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Minnesota state representative Melissa Hortman and her husband were shot dead on Saturday morning in what state governor Tim Walz described as a “politically motivated assassination”.
Hortman, a Democrat, and her husband were shot at their home in Brooklyn Park, a city north of Minneapolis, by a man dressed as a police officer, authorities said. Police are still searching for the suspect, who escaped following a shootout with officers.
“My good friend and colleague Melissa and her husband Mark were shot and killed this morning in what appears to be a politically motivated assassination,” said Tim Walz, the state’s governor. He described Hortman as “a formidable public servant, a fixture and a giant in Minnesota”.
Democrat state senator John Hoffman and his wife were also shot in an incident at their home earlier on Saturday morning. Waltz said they were recovering in hospital.
“We are cautiously optimistic they will survive this assassination attempt,” Walz said, describing it as “an act of political violence”.
Bob Jacobson, commissioner of public safety for Minnesota, said the gunman had been dressed as a police officer, adding: “The suspect exploited the trust of our uniforms.”
Jacobson said increased security was in place for public officials and others that may be at risk.
Law enforcement officials confirmed the gunman was not a police officer, but was driving a vehicle that appeared to be a squad car.
US President Donald Trump said in a statement that he had been briefed “on the terrible shooting that took place in Minnesota, which appears to be a targeted attack against State Lawmakers.”
“Our Attorney General, Pam Bondi, and the FBI, are investigating the situation, and they will be prosecuting anyone involved to the fullest extent of the law,” he said in remarks published on social media platform X by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
“Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America. God Bless the great people of Minnesota, a truly great place!”
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