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But one of the other state lawmakers was on vacation and the suspect left the other house after police arrived early Saturday, acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson said at a news conference.

The suspect, Vance Boelter, meticulously planned the attacks, carrying out surveillance missions, taking notes on the homes and people he targeted and disguising himself as a police officer just before the shootings, Thompson said.

"It is no exaggeration to say that his crimes are the stuff of nightmares," he said.

Boelter surrendered to police Sunday after they found him in the woods near his home after a massive manhunt that stretched over two days. He is accused of fatally shooting former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, in their home early Saturday in the northern Minneapolis suburbs.

Authorities say he also shot Sen. John Hoffman, a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, who lived just a few miles away.

Federal prosecutors announced Monday that they charged Boelter, 57, with federal murder and stalking offenses. He already faces state charges, including murder and attempted murder.

Hours later at a federal court hearing in St. Paul, Boelter said he could not afford an attorney and a federal public defender was appointed to represent him. He was held without bail pending an upcoming court appearance next week.

Boelter had many notebooks full of plans that appeared to be months in the making, Thompson said. Underscoring what law enforcement officials said was the premeditated nature of the attacks, Boelter wrote out a list of people search engines, according to court records.

But authorities have not found any writings that would "clearly identify what motivated him," Thompson said. Thompson said it was too soon to speculate on any political ideology.

Friends and former colleagues interviewed by AP described Boelter as a devout Christian who attended an evangelical church and went to campaign rallies for President Donald Trump. Records show Boelter registered to vote as a Republican while living in Oklahoma in 2004 before moving to Minnesota, where voters don't list party affiliation.

All of the politicians named in his writing were Democrats, including more than 45 state and federal officials in Minnesota, Thompson said. Elected leaders in Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin said they, too, were mentioned in his writings.

Authorities declined to name the two other elected officials who escaped harm. But Democratic Sen. Ann Rest said she was told the suspect parked near her home in New Hope early Saturday. She said in a statement Monday that the "quick action" of law enforcement officers saved her life.

Boelter sent a text to a family group chat after the shootings that said: "Dad went to war last night聽鈥� I don't wanna say more because I don't wanna implicate anybody," according to an FBI affidavit.

His wife got another text that said: "Words are not gonna explain how sorry I am for this situation聽鈥� there's gonna be some people coming to the house armed and trigger-happy and I don't want you guys around," the affidavit said.

Police later found his wife in a car with her children. Officers found two handguns, about $10,000 in cash and passports for the wife and her children, according to the affidavit.

Suspect caught in woods聽

At one point, Boelter bought an electronic bike and a Buick sedan from someone he met at a bus stop in Minneapolis, the federal affidavit said. Police found the sedan abandoned on a highway Sunday morning.

In the car, law enforcement found a cowboy hat Boelter was seen wearing in surveillance footage as well as a letter written to the FBI, authorities said. The letter said it was written by "Dr. Vance Luther Boulter" and said he was "the shooter at large in Minnesota involved in the 2 shootings."

The car was found in rural Sibley County, where Boelter owned a home. A police officer later saw Boelter running into the woods. He was found within 20 minutes 鈥� about a mile from the home 鈥� and gave himself up, crawling out before he was handcuffed and taken into custody in a field, authorities said.

A targeted attack

Drew Evans, superintendent of the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said the violence likely would've continued had Brooklyn Park officers not checked on Hortman's home, causing Boelter to flee.

The Hoffmans were attacked first at their home in Champlin. A criminal complaint indicated their adult daughter called 911 to say a masked person had come to the door and shot her parents.

Boelter showed up carrying a flashlight and a 9 mm handgun and wearing a black tactical vest and a "hyper-realistic" silicone mask, said Thompson.

He first knocked and shouted: "This is police." At one point, the Hoffmans realized he was wearing a mask and Boelter told them "this is a robbery." After Sen. Hoffman tried to push Boelter out the door, Boelter shot him repeatedly and then shot his wife, the prosecutor said.

When police in nearby Brooklyn Park learned that a lawmaker was shot, they sent patrol officers to check on the Hortmans' home.

Brooklyn Park police officers arrived just in time to see Boelter shoot Mark Hortman through the open door of the home and exchanged gunfire with Boelter, who fled into the home before escaping, the complaint said. Melissa Hortman was found dead inside, according to the document. Their dog also was shot.