MINNEAPOLIS — Accused assassin Vance Boelter entered a not guilty plea to his federal charges Thursday in connection with the political shootings of two Minnesota lawmakers and their families last month.

Boelter, 58, of Green Isle, made the plea during a brief hearing in a Minneapolis federal courtroom after waiving the reading of his six-count indictment by U.S. Magistrate Judge Dulce Foster in connection with the stalking and slaying of state Rep. Melissa Hortman, her husband, Mark Hortman, the shooting of John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, and attempted shooting of their daughter, Hope, in the families’ homes.

Boelter’s federal defender, Manny Atwal, indicated ahead of the arraignment that he would plead not guilty to his counts. According to charging documents, Boelter drove an SUV designed to look like a police cruiser and donned a hyper-realistic mask and law enforcement uniform during the gunfire.

Two of Boelter’s federal charges carry the possibility of the death penalty if convicted. Prosecutors have not made a decision whether they will pursue a capital sentence, which would require the green light from Attorney General Pam Bondi.

An unshaven Boelter, wearing a neon orange sweatshirt, did not address the court beyond agreeing to enter a plea.

The court also laid out a schedule for Boelter’s federal proceedings that stretched into 2026, though no trial date has been set. Federal prosecutors said the case will require review of an enormous volume of discovery due to the investigation arising from the largest manhunt in Minnesota history. The 43-hour search for Boelter following the shootings ended in Green Isle when investigators found him just one mile from his home.

“That discovery will include likely hundreds or even thousands of hours of video footage, including body-worn camera and squad video from more than a dozen different law enforcement agencies,” prosecutors wrote in court records.

Boelter also faces state charges including two counts of second-degree intentional murder and two counts of second-degree attempted intentional murder.

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