What is the Red Lion Group? Suspected Minnesota shooter Vance Boelter called himself its CEO

Vance Boelter, the suspect wanted in the assassination of a Minnesota lawmaker and her spouse and the attempted killing of a state senator and his wife, remains on the run on Saturday, June 14.

Gov. Tim Walz said Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were fatally shot in their home, and state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were wounded in their house and will survive after undergoing surgeries.

The shootings were described by police and Walz as "targeted" and "politically motivated." Boelter was last seen in the Twin Cities area, police said. “No Kings” flyers were found inside Boelter's car, USA TODAY reports, though how they're connected to the shootings isn't clear. Protests across the country, including throughout Wisconsin, on June 14 were called "No Kings" demonstrations against the Trump administration. The shootings were against Democratic lawmakers.

Boelter was impersonating law enforcement when he entered the lawmakers' homes and later exchanged gunfire with police. Details of Boelter are coming out, though some of it unconfirmed.

It appears Boelter has a connection to Wisconsin, reportedly having attended Cardinal Stritch University. Here's what we know about Boelter.

Who is Vance Boelter?

Boelter is the suspected gunman wanted by police in the shootings in Minnesota on June 14. The 57-year-old reportedly worked for a security company in Minnesota. He is a St. Cloud State University graduate, a SCSU spokesperson told USA TODAY.

A LinkedIn profile believed to belong to Boelter notes he studied at Cardinal Stritch University in Wisconsin from 2008 to 2010 for his master's, and 2011 to 2016 for his doctorate. The private university in Fox Point closed in 2023 due to financial problems.

He was also an appointee to the Governor's Workforce Development Board in Minnesota. The governor's website listed Boelter as a "business and industry representative," and his appointment was from 2019-23, according to USA TODAY.

Walz called the shootings a “politically motivated assassination.”

Inside Boelter's vehicle was a list with nearly 70 names, law enforcement told CNN. Democratic sources told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that 11 Wisconsin lawmakers' names were also on the manifesto police recovered in their search for Boelter. All are Democrats, according to a Journal Sentinel source.

The FBI announced it is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information “leading to the arrest and conviction” of Boelter.

The FBI's social media post included photos of Boelter. One of the photos is the same image listed on the Praetorian Guard Security Services website that labels Boelter as the director of security patrols. The company provides residential armed home security in Minnesota.

Under his profile on the company website it says "Vance has been involved with security situations in Eastern Europe, Africa, North America and the Middle East, including the West Bank, Southern Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. He brings a great security aspect forged by both many on the ground experiences combined with training by both private security firms and by people in the U.S. Military.  He has worked for the largest U.S. oil refining company, the world's largest food company based in Switzerland and the world's largest convenience retailer based in Japan."

CNN also reported through Minnesota officials that Boelter worked for Praetorian Guard Security Services.

What is Red Lion Group?

Praetorian Guard Security Services wasn't listed on the LinkedIn profile that has his name and photo. But Boelter calls himself on the social media platform a CEO of a company called "Red Lions Group," though he was currently open to work. It's not clear what the company did. The website linked to his LinkedIn profile for Red Lion Group is currently down.

Two years ago he wrote on LinkedIn he was "currently in the Democratic Republic of Congo working on several projects." He added "Red Lion Group had a great meeting with the new Governor of Congo Central to talk about our private business projects that are all moving forward."

Just last month, Boelter has a post that says he was looking to get back into the U.S. food industry or other leadership positions outside of this line of work.

"I have been doing projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo in central Africa the last three years with Red Lion Group," he wrote.

His LinkedIn cites previous positions with Johnsonville, Del Monte and 7-Eleven.