MINNESOTA — Vance Boelter, accused of the Minnesota shootings, was once a well-known high school athlete who experienced a religious rebirth in his teens. He moved into a park tent to preach and later adopted a far-right Christian belief system.

Boelter, age 57 and father of five, is charged with killing state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, and attempting to assassinate Sen. Mark Hoffman and his wife early Saturday. His childhood years showed no signs of the radicalized beliefs he later embraced.

He was born into a sports-oriented Lutheran family in Sleepy Eye. His father, Donald, was a notable baseball coach inducted into the Minnesota State High School Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame.

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In high school, Boelter was recognized as “Most Friendly” and “Most Courteous,” with photos shared by classmates. He was active in sports, leading as captain of the basketball team and participating in baseball and football, along with choir.

“Vance was a normal kid from a middle-class background,” former classmate Wendel Lamason told the Washington Post.

Raised in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, his father was involved in church leadership, and Boelter participated in youth groups. A pastor from a nearby Lutheran church described him as polite and non-rebellious in his youth.

Boelter graduated from St. Cloud State University with a degree in international relations, then attended Catholic college Cardinal Stritch. He was ordained in 1993 after studying at Christ for the Nations Institute and traveled overseas to meet with militant Islamists, promoting peace efforts.

Christ for the Nations Institute confirmed his graduation in 1990 and expressed shock over the charges, emphasizing their mission of training Christian leaders for good.

Radicalization

By his late teens, Boelter’s beliefs shifted to the far right, according to Christian scholar Matthew Taylor, who analyzed his online activity. He believed in demonic and satanic evil forces and felt a need to combat them.

He also expressed opposition to LGBTQ+ rights and abortion, with online sermons condemning these issues and calling for divine intervention against perceived moral decay.

Investigators found a list of family planning centers and politicians in Boelter’s vehicle, along with notes from his car listing websites for locating addresses.

Friends knew he was religious and conservative but described him as moderate, never engaging in extreme political discussions. One friend, Paul Schroeder, said Boelter was just a typical conservative following Trump and did not openly discuss abortion or radical beliefs.

Later, Boelter worked in various roles, including in the Middle East and Africa as a security contractor. He returned to the U.S. in 2023, working briefly at a funeral home and most recently performing organ donation procedures.

He also spent nights away from his family, renting a room and working while messaging his family that “Dad went to war last night,” after his alleged attack spree. Boelter faces federal charges that could result in the death penalty.