000 planes operating globally (according to Boeing). The plane that crashed on Thursday flew for the first time in 2013 and was delivered to Air India in January 2014, per Flightradar24.

The National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday morning on X that it will be leading a team of U.S. investigators going to India to assist in the crash investigation: “The government is constituting a high-level committee comprising experts from multiple disciplines to examine the matter in detail.”

Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said that he has spoken with the Air India chairman to offer full support and a team stands ready to support the investigation.

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Sen. Alex Padilla forcibly removed, temporarily detained during DHS Sec’y Kristi Noem’s LA news conference

California Senator Alex Padilla was forcibly escorted out of a news conference in Los Angeles on Thursday and briefly taken into custody, after attempting to pose a question to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Noem was in the city addressing public concerns related to protests against President Trump’s immigration policies, particularly those involving ICE operations in Southern California.

Padilla said to Noem, “I am Sen. Alex Padilla. I have questions for the secretary,” which prompted several men to physically push him out of the room;nit was unclear who the men were as several were dressed in plainclothes. Footage released by Padilla’s office and shared with NBC News shows the senator being pushed into a hallway, where he was forced to the ground by individuals wearing FBI-marked vests. He was then handcuffed as agents instructed him to place his hands behind his back.

Before the interruption, Noem was discussing increasing immigration operations in the area and claimed that Homeland Security agents were staying to “liberate the city socialist and the burdensome leadership that this governor and that this mayor have placed on this country.”  When asked by a reporter about the incident, Nom clarified that she does not know the senator and that he did not request a meeting with her: “when I leave here, I’ll have a conversation with him and find out really what his concerns were,” Noem said. “I think everyone in America would agree that wasn’t appropriate.”

According to a statement from Padilla’s team, the senator was in Los Angeles conducting official congressional oversight of federal activity in the region. They confirmed he is no longer in custody, with his office stating: “he was in the federal building to receive a briefing with [Air Force] General [Gregory] Guillot and was listening to Secretary Noem’s press conference. He tried to ask the Secretary a question, and was forcibly removed by federal agents, forced to the ground and handcuffed. He is not currently detained, and we are working to get additional information.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., denounced the incident on the Senate floor: “I just saw something that sickened my stomach. The manhandling of a United States Senator, we need immediate answers to what the hell went on.”  Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., wrote on X that Padilla “represents the best of the Senate. The disgraceful and disrespectful conduct of DHS agents, pushing and shoving him out of a briefing like that, demands our condemnation. He will not be silenced or intimidated. His questions will be answered. I’m with Alex.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a post on X that Padilla “is one of the most decent people I know. This is outrageous, dictatorial, and shameful. Trump and his shock troops are out of control. This must end now.”

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus, of which Padilla is a member, said on X that the matter was “unacceptable …we demand a full investigation and consequences for every official involved in this assault against a sitting US senator.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., criticized Padilla for interrupting the news conference: “If you come to my press conference, yeah, you need to be respectful. What he ought to be doing, in my view, is making sure that we have rational immigration policy. And Senator Padilla, who’s a nice man, sat on the sidelines for four years, watch the border completely be blown apart.”

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Thomas Rhett releases expanded edition ‘About A Woman (From A Small Town)’ with three new songs

Thomas Rhett shared three new tracks from his expanded edition ‘About A Woman (From A Small Town)’.  One of the new releases, “Small Town Girls,” features Rhett’s tourmate Tucker Wetmore, while the other two tracks are “I’m That Guy” and the upbeat, disco-inspired “Dance With You.”

Rhett shares of the new music: “It’s always been a dream of mine to keep putting out songs. When we were picking tracks for About A Woman last year, I had around 30 songs in the mix. We ended up with 14 for the album in August, but we knew there were plenty more to share. These three new tracks are perfect for summer, and the band and I are already practicing them for the tour. Getting to perform ‘Small Town Girls’ with Tucker every night is going to be so much fun. I’m really excited to release more music over the summer.”

Rhett just kicked-off his Better Than Boots Tour, featuring Wetmore and The Castellows – or Dasha – as direct support. In July, Rhett will take the stage at Fenway Park in Boston, joined by Wetmore, The Castellows, and frequent collaborator Teddy Swims.

See the visualizer for Small Town GirlsHERE.

Stream the expanded edition ‘About A Woman (From A Small Town)’ – HERE.

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Megan Moroney shares new video for “You Had To Be There” featuring Kenny Chesney

Megan Moroney has shared the video for “You Had To Be There” featuring Kenny Chesney.  The new release comes on the heels of Moroney joining the legendary country artist as part of his “Sun Goes Down” tour alongside Zac Brown Band.

In a sweet social media post, Moroney shared a screenshot from Ticketmaster showing her attending a Kenny Chesney concert in 2018, hinting at the personal connection behind the song.

Chesney kicked-off a 12-show residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas on Memorial Day weekend. Chesney said of the residency: “When we started planning, I flew to Vegas with my core tour team. We stood on the arena floor while they played a U2 show, and we were completely immersed. It was like the performance took on a new dimension, something beyond just the band on stage.”

See the video for “You Had To Be There” (feat. Kenny Chesney) – HERE.

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