US media are reporting that Minnesota Police have arrested a man who allegedly shot dead a Democratic state politician and her husband while posing as a police officer, ending a nearly two-day manhunt.
The top Democrat in the Minnesota House, Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were killed in the shooting on Friday.
57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter fled on foot when officers confronted him at Ms Hortman's home.
Police say the gunman earlier shot and wounded another Democratic politician, state Senator John Hoffman, and his wife Yvette at their home.
US police have been conducting a massive manhunt in Minnesota for the gunman for a crime that Governor Tim Walz characterised as a "politically motivated assassination".
The suspect, whom police identified as Vance Luther Boelter, 57, fled on foot when officers confronted him at the Brooklyn Park home of state Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark.
The gunman earlier had shot and wounded another Democratic politician, state Senator John Hoffman, and his wife Yvette at their home a few miles away, authorities said.
Minnesota US Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat, said on NBC's "Meet the Press with Kristen Welker" yesterday morning that investigators believe Boelter is still in the region.
Authorities in Sibley County, about an hour by car southwest of Minneapolis, issued an alert today saying they had found the suspect's car in Faxon Township and instructing residents to keep their doors and cars locked, the county sheriff's office confirmed.
Officers were searching residences in the area.
The location of the car is about 6.4km east of Mr Boelter's listed home address in Green Isle, also in Sibley County, which was searched by law enforcement officers yesterday.
The gunman had left behind a vehicle outside Ms Hortman's house in suburban Minneapolis that resembled a police SUV, including flashing lights, and contained a "manifesto" and a target list of other politicians and institutions, officials said.
Authorities had not publicly identified a specific motive as of yesterday evening.
Mr Boelter has links to evangelical ministries and claimed to be a security expert with experience in Gaza and Africa, according to online postings and public records reviewed by Reuters.
"There clearly was some through line with abortion, because of the groups that were on the list and other things that I've heard were in this manifesto. So that was one of his motivations," Ms Klobuchar said.
ABC News, citing law enforcement officials, reported the list of targets featured dozens of Minnesota Democrats, including Tim Walz, who was also the Democratic vice presidential candidate last year.
The killing was the latest in a series of high-profile episodes of US political violence, including the attack on former Democratic US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband at their home in 2022, the attempted assassination of Donald Trump during last year's presidential campaign, and an arson attack at Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's house in April.
Damon Voight, who lives down the road from Mr Boelter's house in a rural area of Green Isle, said his wife was afraid with the suspect on the loose.
Outside the state capitol in St Paul, a small memorial had taken shape, with flowers, American flags and handwritten messages on yellow post-it notes.
"Justice for Melissa," read one note, with a drawing of a heart on it.
Ms Klobuchar said she had seen both Ms Hortman and Mr Hoffman at a political dinner on Friday, just hours before they were shot.
"We started out together in politics, moms with young kids, and somehow she was able to balance getting to know every door, knock on every house in her district, while raising two children - Girl Scout leader, she taught Sunday school," the US senator said of Ms Hortman, 55.
Ms Klobuchar said both Hoffmans were "hanging in there" after undergoing surgery for multiple gunshot wounds.
The attacks started around 2am (8am Irish time) yesterday, when authorities said the gunman shot the Hoffmans in their home in Champlin before driving several miles to Ms Hortman's home in Brooklyn Park.
The FBI released photos of the suspect wearing a rubber mask and a police-like uniform.
David Carlson, 59, said he has shared a house in Minneapolis with Mr Boelter for more than a year and last saw him on Friday night.
He said he received a disturbing text from Mr Boelter at about 6am yesterday.
"He said that he might be dead soon," said Mr Carlson, who called police.
