A gunman opened fire on two Democratic state lawmakers in Minnesota early Saturday, killing one and her husband while wounding the other, in what the state’s governor described as politically motivated attacks.
The shootings come amid a period of intense political division in the United States, with thousands protesting the policies of Republican President Donald Trump.
The suspected assailant remains at large, prompting a massive manhunt by authorities.
President Trump and US Attorney General Pam Bondi condemned the “horrific violence,” vowing to prosecute those responsible to “the fullest extent of the law.”
Governor Tim Walz announced at a press conference that State Representative Melissa Hortman, a former House speaker, and her husband Mark were fatally shot at their home near Minneapolis. State Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette were also shot and wounded, though officials remain “cautiously optimistic” about their recovery.
“This was an act of targeted political violence,” Walz said. “Peaceful discourse is the foundation of our democracy. We don’t settle our differences with violence or at gunpoint.”
Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, explained that Hoffman and his wife were shot first, with Hortman and her husband attacked about 90 minutes later. The suspect escaped during a gunfire exchange with police near the Hortman residence.
Authorities believe the gunman impersonated a law enforcement officer in both attacks. “The suspect exploited the trust that our uniform is meant to represent,” said Bob Jacobson, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.
An anti-Trump rally in Minneapolis, part of a nationwide wave of “No Kings” protests planned for Saturday, was canceled after police issued a shelter-in-place order following the shootings. Flyers for the protests and a manifesto naming numerous politicians and officials were found in the suspect’s car.
Police are searching for a white male with brown hair, dressed in black body armor over a blue shirt and blue pants. The suspect’s vehicle was recovered, but he remains on foot, according to Mark Bruley, police chief of Brooklyn Park, where the Hortmans lived.
The shootings highlight the deep political divisions since President Trump took office in January, facing criticism from Democrats over immigration policies, attacks on universities and media, and perceived overreach in executive power.
“At this critical moment, this tragic event in Minnesota should remind us all that democracy and debate in our legislative halls and communities are how we settle our differences peacefully and build a better society,” Walz said.
Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar remembered Hortman as a dedicated public servant and friend who championed women’s rights and clean energy. “This was an act of targeted political violence and an attack on everything we stand for as a democracy,” she said. “We must all condemn it.”
Senator Tina Smith also issued a statement condemning the shootings.
Former US Representative Gabby Giffords, a gun violence prevention advocate who survived a shooting in 2011, expressed devastation over Hortman’s death. “We must protect our democracy from those who try to destroy it with a gun,” she wrote on X.
AFP
