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Morning Brief: Suspect Sought in Minnesota Shooting, Army Celebrates 250 Years, Musk Activates Starlink in Iran

BY Guy D. McCardle

On a day meant to celebrate American might—from Abrams tanks rolling through D.C. to Musk’s satellites lighting up Tehran—Minnesota was jolted awake by the cold truth that political violence isn’t something we watch overseas anymore; it’s parked on our front porch wearing a badge and carrying a hit list. Welcome to Sunday, June 15, 2025. This is your SOFREP Morning Brief.

When your idea of “dressing for the occasion” involves a rubber mask, a fake badge, and a loaded weapon, you’re not trick-or-treating—you’re declaring war on civil society. The Minnesota shooter as he appeared moments before his attack. Image Credit: The Independant

The manhunt for 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter is entering its second day, and Minnesota is still reeling from the chaos he left behind. Boelter is accused of gunning down State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, at their Brooklyn Park home early Saturday morning. Not long after, he attacked State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, at their home in Champlin. The Hoffmans survived but are still in the hospital after undergoing surgery. Officials say they’re “cautiously optimistic” about their recovery.

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Boelter didn’t just walk up and knock—he impersonated a police officer, complete with a badge, vest, mask, and a vehicle made to look like a squad car. He even exchanged gunfire with responding officers before vanishing into the night. Inside the abandoned vehicle he left behind, police found a manifesto and a hit list targeting more politicians and institutions. In other words, he had a bigger plan—and it wasn’t finished.

Boelter is still on the run and considered armed and dangerous. The FBI has offered a $50,000 reward for tips that lead to his arrest. He’s described as 6’1″, with brown hair, and was last seen in a cowboy hat, dark long-sleeve shirt or coat, and carrying a dark bag. His last known message was a text to a friend: “Might be dead soon.” That says a lot about his mindset—and how desperate he may be.

Law enforcement, including SWAT teams and the FBI, has locked down parts of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area, and they’re telling residents to stay inside and don’t answer the door unless two officers show up together. That advice alone should tell you how serious this is.

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Minnesota Governor Tim Walz isn’t sugarcoating it—he called the attacks “targeted political violence” and a “politically motivated assassination.” The fact that Boelter’s target list was found in his car means there are more names, and possibly more danger, still out there.

Bottom line: the shooter’s on the loose, the situation’s live, and the country just got a grim reminder of how fragile the line is between political disagreement and open violence. If you’re in the area, stay sharp. If you have any information, please call it in. This guy needs to be off the streets yesterday.

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Army’s 250th Birthday Parade in Washington DC

The streets of Washington, D.C., shook with the roar of tank engines and the thump of combat boots on June 14, 2025, as the U.S. Army threw itself one heck of a birthday party—250 years strong and showing no signs of slowing down. This wasn’t your average flag-waving parade. It was a full-blown military spectacle that combined the firepower of a wartime operation with the pageantry of a national holiday. And it just so happened to land on Flag Day and President Trump’s 79th birthday—a trifecta that drew praise, protest, and plenty of eyeballs.

The parade kicked off early at 6:00 p.m. ET—moved up half an hour due to sketchy weather—and rolled down Constitution Avenue from 23rd to 15th Street. Thousands lined the National Mall despite the drizzle, many waving flags, some chanting “Happy Birthday” to Trump, who was watching from a special podium flanked by First Lady Melania, VP JD Vance, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

It was a throwback and a flex rolled into one. The Army fielded nearly 7,000 troops, with 1,000 dressed in historical uniforms—from the ragtag militias of the Revolutionary War to the grunts of Iraq and Afghanistan. Abrams tanks, Bradleys, Strykers, Howitzers, and WWII-era aircraft were on full display, and the Golden Knights parachute team dropped in with red, white, and blue smoke trailing behind them. If you didn’t get goosebumps, you probably weren’t breathing.

Earlier in the day, Hegseth led a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington to honor the fallen. Later, the celebration turned festive with an Army fitness competition, live music, a military concert, and a fireworks finale. Flyovers buzzed the capital. The 21-gun salute cracked the sky. Trump gave a speech that doubled down on patriotism and unapologetically celebrated the country’s military power, saying, “Every country celebrates its victories, and it’s about time we did, too.”

Of course, not everyone was thrilled. The $40–$45 million price tag raised eyebrows, and “No Kings” protests broke out in D.C. and across all 50 states. Critics called the whole thing a glorified campaign rally in camo. But love it or hate it, you couldn’t ignore it. This parade wasn’t subtle—it was designed to be seen, heard, and remembered.

Bottom line: the Army turned 250, and it marked the milestone the only way it knows how—loud, proud, locked, and loaded.

 

Elon Musk Activates Starlink in Iran

While Iran tried to slam the lid shut on the internet, Elon Musk popped it right back open. After the Iranian government imposed nationwide internet restrictions on Friday, June 13, 2025, in response to Israeli strikes on its nuclear facilities, Musk activated Starlink satellite service over the country. The goal? Keep information flowing where Tehran wants it cut off. And he didn’t bury the lead—Musk simply posted, “The beams are on,” to confirm the move on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Iran’s Communications Ministry called the blackout a “temporary restriction,” but let’s not kid ourselves. It was about controlling the narrative and cutting off the outside world during a moment of high tension and military escalation. But with Starlink’s network of low Earth orbit satellites, it’s not so easy to keep people in the dark anymore.

Analysts say there are already around 20,000 Starlink terminals in Iran—many smuggled in or purchased on the black market. And that’s not even counting the cell-to-satellite connection feature, which is giving coverage to people without terminals. In a country where the government wants total control of the airwaves and the web, this is a paradigm shift. Musk’s move is providing a digital lifeline, keeping Iranians connected to the outside world in real time—whether their leaders like it or not.

In a fight where truth is one of the first casualties, Starlink is keeping the lights on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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