A somber Gov. Tim Walz spoke about the work and legacy of State Rep. Melissa Hortman, who authorities said was assassinated at her home Saturday morning. Police said the suspect targeted her, another Democratic state legislator and their spouses.
“Our state lost a dear leader and I lost the dearest of friends,” Walz told reporters at a news conference.
Hortman, the former Minnesota House speaker, and her husband Mark were shot and killed at their home in Brooklyn Park around 3:35 a.m. by a suspect who was impersonating a police officer, investigators said.
The shooting took place nearly 90 minutes after the same suspect shot and wounded State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette in their home in Champlin, according to police. The unidentified suspect, who had a list of other targets, fled on foot after engaging in a firefight with officers outside Hortman’s home, police said.
Walz described Hortman as someone who served the state with “great compassion, grace, humor and a sense of service.”
“She was a formidable public servant. A fixture and giant in Minnesota. She woke up every day determined to make this state a better place,” he told reporters.
The governor further condemned the attack in a statement.
“We are not a country that settles our differences at gunpoint. We have demonstrated again and again in our state that it is possible to peacefully disagree, that out state is strengthened by civil public debate,” he wrote. “We must stand united against all forms of violence — and I call on everyone to join me in that commitment.”
Other leaders from the state and beyond offered similar condolences throughout the morning.
President Donald Trump also issued a statement Saturday morning condemning the violence.
“Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America. God Bless the great people of Minnesota, a truly great place,” he said.
The White House said in a statement that the FBI and the Attorney General’s office will be investigating and “will be prosecuting anyone involved to the fullest extent of the law.”
Former President Joe Biden spoke out against the attack in an X post.
“This heinous attack motivated by politics should never happen in America,” he said. “We must give hate and extremism no safe harbor and we must all unite against political violence as a nation.”
Democratic National Committee Ken Martin, former Minnesota Democratic party chair and friend of both victims, said in a statement that “like so many Minnesotans, my heart is broken.”
“Melissa, Mark, John, and Yvette — these are not just names, and this is not just politics. These are people. They’re longtime friends to me and Jenn and so many others in Minnesota. They have children, loved ones, neighbors, and friends,” Martin wrote.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whose California home was invaded by man who assaulted her husband with a hammer in 2022, said she was “heartbroken” over the situation.
“Unfortunately, we know the tragedy of when political violence hits home very well. All of us must remember that it’s not only the act of violence, but also the reaction to it, that can normalize it. This climate of politically-motivated violence must end,” she said in a statement.
House Speaker Mike Johnson issued a statement denouncing the attack.
“Such horrific political violence has no place in our society, and every leader must unequivocally condemn it,” he said.
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar said she is “devastated” by the shooting and noted her friendship with Hortman in a statement.
“She was a true public servant to the core, dedicating her life to serving Minnesotans with integrity and compassion,” Klobuchar wrote. “As Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives, she led efforts to protect women’s rights, invest in clean energy, and secure free school lunch for kids. She was beloved by her colleagues.”
Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith, also responded to the shooting in an X post, decrying the political violence and said Hortman was “smart and funny and so dedicated to making Minnesota work better for all of us.”
In an X post, Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar remembered Hortman as “a dear friend who showed me how to lead with passion and integrity.”
“Whatever our differences, no one deserves this,” she wrote. “Violence has no place in our communities.”
Richard Carlbom, chairperson of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, said in a statement that Hortman “represented the best of Minnesota.”
Walz, Smith and Omar were among dozens of Minnesota Democrats on a target list written by the suspected gunman, law enforcement sources said on Saturday.
ABC News’ Brittany Shepherd, Averi Harper, Lauren Peller, Isabella Murray, Emily Chang and Selina Wang contributed to this report.
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